‘It has been developed after a three-year research and will take a year for field trial’

College of Fisheries here has developed a kit for detecting residues of a particular pesticide in fish and shell fish.

It could detect residues of chlorpyrifos in fish and shell fish, according to K.M. Shankar, Dean (Fisheries) of the college.

Speaking to media following demonstration of the kit at the college on Thursday he said chlorpyrifos was extensively used in agriculture.

Its residues could join water sources such as ponds and rivers at any time, due to human activity. With this, fish cultured in ponds came into contact with this pesticide.

Those engaged in in-land fisheries, exporters, and fish consumers could use this kit for detecting the pesticide content.

He said the kit has been developed following a three-year research. It would take one more year for field trial. Using the kit, a sample could be tested with in 10 minutes.

Field trial

Mr. Shankar said that if the technology was to reach consumers it would have to be transferred to a company for developing the kits. The company would have to conduct the field trial. The college would have to take steps for technology transfer.

The kit, which is yet to be named, was developed with funding from the Department of Biotechnology, Delhi and European Union, Brussels.

Earlier, the college had developed a kit called RapidDot for field level detection of white spot virus in shrimp. It has been commercialised through M/s. Virbac Animal Health Care Ltd., Mumbai.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / by Raviprasad Kamila / Mangaluru – December 04th, 2015