Mysore/Mysuru: CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI), Mysuru, had organised a webinar on “Innovations and Advancements in Food Protection and Grain Storage” on Jan. 5. It was themed on five different research fields related to stored grain protection from insect infestation, namely, “Grain storage management”, “Pesticides and insect toxicology”,“Hermetic storage technology”, “Insect pest management” and “Fumigation technology.”

Dr. Sridevi Annapurna Singh, Director, CSIR-CFTRI, inaugurated the programme by lighting the lamp along with Head and staff members of Food Protectants and Infestation Control (FPIC) Department, CFTRI.

Professional experts working in the field of integrated pest management from scientific and industrial domains delivered talks.

 During the inaugural session, Dr. Sridevi Singh discussed about country’s current situation with respect to post-harvest management of food systems and the necessity of immediate actions in the current scenario.

Dr. Prakash M. Halami, Head of FPIC Department, spoke about the current innovations and advancements in the field of food grain protection such as Grain ATMs, utilisation of PICS bags and silo bags for grain storage and importance of hermetic storage technology.

Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale, Director, ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana, emphasised on minimising food loss and wastage as technological solutions for protection and storage.

Dr. S. Senthil Nathan, Professor in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in Alwarkurichi, Tamil Nadu, explained about the importance of developing environmental soft pesticides from a researcher’s perspective.

Praveen Gupta, Country Manager in GrainPro Ltd. spoke on significance of hermetic technology as a sustainable solution to post-harvest problems. Problems and prospects associated with stored product pest management in India was explained in detail by Dr. S. Subramanian, Principal Scientist, Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

Dr. S. Rajendran (Retd. Scientist, CSIR-CFTRI  and  currently working with UPL Ltd. as a Technical Consultant) provided insights into the role of fumigation technology in food protection in context to Indian subcontinent.

The webinar focused on the ongoing research and technological advancements the world is witnessing with respect to food protection and safety. It provided an opportunity to young Indian scientists and students working in scientific labs and Institutions to interact with experts directly during the event.  A total of 138 participants who had registered for the online webinar will be receiving e-Certificates.