Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 10: In a significant international recognition, an Associate Professor from the Department of Botany, University of Jammu, was invited as a Visiting Professor at a leading university in China for a month-long academic engagement.
A statement said Dr Sikander Pal Choudhary was invited by the Henan University of Science and Technology (HUST), Luoyang, China, from February 6 to March 8, 2026, in recognition of his research work on root system architecture in major crops such as maize, pea and tomato.
During his visit, he interacted with faculty members, scholars and students at the Division of Horticulture, where discussions were held on emerging challenges in crop science, including climate change and sustainable agriculture.
At the University of Jammu, Dr Choudhary heads the Plant Physiology Laboratory, where research is being carried out on developing crop varieties resilient to salinity and low fertiliser conditions using advanced technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9.
The laboratory has also incorporated machine learning in plant science research, with recent work published in an international journal.
A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a collaborative agreement between the Plant Physiology Laboratory, University of Jammu, and the Division of Horticulture at HUST.
The agreement is expected to be formalised into a Memorandum of Understanding, paving the way for long-term academic and research cooperation between the two institutions.
The visit provided a platform for exchange of ideas and exploring joint solutions for improving crop productivity and addressing global agricultural challenges.
Dr Choudhary said such collaborations would help in integrating advanced technologies for crop improvement and sustainable farming.
He also acknowledged the support of the university authorities, colleagues, research scholars and his family for their encouragement.
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