Kurukshetra University receives grant to find value from paddy straw

In India, the Hindustan Times newspaper reports researchers at Kurukshetra University will soon begin looking into deriving value from paddy straw for both farmers and industry thanks to a grant from Haryana state government. The three-year grant is for a project on production of microbial silicase for resolution of silica in rice straw for value addition. Silica is paddy waste’s largest challenge so creating value for it, reducing its digestibility as livestock feed which leads farmers to burn it instead, causing environmental damage.