Dr. Joykrushna Jena, Deputy Director General (Fy), ICAR virtually inaugurated the state-of-the-art laboratory on 27th April, 2021 at ICAR-CIBA, Chennai in the presence of Dr. S.K. Chaudari, Deputy Director General (NRM), ICAR, Dr. V.K. Singh, Director, ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad, the coordinating Centre of NICRA project and DR. K.K. Vijayan, Director, ICAR-CIBA. M. Muralidhar, Principal Investigator of NICRA project at ICAR-CIBA in his welcome address briefed about the establishment of Aqua Climate Laboratory facility under the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project. Dr. K.K.Vijayan, Director, CIBA in his presidential address highlighted that the partnership by CRIDA and CIBA, on this important area of climate change, and developing this facility of International standard, and thanked ICAR for funding support. Dr. V.K. Singh, Director, CRIDA applauded CIBA for the achievements under the NICRA project and completing the facility within the stipulated time. Dr.J.K.Jena in his inaugural address congratulated CIBA for this excellent facility in the region and emphasised the importance of aquaculture for food security in the scenario of climate change. A virtual tour of the laboratory was shown following the inauguration. The laboratory is housed with state-of-the-art equipment viz., Greenhouse gases analyser, CHNS analyser, Carbon fractions analyser (TOC, IC and TC), Ion Chromatograph, Cyclic Voltameter, Kjeltec Nitrogen digestion and distillation System, etc. for the research related to aquaculture and climate change.
During the function, Dr.J.K.Jena released two products developed by the ICAR-CIBA viz., CIBA Oxyplus, Dissolved Oxygen Enhancer and CIBA-Nodavac- R, Recombinant Viral Nervous Necrosis Vaccine. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is the utmost important parameter that affects the growth and survival of aquatic animals, especially under intensive shrimp aquaculture practices. Dr.P.Kumar Raja, Scientist who led the team in the development of Oxyplus explained the advantageous of the indigenously developed Oxyplus, in addressing the emergency oxygen depletion in aquaculture ponds, which is cost-effective too.
CIBA-Nodavac-R, a Recombinant Vaccine developed indigenously to prevent the Viral Nervous Necrosis (VNN), which affect several fish species such as Asian Seabass, Milk fish, Grey Mullet, Mangrove Red Snapper, especially in the larval and nursery rearing phases. Dr.M.Makesh, Principal Investigator and the team leader articulated that infected adults remain as carriers and transmit the virus to off springs vertically through eggs. The practical way to control the disease and prevent vertical transmission is to vaccinate fingerlings and adult fish. The vaccine is safe and efficacious and brings down VNN infections in finfish hatcheries and grow-out farms.
The function was concluded by vote of thanks by Dr. R. Saraswathy, Principal Scientist, AAHED, ICAR-CIBA.
