BioVoice News October 2017 Issue 5 Volume 2 | Page 7

editor’s note Shrinking water bodies not a good sign for agriculture! No, this topic is not off the beat for what we cover. The dying water bodies are a sign that the innovation has to take centrestage so that solutions are kept ready in the eventuality of new realities. If the agri culture has to really survive in the longer run, we will have to prepare for future with right remedies now. Every village in our country has a small, medium or big river which now is either lying dry or is shrinking due to human apathy. Agriculture lands have been left at the mercy of rainfalls which have no definite timelines in the midst of fast changing climatic conditions. Therefore, the only viable option is to use scientific tools from various branches of science to assess the damage, predict the impact and invent the solutions. Of course, saving the water bodies comes first but experimenting with new varieties of plants that consume less water, heat resistant crops etc could be few examples. While the environmentalists do their bit, the biotechnology has to play a greater role in saving agriculture. We need to get our priorities right or else nature will force us and it will be too late. In this issue of the BioVoice magazine, the ‘Cover Story’ focuses on the serious issue of pink bollworm that has cast its shadow on Bt Cotton sector. The ‘Face to Face’ features Prof Sveta Venkatesh of Deakin University who talks about her collaboration with the Max Healthcare on data analytics for healthcare management in India. Happy Reading! Keep mailing us and following the BioVoice News! RAHUL KOUL CHIEF EDITOR BIOVOICENEWS.COM 7