From February 21st to 22nd, 2022, the ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan in Almora, Uttarakhand, hosted the National Symposium on “Recent Trends in Phytopathology to Address Emerging Challenges for Achieving Food Security.”
The Symposium was co-organized by the Mid-Eastern Zone Chapter of the Indian Phytopathological Society (IPS), New Delhi.
The Chief Guest, Dr. Tilak Raj Sharma, Deputy Director General (Crop Science), ICAR, delivered the inaugural address, emphasising the significance of the Symposium and the Indian Phytopathological Society.
Dr. Sharma emphasised the importance of domestic quarantine for the distribution of seed materials, accurate identification and diagnosis of plant pathogens, yield loss estimation, and the use of host-resistance for plant disease management.
The Plenary Session’s Chief Guest, Dr. P.K. Chakrabarty, Member, Agricultural Scientists’ Recruitment Board, New Delhi, discussed the importance of pests and diseases, economic losses caused by them, and the need for accurate pest estimation.
Dr. Pratibha Sharma, President of the Indian Phytopathological Society in New Delhi, emphasised the Society’s accomplishments.
Dr. Robin Gogoi, Secretary, Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi, provided insightful remarks about the society and informed the house about the symposium hosted by other IPS zones.
Dr. Lakshmi Kant, Director, ICAR-VPKAS, Almora, welcomed the dignitaries and briefed them on the status, challenges, and new avenues in hill agriculture to improve livelihood and ensure food security.
During the event, eminent speakers from international organisations – Dr. Harbans Bariana, University of Sydney, Australia; Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, CIMMYT, Mexico; and Dr. Santosh Kumar, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea – delivered lectures.
The Symposium drew over 100 participants, including Vice-Chancellors, Directors of ICAR Institutes, Professors, Students, Faculty Members from State Agricultural Universities, and Scientists.