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Sri Biotech ties up
with Indian Institute
of Spice research
The City-based
integrated pest management  firm
Sri Biotech Pvt Ltd has joined hands with the Indian Institute
of Spice research of Kozhikode to formulate bio-logical pesticides
for cash crops like spices.Dr KRK Reddy, winner of the Bharatratna
Dr Visweswaraya Award and "Best New Product Innovation award"
for the year 2003 from Federation of Andhra Pradesh Chambers of
Commerce and Industry (FAPCCI). CEO of Sri Biotech, tells Sandeep
Saykar about the company's aproach towards biological pest control
and its future plans. Excerpts:
What are the products your company
has developed through the tie-up?
We have developed a fungal formulation against the insect pests
of spice crops like chilli, cardamom, turmeric etc. The Indian
Institute of Spice Research had isolated and developed a strain
of the fungus Trichoderma harianum, and we have developed a suitable
formulation to make it available in powder form for agricultural
part of application. Spice crops from an important part of the
country. We hope that our products will help reduction in the
use of chemical pesticides and enhanced production. We have also
made bacterial formulations available in the market for building
resistance to blight and blast diseases in these cash crops.
Do you plan to diversify into other
areas?
Veterinary diagnostics is another area we will be looking at.
We plan to start our research next year to identify potential
products. Biocontrol agents for aquaculture are also in the pipeline.
We have recently launched plant growth promoting rhizobacteria.
it might take two years before we launch a product in veterinary
diagnostics space.
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