TNAU to release hybrid variety of Jatropha

Tiruchirapalli, Apr 24: The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) will release the hybrid variety of Jatropha, from which 40 per cent extraction is possible, according to TNAU Vice-Chancellor C Ramasamy.

In a chat with newspersons here last night, he said the hybrid variety was undergoing the test and techniques were being evolved for increasing its yield. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research had released Rs three crore to the university to carry out the research.

Mr Ramasamy said the TNAU had also undertaken a Centrally-funded project to establish 'Automatic Weather Stations' at 224 locations across Tamil Nadu for daily monitoring of weather and dissemination of the data pertaining to rainfall, temperature and wind velocity to farmers.

To a question, he said the hybrid variety of sugar beet developed by the university was suited for the tropical agro-climate conditions and was a potential source of ethanol. He appealed to sugar factories to come forward and make additional investment for its processing.

UNI