BINA AT A GLANCE
Bangladesh Institute
of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) became functioning as a small radio-tracer
laboratory during 1961, today stands on a solid infrastructure. It is now
prepared to face current and future challenges in crop production sector
using nuclear and other advanced techniques. Using radiation technique, the
institute has already developed 55 improved mutant varieties of different
crops have been released by the National Seed Board of Bangladesh for large-scale
cultivation in the farmers' field. Some of the mutant varieties, e.g., Iratom-24,
and Binasail of rice, Binamoog-2
and Binamoog-5 of mungbean, Binasarisha-3, Binasarisha-4 and Binasarisha-5
of rapeseed, Binachinabadam-2 and Binachnabadam-3 of groundnut have created economic impact.
Further, nuclear techniques have been successfully used to
identify seven rhizobial inoculants capable of fixing higher biological
nitrogen, and thereby, increasing grain yield of lentil, chickpea, mungbean,
cowpea, groundnut and soybean. Moreover, nuclear techniques are being
successfully used in pest, soil and water management studies, nutrient
uptake researches, organic matter and crop residues study to avoid degeredation
and preserve the environment.
However, scientists
are facing challenge to transfer the results of research from the laboratory
to the field. Useful lessons can be derived from the successful implementation
of "Lab to Land" programme of our New Agricultural Extension Policies. Farmers,
both men and women, are essentially required to be involved in the use
of new technologies. For, it is only with their active participation that
we can achieve our goal of sustainable agricultural development. To this
effect BINA has a technology transfer programme. New technologies of this
institute are made popular to the farmers through on-farm demonstrations
all over the country. This massive task is being accomplished through joint
collaboration of BINA with Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE)
and NGOs. BINA has also training programmes for scientists, extension
personnel, farmers (both men and women) on the improved technologies developed
at the institute for higher productivity.
For the outstanding contribution
in the field of agriculture, the institute has been awarded "President
Gold Medal" in 1979-80. Many of its scientists have received prestigeous
medals and certificates, such as "President Medal", and also from various societies
like "Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Science," "Women Scientists Society",
"Kazi Mahbubullah Trust", etc.
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