Training programme @ TNAU
“We are experiencing wide gaps between potential and actual yields in major crops, mainly contributed by pest and disease menace, that affecting the farming community. There is an urgent need to develop new and holistic concepts in pest management strategies,” C. Ramasamy, Vice-Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), said here recently.He was speaking at the inauguration of a 21-day training programme on “Instrumentation in Entomological Research” sponsored by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, and organised at the university by the Centre for Advance Studies in Entomology, for scientists.Emphasising the need to develop a cost-effective and eco-friendly Integrated Pest Management (IPM) method for the benefit of farmers, he called upon scientists to keep pace with the growing development in entomological research, especially in bio-technological approaches and precise computer aided instrumentation techniques.“Entomologists should play a vital role in ensuring production of quality food through post-harvest entomological research. Bio-technological applications have become the key for solving challenging problems such as late blight of potato, chickpea pod borer and key pests of rice,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
He said modern equipment had helped agricultural entomologists conduct high quality research aimed at development of highly refined management technologies. It was essential that they were trained in the proper use of such equipment in pursuing their research. R. Samiyappan, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Studies and S. Kuttalam, Professor and Head (Entomology) spoke.
