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Indian Army develops XJ-43 Tactical Field Tomato
 The Indian Government Monday said it was developing transgenic tomatos which could grow in cold environment of Himalayas, for its soldiers posted at Siachen, world's highest battlefield. "One of India's Defence Research and Development Organisation laboratories at high altitude in Himalayas has undertaken the development of transgenic tomato which can grow in the cold environment of Himalayas to provide fresh vegetable to our soldiers guarding our borders," Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in Delhi Monday. He said the country needed a second green revolution to meet the challenges of feeding the growing population not only in India but also at the global level. "This could be achieved by developing transgenic plants through biotechnology procedures and tools which can be accomplished by identifying the plants genes responsible for drought resistance, past resistance, saline tolerance and cold tolerance and then develop genetically engineered transgenic plants for our specific needs," Mr Mukherjee said at a conference on Biotechnology and Nanotechnology in the capital city. In view of limited sources of conventional energy and availability of vast resource of biomass in the country, the Defence Minister said India needed to focus its research and development to commercial extraction of energy from biomass. "Bio fuel using plant sources or ethanol and also the blue green algae, which can produce hydrogen gas for use in fuel cell, can contribute to meet the energy needs," he said. Indian soldiers and their Pakistani counterpart are placed at Siachen under difficult circumstances since 1980s. Posted by: Seafarious 2006-03-28 |
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