Hisar’s Varsity gets patent for pest control technique

Hisar-based Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) today said it has been issued a patent on a technique useful for controlling the population of an insect — Helicoverpa armigera — commonly called sundi.

A team of scientists comprising Kamla Chaudhary, Harish Dhingra and K S Boora of Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the University have developed a low cost liquid formulation of native strains of Bacillus thuringensis for the control of Helicoverpa armigera, CCSHAU Vice-Chancellor K S Khokhar said.

Indian Patent office has granted patent to this liquid formulation, he added.

Khokhar said the above liquid formation would be very useful in the effective control of insect pest Helicoverpa that causes heavy losses in important crops like cotton, chickpea, tomato, brinjal, etc.

K S Boora, Head, Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology said the liquid formulation would not only minimise yield losses in various crops due to the attack of Helicoverpa armigera but also increase the income of the farmers.

Khokar said this is the third patent that’s been granted to the technologies developed by the scientists of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology Department.

Earlier, patents had been allowed on two processes, one of genetic transformation in chickpea and another process of preparation of tissue culture medium for enhancing in vitro plantlet regeneration in air yarn plant using bacterial cultural supernatant, he added.