Plant health initiatives

Recently team of senior officials from the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) comprising Dr. Pia Ellison, Program Support Manager, PLANTWISEPLUS, CABI Switzerland; Dr. Vinod Pandit, Regional Director South Asia, CABI and Dr. Manju Thakur, Crop Health Advisor, CABI visited the Directorate of Agriculture Jammu today for a meeting with Director Agriculture Jammu, S. Arvinder Singh Reen.

The discussion focused on strengthening the Plant Health Clinics in the Jammu Division, enhancing surveillance for new pest invasions, and improving pest management practices in the region.

During the meeting, the Director emphasized the importance of educating pesticide dealers and farmers to ensure effective pest management. He suggested the design of a comprehensive awareness campaign targeting pesticide dealers, Agriculture Extension officers and farmers, which would include crucial information on plant health and pest management. The Director also stressed the need for strong ties between Plant Health Clinics and pesticide dealers, allowing them to seek assistance from plant doctors for proper diagnoses. He acknowledged CABI’s significant role in reducing the irrational use of pesticides, helping farmers to adopt recommended dosages at appropriate times.

He highlighted the critical role of Plant Health Clinics in mitigating crop pest and disease problems. He called for regular updates from CABI on pest management strategies, which would include proper sampling techniques, data collection, online validation, weather-based agro-advisory services, and analysis of data to guide plant doctors and stakeholders. Additionally, he underscored the importance of promoting bio-control methods as part of an effort to maintain ecological balance.