Karnal agri scientist uses ‘Goond Katia’ to save water

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 8

‘Goond Katia’ (Tragacanth-Katira Gum), conventionally used as a food item, can help save water while farming, as it has been proven as a herbal hydrogel after a five-year research by Dr Virender Singh Lather, principal scientist, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Karnal.

Dr. Lather said, “It will be a substitute of synthetic poly acryl amide (PAM), which is normally used in agriculture by the farmers to save water. It is chemical-based hygrogel regarding which serious concerns were raised by ecological scientists and environmentalists.”

The scientist claimed this technology was eco and farmer friendly along with being cost effective. This technique could be used by the farmers on their own in their field with the help of locally available materials.

Dr. Lather has also developed seed coating technology with herbal hydrogel for the efficient delivery of hydrogel to all the plant roots particularly direct seeded rice (DSR), which is already saving around 40 per cent of the water in comparison to transplantation of paddy.