The Hindu Business Line : Biotech lab coming up in Sathyamangalam

THE Bannari Amman Institute of Technology (BIT) at Sathyamangalam near Erode in collaboration with Bannari Amman Sugars Ltd is in the process of setting up a full-fledged biotechnology laboratory in its campus on an estimated outlay of Rs 2 crore.

The biotechnology lab is expected to take to production of tissue culture plants, bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides. The institute is planning a tissue culture farm as well.

Talking to Business Line, Mr K.S. Sundara Raman, Director, BIT said the institute proposed to set up this state-of-the art laboratory to cater to the felt need of the farming community. "This facility is expected to be a great boon to more than one lakh farmers in Erode and Sathyamangalam area, as there is no bio-lab in and around this belt. The labs will micro-propagate sugar cane, banana and medicinal plants and develop bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides," he said.

Tissue-cultured medicinal plants would also be grown as an alternate crop in a five-year cycle, he said and added that there were about 15,000 registered farmers with Bannari Amman Sugars, for whom the company had been providing cane seedlings and manure. "The miracles of biotechnology is sure to bring about superior quality of saplings, which will empower the farmers in this area," he added.

BIT, he said was contemplating to start a course on biotechnology during the 2003-04 academic year. "This facility will be a good learning ground for students," he said.

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