Advancing Sustainable Agriculture: Eastern Zone Scientist Meet & National Conference on Stress Management in Crops
The two-day Eastern Zone Scientist Meet and National Conference on “Holistic Approaches for Biotic and Abiotic Stress Management in Crops for Sustainable Agriculture” was organized by ICAR-NRRI-CRURRS and the Indian Phytopathological Society at ICAR-NRRI-CRURRS, Hazaribag, during 28-29 November 2024. The event began with the ICAR song, followed by a welcome address by Dr. N P Mandal, Head of the Central Rainfed Upland Rice Research Station. Dr. Kajal Kumar Bishwas, Secretary of the Indian Phytopathological Society, spoke about the establishment, aims, and activities of the society. Dr. Chirantan Chattopadhyay, Ex-Vice Chancellor of UBKV, West Bengal, emphasized the need for collaboration among agricultural disciplines to improve future research and societal outcomes.
The Chief Guest, Dr. Sunil Chandra Dubey, Vice Chancellor of Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, highlighted the various stresses faced by crops in Jharkhand and stressed the importance of breeding climate-resilient and biofortified varieties to combat malnutrition. He also emphasized the development of sustainable crop husbandry practices. The Guest of Honour, Dr. Chirantan Chattopadhyay, reinforced the need for interdisciplinary efforts for advancing agricultural research and addressing the challenges posed by climate change.
Dr. Sanghamitra Samantaray, Director (I/c) of ICAR-NRRI, Cuttack, in her Chairman’s remarks, encouraged researchers to combine efforts to manage both biotic and abiotic stresses in crops. During the inaugural session, a Souvenir and Abstract Book were released by the dignitaries. The conference included plenary sessions, with Dr. Sunil Chandra Dubey speaking on “Diversity and Management of Fusarium spp.,” and Dr. S Bhagat, Zonal President of IPS (E Z), discussing “Management of Rice Blast Diseases in Drought-Prone Rainfed Ecosystems.”
On the second day, plenary lectures were delivered by Dr. K K Biswas and Dr. Sanghamitra Samantray, and several oral presentations were made by scientists, research scholars, and students. The event concluded with a valedictory session, graced by Dr. Arvind Kumar, Vice-President of Global Research and Development, Prasad Seeds Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, who applauded the conference’s outcomes and future directions for sustainable agriculture research.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
