The symposium discussed on ‘Reframing Futuristic Plant Health Safeguards’
HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Nov 26: A two-day long zonal symposium and national conference of the Indian Phytopathological Society (IPS) was held on ‘Reframing Futuristic Plant Health Safeguards’, organised by the Department of Plant Pathology on November 24 and 25 at Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat under the aegis of the parent body Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi.
Dr. Palash Deb Nath, professor and head, Department of Plant Pathology and organising chairman, NEZ IPS said that the symposium, was a platform for the young researchers to connect with the senior researchers in the field of Plant Pathology and to move forward in the direction of Science. Dr Deb Nath also said that the interesting and stimulating discussions among the scientific gathering in the premises of AAU would definitely help in answering many questions on ongoing research work on Phytopathological problems in the North Eastern Zone, specifically in the State of Assam.
Dr. Popy Borah, senior scientist and the organising secretary of the conference said that altogether 110 participants from different institutes of Assam as well as India participated in the workshop.
The symposium consisted of 16 keynote lectures by eminent researchers from the field of Plant Pathology. The workshop was designed covering six technical sessions – Disease management in Organic and Natural Farming; Integrated Plant Disease Management and Technology Dissemination in Plant Pathology; Impact of Climate Change, emerging and re-emerging disease, epidemiology and forewarning of Plant Disease Management; Host- Pathogen interaction, multi-omics, AI, Nano and biotechnological approaches for Plant Disease Diagnosis and Management; Technological advances in Identification and Bioprospecting of Mushrooms for Nutraceutical Security and lastly Host Nutrition, Nematodes, Arthropods and Insects in relation to Plant Diseases, Forest Pathology. Along with these sessions two competitive sessions for Prof. M. J. Narasimhan Award and APS-IPS travel award were also held.
The inaugural session was graced by Dr. Jayanta Deka, dean, Faculty of Agriculture AAU, Jorhat as chief guest. Dr. Anup Kumar Das, director of Post Graduate Studies; Dr. Robin Gogoi, secretary, IPS and head, Division of Plant Pathology, IARI- New Delhi; Dr. Rajib Kumar Bora, director, RFRI, Jorhat; Tapan Kumar Gohain (ACS), registrar, AAU, Jorhat also joined as guest of honour.
