INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR AGRICULTURE SCIENTIST
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| C.A.Rosamma, Assistant Professor, Research Station, Mannuthi, Thrissur 680651 |
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An agriculture scientist who had won an international award even as a student: that is C.A.Rosamma.
Rosamma who won the International award for young woman scientist in 1996 is now an Assistant Professor at Research Station, Mannuthi.
She won the award for developing 4 disease-resistant varieties of rice: Kairali, Kanchana, Aiswarya and Athira.
“All varieties of rice do not give the same yield at all places. Besides, the diseases affecting them are many. My attempt was to develop seeds capable of resisting the diseases”, she says.
She has now completed her Ph.D thesis on hybrids in rice.
“Though in coconut there are hybrids like TxD, such experiments are yet to take place in the case of rice. Some research work is being done in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. What we need is a variety suitable for our climate”, she says.
Now 5 varieties are being experimented at Pattambi. Among them Athira and Aiswarya are tall varieties capable of yielding more hay. Athira and Kanchana have faster life cycle.
“These seeds are costlier, true. But compared to other varieties, they require only lesser quantity of seeds. The yield is higher too.”
However, like many others, she is apprehensive about the future of agriculture in Kerala.
Her husband George Mathew is working in Dairy Development Department. They have two children: 7th standard student Deepa and 3rd standard student Dipin.
Courtesy: Vanitha, December 15-31, 1998
Contributed by: Administrator
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