JAMMU: Director Agriculture Jammu, A.S Reen presided over the conclusive session of two-day Consultative Forum Members Meeting organized by the Department of Agriculture, Jammu, and the Centre for Agriculture Bioscience International (CABI) South Asia, under the Plantwise Programme at Vivanta Jammu.
The meeting aimed to enhance the effectiveness of existing Plant Health Clinics across the Jammu region.
The event was attended by Dr. Vinod Pandit, Programme Leader, CABI South Asia, Satish Sharma, Joint Director of Agriculture (Extension), Dr. Manju Thakur, Crop Health Advisor CABI, Agriculture Chemist Dr. Aman Jyoti Sharma, Plant Protection Officer, Madan Lal, Pathologist SKUAST-J, Vikas Sharma, Entomolist SKUAST-J, Divinder Singh, Chief Agriculture Officers of Jammu Region, Scientists from SKUAST-J, various experts and Plant Doctors representing districts across Jammu.
The primary objective of the meeting was to strengthen the support system for the 41 established Plant Health Clinics, ensuring timely and effective pest management strategies.
CABI’s backing will provide critical preemptive information on insect pests, crucial for safeguarding agricultural productivity.
During the meeting, extensive deliberations were held on reviewing last year’s activities and devising strategies for the upcoming year, focusing on integrated pest management to reduce reliance on chemical treatments. A key highlight was CABI’s commitment to digitize pest information, facilitating easier access and utilization through dedicated applications.
Speaking at the occasion, Arvinder Singh Reen, Director Agriculture, Jammu, underscored the significant impact of pests and diseases, attributing up to 30% crop losses in the region.
He emphasized the importance of continuous training for Plant Doctors to enhance their skills in data management and pest forecasting, pivotal for proactive agricultural advisories.
Director advocated the adoption of digital decision support tools to bolster scientific advisory services, emphasizing their role in improving decision-making capabilities at every level of pest management.
He stressed the importance of robust data collection and its utilization in developing Pest Management Decision Guides (PMDGs) and targeted advisories. He also mentioned that the department will be working on operationalising the Jammu Plant health clinic vans.
The meeting also highlighted the achievements of training over 100 officials as Plant Doctors, tasked with establishing and operating Plant Clinics across all districts of Jammu. This initiative is set to empower farmers with informed decision-making tools and anticipatory strategies against potential pest outbreaks.
Looking ahead, discussions encompassed plans for future activities, including enhanced data validation processes and international collaboration through CABI to elevate advisory services in the region.
Dr. Vinod Pandit, Programme Leader, CABI South Asia, commended the collaborative efforts between the Department of Agriculture, Jammu, and CABI since the inception of the agreement in 2016. He emphasized that plant clinic activities need to be streamlined in the state and aim to adopt digital tools for strengthening decision making using digital decision support tools and promote scientific advisory by supporting digital advisory tools.
Dr. Manju Thakur, Crop Health Advisor CABI presented the different CABI Digital Tools the plant doctors can use for ease of accessing knowledge on finger tips.