Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 21: The two-day 18th Annual Review Meeting (ARM-2025) of ICAR-AICRP on Nematodes in Agriculture concluded at SKUAST-Jammu, following comprehensive centre-wise technical presentations, national scientific deliberations, and a progress review by 23 collaborating centres from across India.
The programme was chaired by Prof B N Tripathi, Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu, while Dr D K Yadava, DDG (Crop Science), ICAR, joined virtually as chief guest, and Dr Poonam Jasrotia, ADG (Plant Protection & Biosafety), ICAR, attended as guest of honour.
Dr Gautam Chawla, Project Coordinator, ICAR-AICRP on Nematodes, led the national technical review, steering deliberations on future research priorities.
Nematologists presented their research outcomes, constraints and field-based validation results, followed by extensive scientific discussions to refine national strategies.
Scientific inputs were provided by ICAR-nominated expert reviewers; Dr H S Gaur, former Vice Chancellor, SVPUAT & former Dean & Joint Director (Education), ICAR-IARI; Dr Bansa Singh, former Director, ICAR-IIPR, Kanpur; Dr M Sivakumar, former Head, Nematology, TNAU, Coimbatore.
The meeting along with national plant parasitic nematode challenges also highlighted critical nematode challenges in Jammu & Kashmir.
“For J&K, the emerging concerns of Rice Root-Knot Nematode (RRKN) in the Basmati belt, Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) – Globodera spp. in the ‘Pahari Aloo’ of temperate region, already listed as a quarantine pest under the Gazette Notification of the Government of India with officially marked certain areas, and nematode complexities in vegetables and protected cultivation require urgent science-based interventions. The guidance and recommendations provided during ARM-2025 will help shape region-specific solutions for our farmers,” stated Dr Rajan Salalia, Organising Secretary and Chief Scientist/ In-Charge, AICRP-Nematodes (Voluntary Centre), SKUAST-Jammu.
The valedictory session finalised decisions on the continuation and restructuring of hotspot multilocational trials, initiation of new priority trials on emerging nematodes in pulses and protected cultivation and strengthening molecular characterisation and resistant germplasm development.
The event was organised by the Directorate of Research and the Division of Plant Breeding & Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, SKUAST-Jammu.
Formal vote of thanks was delivered by Dr Tuhina Dey, Professor & Head, Division of Plant Breeding & Genetics, in the presence of Prof S K Gupta, Director Research & Convenor ARM-2025, and Dr Anil Kumar Dean, FOA Co- Co-Convenor ARM -2025, national experts, scientists, member of organising committee and research scholars.
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