PAU Honoured For Having Highest Number Of Landmark Varieties
Author(s): City Air NewsLudhiana, March 7, 2017: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has been honoured by the Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding (ISGPB) for having highest number of landmark varieties to the credit among...
Ludhiana, March 7, 2017: The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has been honoured by the Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding (ISGPB) for having highest number of landmark varieties to the credit among all the State Agricultural Universities and Indian Council of Agricultural Research Institutes.
In a congratulatory message to Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, PAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr J.S. Sandhu, President of ISGPB, wrote: “It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, has developed 12 landmark varieties out of 52 varieties selected by the Committee chaired by Dr P.L. Gautam, Former Chairperson, PPVFRA and Deputy Director General (Crop Sciences). I congratulate all the breeders those who have put hard work to develop these landmark varieties.” It may be mentioned that the varieties, which were truly a milestone in post 1965 era, were shortlisted by the committee.
The Vice-Chancellor of PAU, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon received the award during the Platinum Jubilee Celebration of ISGPB, held at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi on February 11, 2017.
The felicitation function was presided over by eminent agricultural scientists namely, Dr GS Khush (World Food Prize Winner and Padma Shri Awardee); Dr RS Paroda (Padma Bhushan Awardee and Former Director General of ICAR and Secretary, DARE); Dr VL Chopra (Padma Bhushan Awardee, and Former Director General of ICAR and Secretary, DARE); and Dr JS Sandhu (Deputy Director General (Crop Sciences) and President of the Society) among others.
The PAU was represented by Dr BS Dhillon, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Dr AS Khehra, Former Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Dr HS Kalsy, Former Director, Regional Research Station (Faridkot); Dr KS Thind, Head, Plant Breeding and Genetics and Dr Praveen Chunneja, Director, School of Agricultural Biotechnology.
The era of Green Revolution was marked with a dramatic increase in food grain production in the country, making it self-sufficient. The tremendous impact of Green Revolution was observed mainly in Punjab due to dissemination of knowledge and rapid adoption of technological innovations such as seeds of high yielding varieties accompanied by expansion of irrigation infrastructure, introduction of mechanization such as tractors and distribution of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to farmers.