Bhagalpur: The National Conference on Climate Smart Disease Management for Sustainable Plant Health (CSDM-2024) and the ISMPP East Zone Annual Meet commenced on July 10 and will run until July 12.
Dr. D.R. Singh, Vice Chancellor of Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Sabour, opened the conference by highlighting concerns over the impact of changing climate on disease and pest incidence. He stressed the critical importance of Climate Smart Disease Management in addressing these challenges and expressed hope that the conference would yield valuable recommendations.
Dr. Singh also underscored the hazards posed by pesticides and their residues, advocating for minimising their use. He highlighted the role of smart disease management through resistant crop varieties and biocontrol agents. Emphasising the importance of sustainable development goals, Dr. Singh called for innovative ideas alongside traditional knowledge to ensure environmental and livelihood security. He championed holistic approaches for sustainable agricultural productivity, not just for Bihar but for the entire nation.
Dr. Singh conveyed his best wishes for the success of the conference and to all delegates and participants.
Over the first two days of the conference, eight technical sessions were held, featuring 16 lead lectures and 75 oral presentations. A poster session covering themes such as post-harvest disease management and biotechnological approaches for disease resistance was also organised, fostering in-depth discussions on these crucial topics.
