Coimbatore: A two-day “International lecture series on physiological approaches for enhancing the crop productivity under changing climate" was organised by the Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore on March 12 - 13, 2020.
Coimbatore: A two-day “International lecture series on physiological approaches for enhancing the crop productivity under changing climate" was organised by the Department of Crop Physiology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore on March 12 - 13, 2020.
The undergraduate students from the faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry representing various constituent colleges of TNAU and students from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir attended the programme which was held under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) – Institutional Development Plan (IDP).
Around 100 scientists and students across the country participated in the two-day international lecture series which was organised to motivate undergraduate students to select research as their career.
In the inaugural function, Dr. P. Jeyakumar, Professor and Head, Department of Crop Physiology welcomed the gathering and gave an outline of the activity. Dr. P.V. Vara Prasad, University Distinguished Professor & Director, Sustainable Intensification Lab, Kansas State University, USA was the Chief Guest and Speaker of the first international lecture series.
He emphasised that the researches may be conducted with the participation of farmers and to adopt climate-smart farming practices, use of landraces and wild species in breeding programs for introgressing the traits for abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.
Dr. Vara Prasad opined that understanding plant responses to various growth factors like temperature, light, water, and nutrients are very important to improve the yield of crop plants. He also emphasised the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to wage war against abiotic stress and to sustain nutrient-dense food production. Dr. Prasad added that research programs on post harvest physiology should be taken up at an accelerated pace to avoid loss.
Dr. S. Panneerselvam, Director, Water Technology Centre, TNAU in his felicitation address stressed the importance of water productivity and exploiting the diversity of crop plants and landraces to impart abiotic stress tolerance in plants.
Dr. N. Kumar, Vice-Chancellor TNAU informed that crop yields has decreased due to climate change. He proposed that the issue should be addressed by crop physiologists.
Dr. J. Venkata Pirabu, Director, Planning and Monitoring, TNAU emphasised the importance of understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance, to alter the metabolic pathways for enhanced abiotic stress tolerance in plants.
The interactive lectures were delivered on various themes viz., (i) Sustainable Intensification for food and nutritional security, (ii) Impact of climate change on crop productivity and potential solutions, and (iii) Crop Physiology and systems approaches to address abiotic stresses.
The participants visited various research facilities used in climate change research including drought, high-temperature stress and flooding at Department of Crop Physiology at TNAU. Also, the participants had a discussion on mitigation of abiotic stresses with the faculties of the Department of Crop Physiology.
In the valedictory function, Dr. V. Geethalakshmi Director, Crop Management, TNAU stressed that research should be conducted to sustain food production under changing climate.
Dr M. Kalyanasundaram, Dean, Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU stressed the importance of knowledge on Crop physiology on all sort of pre-harvest or post-harvest plant research.
Dr. J.S. Kennedy, Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies, TNAU stressed to speedup research on plant response to various abiotic and biotic stresses.
Certificates were distributed to the participants.
The undergraduate students from the faculty of Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry representing various constituent colleges of TNAU and students from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir attended the programme which was held under the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) – Institutional Development Plan (IDP).
Around 100 scientists and students across the country participated in the two-day international lecture series which was organised to motivate undergraduate students to select research as their career.
In the inaugural function, Dr. P. Jeyakumar, Professor and Head, Department of Crop Physiology welcomed the gathering and gave an outline of the activity. Dr. P.V. Vara Prasad, University Distinguished Professor & Director, Sustainable Intensification Lab, Kansas State University, USA was the Chief Guest and Speaker of the first international lecture series.
He emphasised that the researches may be conducted with the participation of farmers and to adopt climate-smart farming practices, use of landraces and wild species in breeding programs for introgressing the traits for abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants.
Dr. Vara Prasad opined that understanding plant responses to various growth factors like temperature, light, water, and nutrients are very important to improve the yield of crop plants. He also emphasised the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to wage war against abiotic stress and to sustain nutrient-dense food production. Dr. Prasad added that research programs on post harvest physiology should be taken up at an accelerated pace to avoid loss.
Dr. S. Panneerselvam, Director, Water Technology Centre, TNAU in his felicitation address stressed the importance of water productivity and exploiting the diversity of crop plants and landraces to impart abiotic stress tolerance in plants.
Dr. N. Kumar, Vice-Chancellor TNAU informed that crop yields has decreased due to climate change. He proposed that the issue should be addressed by crop physiologists.
Dr. J. Venkata Pirabu, Director, Planning and Monitoring, TNAU emphasised the importance of understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance, to alter the metabolic pathways for enhanced abiotic stress tolerance in plants.
The interactive lectures were delivered on various themes viz., (i) Sustainable Intensification for food and nutritional security, (ii) Impact of climate change on crop productivity and potential solutions, and (iii) Crop Physiology and systems approaches to address abiotic stresses.
The participants visited various research facilities used in climate change research including drought, high-temperature stress and flooding at Department of Crop Physiology at TNAU. Also, the participants had a discussion on mitigation of abiotic stresses with the faculties of the Department of Crop Physiology.
In the valedictory function, Dr. V. Geethalakshmi Director, Crop Management, TNAU stressed that research should be conducted to sustain food production under changing climate.
Dr M. Kalyanasundaram, Dean, Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU stressed the importance of knowledge on Crop physiology on all sort of pre-harvest or post-harvest plant research.
Dr. J.S. Kennedy, Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies, TNAU stressed to speedup research on plant response to various abiotic and biotic stresses.
Certificates were distributed to the participants.