DECEMBER 202419by as much as 90 percent. Furthermore, the plants do not need a lot of chemical intervention because they are disease-resistant, which reduces pesticide use. In addition, the company is promoting biodiversity by preserving elite banana plant varieties to support more sustainable agricultural practices in the country.Support for Farmers and Training ProgramMicrosun Bioplants not only provides high-quality plantlets but also helps farmers through the entire cultivation process. The company provides step-by-step support from field preparation to fertigation to ensure the best results. This covers care of the plants, fertilizer schedules, and pest management recommendations, among other things. Technical support does not stop at planting, as farmers continue to get help as crops grow.The company also helps in education as it provides training programs for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Tissue culture practice involving media preparation, plant propagation, and hardening is provided to students from national and international institutions. The students benefit from these programs, and so does India's biotechnology sector as a whole. Wider Impacts of Tissue Culture on AgricultureThe adoption of tissue culture technology in agriculture generally and in banana cultivation in particular is part of a wider trend to modernize traditional farming methods. Mass production of disease-free, genetically consistent plants is made possible by tissue culture which is critical to ensure food security in the face of climate change and increasing population pressure. With regards to banana farming, Microsun Bioplants' plants have raised yields by up to three times, which has a huge impact on farmers' income.Government initiatives such as the National Horticulture Mission are employing subsidies and farmer education programs to promote tissue culture. Due to this, a higher number of farmers are shifting to this method to boost crop productivity and meet the growing need for good quality banana crops, majorly for the export markets. India's exports of bananas have been growing consistently, with market destinations including Iran, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. Traditional banana cultivation is not able to meet these demands and tissue culture can provide a solution for scaling up production.Future Growth and ExpansionExperts are predicting a doubling of banana cultivation in the coming years, making the future of banana cultivation in India look a lot more prosperous. Microsun Bioplants, which already has a dominant share of the market, wants to expand its production capacity to meet the increasing demand. Currently, the company is working to expand its research and development capabilities to better improve the quality of its plants and to identify new crop varieties.Microsun Bioplants is also helping to create jobs in the agriculture sector, employing more than 400 people in its laboratory and nursery operations. The company's presence is not only limited to direct employment, it also supports a wider network of farmers, transporters, and vendors and in the process promotes the economic growth of rural regions. The uniformity of the crop is a key requirement for export quality, and this not only simplifies harvesting but also improves the market value of the cropDECEMBER 202419
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