Two days training prog for field staff, progressive farmers held

Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, Aug 24: Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI) Shimla in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir Forest Department organized two days training programme on “Seed and Nursery Techniques of Juniper and Important Medicinal Plants of Cold Desert Region” at its Cold Desert Field Research Station-cum-Van Vigyan Kendra, here for the frontline field staff of Leh and Kargil Forest Divisions and progressive farmers of Leh.
Dorjay Motup, Chief Executive Councillor, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh inaugurated the training programme. In his inaugural address, he said that Juniper is very pious plant in cold desert and plays very important role in the ecology of the region. He stressed that Forest Department will work together with HFRI Shimla in implementing various standardized techniques developed in the forestry sector for conserving fragile ecosystem of the cold desert.
Dr Sandeep Sharma, Senior Scientist, HFRI, Shimla said that the Institute will supply Juniper seedlings raised at HFRI nurseries in Himachal Pradesh to the State Forest Department J&K to establish a demonstration plot on trial basis in the Ladakh region. He gave a detailed presentation on modern nursery techniques and production of quality stock.
Pitamber Singh Negi, Scientist, HFRI, Shimla, who has developed seeds and nursery technology of Juniper shared the same with the participants.
Mohammad Abbas, DFO Leh gave a talk on the scenario of natural regeneration of Juniper and other cold desert species and its importance to the Ladakh region.
In the second day of training an important lecture of Dr Sanjeev Chauhan, Incharge ICAR-CAZRI Center, Leh on Salix: an important cold desert species, propagation techniques, its role in livelihood generation and economical importance to the people of Ladakh region. The participants were taken for a field visit at ICAR-CAZARI, Leh center where Dr Sanjeev Chauhan and Jigmit Stanzin elaborated various field and nursery activities going in their center.
The participants also visited high tech nursery of SKAUST-K at Stakna where Dr Anil Kumar, Scientist oriented about green house/polyhouse and trench cultivation techniques of vegetables and horticulture crops important to the region.
In the closing ceremony, Tsering Angdu, Executive Councilor, Agriculture, LAHDC Leh distributed certificates to the participants.

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