Private equity players are having a tough time with a slow down in the services and manufacturing sectors, which promised good returns even back. But some investors seem to have found an answer closer to the ground- in agricultural fields.Last year, Indian agro-based companies attracted a host of private equity players, players, who see potential in this space on the back of strong demand and the sector's insulation from the credit-induced economic crisis in the West. The prominent deals in 2008 include the $50 million investment by Blackstone in Hyderabad-based Nuziveedu seeds, which is one of the largest hybrid seeds companies in India. Another prominent example was Morgan Stanley's investment in castor oil maker Biotor Industries, through its Asia fund. More recently, Chennai-based Sree Ramcides, a 36-year old, family-run agro solutions company attracted $5 million from ePlanet Ventures last month. […]