Punjab Agricultural University holds national symposium; 300 scientists participate

NEW DELHI: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) organised a National Symposium on the “Plant Pathology: Sustainable Approaches for Food Security and Human Health,” wherein more than 300 scientists from across India, Nepal, Mexico and Russia participated.

The annual meeting of the Indian Society of Plant Pathologists (INSOPP) was held by the Department of Plant Pathology, PAU, at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on December 8 and 9.

The group of scientists discussed various topics related to biosafety, epidemiology, nanotechnology, future research gaps in technologies, artificial intelligence for plant disease diagnosis and plant disease management. “Experts also delved upon legal issues relevant to government agencies in a scientist-industry-farmer interface session,” the university said.

TR Sharma, deputy director general (crop science), ministry of agriculture and farmers’ welfare, New Delhi, while inaugurating the symposium, urged the scientists to develop technologies that ensure food security in environmentally sustainable manner.

PS Sandhu, head of the Department of Plant Pathology, PAU, informed that the event had six technical sessions with four plenary lectures, seven lead lectures, 19 invited lectures, 40 oral and 78 poster presentations.

On the occasion, “Dr TS Thind Distinguished Plant Pathologist Award” was conferred upon Jayanta Tarafdar, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, for his valuable contribution to plant virology.

Pankhuri Singhal, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, was awarded with “Dr SS Kang Best Ph.D. Thesis Award” for her work on mosaic disease of mustard, while Mohitpreet Kaur from PAU was conferred with “Dr SS Chahal Best Master’s Thesis Award” for her work on stripe and leaf rust resistance gene mining in European winter wheat.