PAU IMPARTS TRAINING IN SURVEILLANCE OF WHEAT DISEASES

Ludhiana, December 13, 2017: A one-day pre-season training on SAARC Surveillance Tool Box was held in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The training was jointly organized by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, PAU, and M/s Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt Ltd., Hyderabad, under the project “Delivering Genetic Gains in Wheat (DGGW).” The programme aimed atpromoting effective use of information technology in surveillance of wheat diseases.

Dr G.S. Mangat, Head, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, lauded the efforts of the organizers in holding the training programme. He motivated the scientists to make whole hearted and collaborative efforts for the management of rust diseases.

In his inaugural address, Dr PPS Pannu, Additional Director of Research (Natural Resource and Plant Health Management), PAU, emphasized on the timely monitoring and detection of stripe rust in disease prone areas. He advised the participants to be vigilant for the incidence of other diseases also because with the changing weather, other minor disease(s) may become major.The use of survey tool box application will help to maintain and enhance the information platform and core databases for tracking and monitoring wheat rust diseases at global level, he observed. This will further help in delivering accurate and timely information on wheat rust diseases, he added.

Talking to the participants through Skype, DrDave Hodson from CIMMYT shed light on ‘Global Rust Monitoring: Current Status and Implications for South Asia.’

Wheat pathologists and breeders from seven institutes including Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal; Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi; G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar; Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Jammu; CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar and PAU, Ludhiana, participated in the training programme.