 Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 28: The two-day Annual Review Meeting of AICRP Weed Management concluded at SKUAST-Jammu with notable guests and experts in attendance. The event, organized at SKUAST-Jammu's Main Campus in Chatha from 26th to 27th May 2023, was a collaboration between ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research (DWR), Jabalpur, and SKAUST-Jammu.
Dr. R.K. Samnotra, Director of Research at SKUAST-J, graced the concluding session as the Chief Guest, while Dr. J.S. Mishra, Director of the Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur, was the Guest of Honour. Eminent expert Dr. N.N. Angiras, a retired professor from CSKHPKV, Palampur, Dr. R.P. Dubey, Incharge of AICRP, DWR, Jabalpur, and Dr. B.R. Bazaya, the organizing Secretary and Principal Investigator of AICRP-WM, SKUAST-Jammu, were also present on the dias during the session. Over 75 weed scientists from across the country attended the meeting.
During the occasion, Dr. R.K. Samnotra expressed hope for the development of a comprehensive weed policy that addresses location-specific weeds and their management, catering to the needs of various departments and farmers at both regional and national levels. He stressed the urgency of effectively managing weeds, which cause significant losses in crop yields and have adverse effects on human and animal health. Addressing the issue of herbicide resistance, he emphasized the need for national attention, as developing new herbicides is a time-consuming process. Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of standardizing and popularizing new technologies such as herbicide application through drones to combat labor shortages. Dr. Samnotra also stressed the importance of devising location-specific weed management strategies for different agro-ecosystems and promoting their benefits to farmers, particularly in field, vegetable, and fruit crop cultivation.
Dr. J.S. Mishra, Director of DWR, Jabalpur, and the guest of honor, briefly mentioned the establishment of a weed seed museum at ICAR-DWR, Jabalpur. He also requested the provision of seeds from various weed management centers for different weed species. Dr. Mishra emphasized the significance of publishing research in reputable journals and informed the audience that the directorate would no longer grant a "Best Center" award. Instead, centers would be evaluated based on performance. He concluded by congratulating all centers for their efforts in weed management.
Eminent expert Dr. N.N. Angiras, a retired professor from CSKHPKV, Palampur, highlighted the benefits of long-term experiments in estimating herbicide residue in soil and emphasized the importance of weed survey and surveillance. He recommended incorporating these aspects into the technical programs of weed management. Dr. Angiras also emphasized the need to consider the monetary returns and overall impact of recommended weed management practices as part of the weed research program.
The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks from Dr. B.R. Bazaya, the Principal Investigator of AICRP (WM), Chatha, and the organizing secretary of the meeting. |
