Coimbatore: The inaugural function of the International Seminar on Transboundary Pest Management (ISTPM) jointly organized by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and Entomological Society of India (ESI), New Delhi was held at TNAU, on March 4.
Coimbatore: The inaugural function of the International Seminar on Transboundary Pest Management (ISTPM) jointly organized by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and Entomological Society of India (ESI), New Delhi was held at TNAU, on March 4.
Dr. K. Prabakar, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Studies (CPPS), TNAU welcomed the gathering and apprised about ISTPM and his experiences in tackling the maize fall armyworm and coconut rugose spiralling whitefly, in the recent past.
Dr. N. Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, Coimbatore in his presidential address emphasized on the importance of transboundary pest and its impact on agricultural and horticultural crops. He highlighted on the menace caused by insect and non-insect pests include coconut eriophyid mite, tomato pinworm, coconut rugose spiralling whitefly, papaya mealybug and maize fall armyworm.
He pointed that TNAU has been instrumental in evolving IPM strategies for each of the above-said pests in an eco-friendly manner. He further stressed the need for enforcing stringent quarantine measures for invasive pest management in the future too.
Dr. S.K. Malhotra, Agricultural Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi insisted the necessity for organizing trainings and awareness programmes to farming community through Kisan Training Centres, State Agricultural Universities and State Department of Agriculture on the various technologies related to pest and diseases management which need to be disseminated through mass media.
Dr. R. Muniappan, Director, IPM Innovation Laboratory, Virginia Tech, USA insisted the need for developing biocontrol based IPM modules against Transboundary pests through a scientific understanding of the invasive pest. He stressed that adequate research and development strategies need to be devised by the scientific community for quicker containment of invasive pests.
Dr. R.J. Rabindra, Former Director (NBAIR) Bengaluru in his keynote address shared his experiences in tackling the invasive pests such as eriophyid mite, papaya mealybug, sugarcane woolly aphid etc., He opined that conservation biological control is the need of the hour and should be promoted among the farming community through large scale demonstration.
Dr. S.N. Puri, President ESI, New Delhi first instituted the ESI-TNAU Coimbatore chapter. Membership of about 120 students and scientists were enrolled in ESI.
In his inaugural address, he emphasized the importance of transboundary pests in our country. He also insisted on the important invasive pests that have made entry into our country for three decades. He stressed the need for deployment of suitable biocontrol agents for tackling the invasive pests.
During the meeting, Dr. Dr.B.V. Patil, Vice President, ESI, New Delhi, Dr. N.K. Krishnakumar, Vice President, ESI, New Delhi and Dr. A.S. Krishnamoorthy, Registrar, TNAU, Coimbatore and veteran Entomologists were honoured.
Further, TNAU and Entomological Society of India, New Delhi jointly conferred lifetime achievement awards to eight veteran entomologists and awards of excellence to seven Entomologists of TNAU.
About 400 delegates including scientists and students from State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes across the country have participated in the seminar and presented their findings. The seminar was organized on major theme areas including biodiversity and biosystematics, biological control, storage and quarantine pests, IPM, Biotechnological/Nanotechnological approaches and vector-mediated diseases transmission.
Dr. N. Sathiah, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology and Organizing Secretary Coimbatore delivered the vote of thanks.
Dr. K. Prabakar, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Studies (CPPS), TNAU welcomed the gathering and apprised about ISTPM and his experiences in tackling the maize fall armyworm and coconut rugose spiralling whitefly, in the recent past.
Dr. N. Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, Coimbatore in his presidential address emphasized on the importance of transboundary pest and its impact on agricultural and horticultural crops. He highlighted on the menace caused by insect and non-insect pests include coconut eriophyid mite, tomato pinworm, coconut rugose spiralling whitefly, papaya mealybug and maize fall armyworm.
He pointed that TNAU has been instrumental in evolving IPM strategies for each of the above-said pests in an eco-friendly manner. He further stressed the need for enforcing stringent quarantine measures for invasive pest management in the future too.
Dr. S.K. Malhotra, Agricultural Commissioner, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi insisted the necessity for organizing trainings and awareness programmes to farming community through Kisan Training Centres, State Agricultural Universities and State Department of Agriculture on the various technologies related to pest and diseases management which need to be disseminated through mass media.
Dr. R. Muniappan, Director, IPM Innovation Laboratory, Virginia Tech, USA insisted the need for developing biocontrol based IPM modules against Transboundary pests through a scientific understanding of the invasive pest. He stressed that adequate research and development strategies need to be devised by the scientific community for quicker containment of invasive pests.
Dr. R.J. Rabindra, Former Director (NBAIR) Bengaluru in his keynote address shared his experiences in tackling the invasive pests such as eriophyid mite, papaya mealybug, sugarcane woolly aphid etc., He opined that conservation biological control is the need of the hour and should be promoted among the farming community through large scale demonstration.
Dr. S.N. Puri, President ESI, New Delhi first instituted the ESI-TNAU Coimbatore chapter. Membership of about 120 students and scientists were enrolled in ESI.
In his inaugural address, he emphasized the importance of transboundary pests in our country. He also insisted on the important invasive pests that have made entry into our country for three decades. He stressed the need for deployment of suitable biocontrol agents for tackling the invasive pests.
During the meeting, Dr. Dr.B.V. Patil, Vice President, ESI, New Delhi, Dr. N.K. Krishnakumar, Vice President, ESI, New Delhi and Dr. A.S. Krishnamoorthy, Registrar, TNAU, Coimbatore and veteran Entomologists were honoured.
Further, TNAU and Entomological Society of India, New Delhi jointly conferred lifetime achievement awards to eight veteran entomologists and awards of excellence to seven Entomologists of TNAU.
About 400 delegates including scientists and students from State Agricultural Universities and ICAR institutes across the country have participated in the seminar and presented their findings. The seminar was organized on major theme areas including biodiversity and biosystematics, biological control, storage and quarantine pests, IPM, Biotechnological/Nanotechnological approaches and vector-mediated diseases transmission.
Dr. N. Sathiah, Professor and Head, Department of Agricultural Entomology and Organizing Secretary Coimbatore delivered the vote of thanks.