JAMMU: A team of senior officials from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) comprising Dr. Pia Ellison, Program Support Manager, PLANTWISEPLUS, CABI Switzerland; Dr. Vinod Pandit, Regional Director South Asia, CABI and Dr. Manju Thakur, Crop Health Advisor, CABI visited the Directorate of Agriculture Jammu today for a meeting with Director Agriculture Jammu, S. Arvinder Singh Reen.
The discussion focused on strengthening the Plant Health Clinics in the Jammu Division, enhancing surveillance for new pest invasions, and improving pest management practices in the region.
During the meeting, the Director emphasized the importance of educating pesticide dealers and farmers to ensure effective pest management. He suggested the design of a comprehensive awareness campaign targeting pesticide dealers, Agriculture Extension officers and farmers, which would include crucial information on plant health and pest management.
The Director also stressed the need for strong ties between Plant Health Clinics and pesticide dealers, allowing them to seek assistance from plant doctors for proper diagnoses. He acknowledged CABI’s significant role in reducing the irrational use of pesticides, helping farmers to adopt recommended dosages at appropriate times.
Director also highlighted the critical role of Plant Health Clinics in mitigating crop pest and disease problems. He called for regular updates from CABI on pest management strategies, which would include proper sampling techniques, data collection, online validation, weather-based agro-advisory services, and analysis of data to guide plant doctors and stakeholders. Additionally, he underscored the importance of promoting bio-control methods as part of an effort to maintain ecological balance.
The meeting further discussed the ongoing efforts by the Agriculture Department in implementing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. Director A. S. Reen emphasized the need for training more Plant Doctors, facilitating real-time data sharing, and providing further training to enhance their expertise.
Dr. Pia Ellison, Program Support Manager, PLANTWISEPLUS, CABI Switzerland elaborated on CABI’s role in promoting sustainable plant health practices. She discussed the potential for reducing pesticide use to cultivate organic products that meet international export standards. Dr. Ellison also emphasized the importance of transitioning to climate-smart plant health practices, which would not only ensure the supply of safer food but also contribute to local production of plant protection products.
As part of her visit, Dr. Pia Ellison also visited the Plant Health Clinic at Krishi Bhawan Talab Tillo, gaining valuable insights into its operations. Following that, she visited the Plant Health Clinics in Vijaypur, District Samba, to further assess the functioning and impact of these clinics in the Jammu Division.
The meeting and site visits were attended by key officials, including Joint Director Agriculture Extension/SLUB Satish Sharma, Agriculture Chemist Dr. Aman Jyoti Sharma, SMS Arun Khajuria, Resource Persons Rajeev Singh, Shishupal, Monika and other officers from the Agriculture Department.