GNDU-HORIBA Japan collaboration to validate rapid pesticide detection technology in Punjab
Project to benefit farmers and food safety, says GNDU Vice Chancellor Prof Karamjeet Singh
Guru Nanak Dev University has secured funding for an international industry-sponsored research project from HORIBA Ltd., Japan that focuses on validating an advanced rapid pesticide detection technology developed by HORIBA, a world leader in analytical and scientific instrumentation.
The project will evaluate the performance, accuracy and sensitivity of the rapid pesticide detection kit under both laboratory-controlled conditions and real field environments across Punjab. The Department of Biotechnology of the university has received this research project worth Rs 22 lakh from HORIBA Ltd., Japan.
This project will be particularly relevant for farmers in Punjab, where intensive agriculture — especially wheat–paddy cycles — often involves heavy pesticide use, making rapid detection kits highly useful.
While regulatory agencies recommend systematic residue monitoring, the currently available detection approaches are mostly laboratory-based, time-consuming, costly, and inaccessible at the farmer level, creating a critical gap between policy frameworks and ground-level implementation.
Prof Karamjeet Singh, VC, GNDU said, “Through scientific validation and extensive field assessment of the rapid pesticide detection kit, one can enable farmers for on-the-spot testing of soil and crops. Traditional pesticide testing requires laboratories, expensive equipment, and trained staff. Rapid kits, however, allow field-level testing within minutes to an hour. Farmers can test crops, soil or water right in the field or mandi, instead of waiting days for lab reports.”
The project will be executed at the Department of Biotechnology of Guru Nanak Dev University under the guidance of Prof Pratap Kumar Pati (Principal Investigator) and Dr Navdeep Kaur (Co-Principal Investigator).
Prof Pati said Punjab farmers often export basmati rice and fruits, and these export markets have strict pesticide limits (MRLs). The rapid testing kits can ensure produce meets safety standards and also promotes healthy pesticide use and mark a shift towards sustainable farming.
