Students learn the importance of Post entry quarantine of plants at Nauni University
To raise awareness on the importance of quarantine in plants and the concept of clean planting material, a one-day awareness camp on Plant entry Quarantine for the Experiential Learning programmes (ELP) students of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni was organised on Wednesday. The camp was organised by the Department of Plant Pathology with support from the NAHEP IDP. University Librarian and Principal Investigator of NAHEP IDP Dr. KK Raina was the Chief Guest on the occasion.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. Sunita Chandel, Professor and Head, the Department of Plant Pathology said that PEQ has gained more and more importance because plants are being imported in large quantities every year which can lead to the entry of new pests and viruses. Speaking on the importance of the workshop, Dr. Anil Handa said the biggest challenge in quarantine of plants is post-entry quarantine and therefore the university has been making efforts to create awareness not only among the officials of the line departments but also the faculty and the students.
Addressing the students, Dr. KK Raina lauded the initiative to raise awareness about plant quarantine and clean planting material among the ELP students of the university. He said that PEQ can offer lucrative job and business opportunities for agricultural graduates in future. Dr. Raina added that new diseases through plants pose a risk to biosecurity and strict measures are needed to manage it effectively to reduce economic losses. He exhorted students to be adaptable towards new ideas and concepts that can be converted into successful enterprises. He also requested the organisers to organise similar workshops for students for the university’s constituent colleges at Neri and Thunag.
Dr. Manish Sharma, Dean College of Horticulture said Himachal being a horticulture-rich state, the students needed to learn the value of clean planting material and the common diseases along with the precautions for planting material brought from one place to another. He said that the ineffective PEQ can lead to the introduction of new diseases which can severely impact the agricultural-horticulture sector.
In the technical session, Dr. Sunita Chandel shed light on the concept of plant quarantine and its significance in plant health. Dr. Handa introduced the students to the Clean Plant Centre concept and the work being done by the university in the effective detection and surveillance of new viruses. Dr. Bhupesh Gupta also addressed the students on the topic of pest surveillance. The participants also got a chance to visit the university’s state-of-the-art molecular laboratory and the Electron Microscopy lab.
Dr. Inder Dev, Director of Extension Education, Dr. DP Sharma, HOD Fruit Science, Dr. SR Dhiman, HOD Floriculture and Landscape Architecture, Dr. Narender Bharat, HOD Seed Science, Dr. Subhash Verma, HOD Entomology, Dr. Happy Dev, HOD Vegetable Science, Dr. Kapil Kathuria, HOD Business Management, faculty of the Department of plant pathology and ELP students of horticulture college attended the workshop.
