Srinagar: The 41st annual group meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on vegetable crops began at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Kashmir (SKUAST-K) on Saturday.
A statement of SKUAST-K issued here said that about 300 delegates, including ADG, Horticulture, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi; Director, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research (IIVR); vice chancellors of agriculture universities, directors and heads of various institutions and vegetable scientists from across the country are participating in the three-day annual meet hosted by SKUAST-K’s Division of Vegetable Sciences to discuss latest technologies, cutting-edge research, and innovation in vegetable cultivation.
It said that the objective of AICRP vegetable crops was to enhance the productivity, quality, and sustainability of vegetable production in India.
The statement said that it provides a national grid for multi-locational testing of vegetable technologies developed by various research institutes and state agricultural universities.
It said that AICRP focuses on promoting sustainable farming practices, minimising chemical inputs, and conserving natural resources, thus supporting environmental sustainability. Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad Ganai, while welcoming the delegates of the country’s top agricultural universities and institutions, thanked ICAR-AICRP for holding the annual group meeting for the first time in Kashmir.
ADG Horticulture, ICAR, Sudhakar Pandey while providing an overview of the vegetable production in India said there was a need for diversification as most of the research focus is on very few vegetables.
Director ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi, T K Behera, presented the overall functioning of the AICRP and an overview of its various achievements in recent years.
Apart from the annual report of AICRP, vegetable crops, several other publications of the division of vegetable science were released at the inaugural ceremony. Lifetime achievement award was conferred to ex-Vice Chancellor, SKUAST-K, Prof Nazir Ahmad and excellence awards to four former Heads of the Division of Vegetable Science, SKUAST-K.
The best AICRP award for 2022 was given to the Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh for its outstanding contribution towards research under the All India Coordinated Research Project on vegetable crops.