One-day workshop on Botanical Diseases Detection and Plant Disease Management held in city

Mysuru:  Founder of Plant Clinic, Department of Botany, University of Mysore (UoM) Prof. S. Shankar Bhat has urged the policy  makers of the nation to set up more number of plant clinics across the country as it would benefit the farmers besides ensuring food security needs to  meet the demands of the growing population.

Delivering his keynote address at a one-day workshop on ‘Detection of Botanical Diseases and Comprehensive Plant Disease Management’  at M.A.S.V.S Gurukula Pre-University College at Kuvempunagar in city this morning, he said that agriculture was the main occupation of the nation and added that 70 per cent of  the population still ekes out of their livelihood through agrarian related activities.

India has 86 per cent of small and marginal farmers, he said and bemoaned that there were  less number of plant clinics in the country.

Continuing, he said that the nation was witnessing farm crisis despite tremendous progress in the areas of Science and Technology, agriculture and horticulture research achievements. A large number of distressed farmers continue to commit suicide upset over crop loss, climate change, crash in prices for farm produces and other reasons, he said.

However, setting up of huge number of plant clinics will help to detect and prevent many diseases threatening the plants besides suggesting corrective steps to farmers, he said and added that this measure will not only put an end to agrarian distress but would enhance crop yield and farmers’ income.

Start five-year Integrated Course on Plant Medicine

Speaking on the occasion, former University of Mysore Vice-Chancellor Prof S.N. Hegde also regretted that India has more than 700 universities where a lot of research activities going on in many universities related to agriculture promotion activities and regretted that the benefits of this research were not reaching the farmers. The experts in Universities must take their research activities to the doorsteps of farmers to bail them out from crisis, he added.

He appreciated the Department of  Botany for setting up a Plant Clinic besides reaching farmers and residents of city to find solutions for various plant diseases.

He also suggested the UoM to start five-year integrated course on plant medicine besides starting a Post-Graduate Diploma or Certificate course on Science and Technology in Ancient India, he said.

Inaugurating the workshop, MLA S.A. Ramdas also urged  setting up of more Plant Clinics to help farmers besides encouraging farmers to take up organic farming. He said that the present system of usage of chemicals and fertilisers for production of crops was not only polluting the soil but was also causing health hazards among the people.                                  

The workshop was organised jointly by the Plant Clinic, Department of Studies in Botany, Sri Raghavendra Gurukula Vidyapeetha and M.A.S.V.S Gurukula Pre-University College.  

As many as 30 residents of city who are maintaining home gardens and terrace gardens attended the workshop.  

Professor of Department of Studies in Botany Prof G.R. Janardhan, Director of M.A.S.V.S Gurukula Pre-University College Prof.G. Thimmappa, Principal Prof.B.D. Kannikar and others were present.