A brainstorming session on recent developments in the management of rice diseases was organised by the Department of Plant Pathology of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and Indian Society of Plant Pathologists (INSOPP) here on Wednesday. Inaugurating the programme,PAU Vice-Chancellor Baldev Singh Dhillon said there had been a four-fold increase in rice productivity. The progress which rice crop made in the last 50 years had not been made by any other crop. This performance had been due to high-yielding varieties developed by PAU and other institutes with matching production and protection technologies. However,he said,Due to climate change,new rice diseases and insects-pests are coming up,affecting the entire eco-system. The depleting underground water table and deteriorating soil health are some of the other key concerns which call for attention of agricultural experts. He emphasised carrying out research on new extension measures and creating awareness among the farmers about the integrated pest management technologies and judicious use of agro-chemicals like pesticides,weedicides and fungicides. Dr T P Rajendran,assistant director general (plant protection),Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),New Delhi,said farms were the capital of the farmers,and the impact of agro-chemical application on different rice varieties needed to be studied thoroughly. Dr B L Jalali,former director of research,CCS Haryana Agricultural University,Hisar,said the rice crop was the mainstay of agricultural economy of the country. Dr S S Gosal,director of research,said the advent and adoption of semi-dwarf high-yielding varieties along with the production and protection technologies had made Punjab a major contributor of rice to the central foodgrain bowl.
