Dimapur, November 12 (MExN): A one day awareness programme was jointly organized by Central Institute of Horticulture, Nagaland and ICAR-National Research Centre of Banana, Tiruchirapalli and Central Institute of Sub-Tropical Horticulture-Lucknow to sensitize all the stakeholders of banana of Nagaland to prevent the introduction of a deadly strain of Fusarium wilt Tropical race 4 in Banana.
The programme was attended by more than 100 participants from different North Eastern State departments and also scientists from different research institutes of North Eastern states, KVK officials, state horticultural department, research scholar students from Central Universities. The programme was inaugurated by Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary of Horticulture.
Dr BNS Murthy, Horticulture Commissioner, Government of India welcomed the gathering in his welcome address and emphasized that there should be a national level campaign to create awareness among all the stakeholders of banana so that the disease can be contained effectively.
Dr NK Krishnakumar, country representative of Bioversity International, New Delhi and Former DDG (Hort.), ICAR stressed the importance of quarantine measures for the prevention of the strain TR-4 and asked all the stakeholders to adopt it strictly. He emphasized that the North Eastern region land races which are the precious material possessing resistance to various pest and diseases including Fusarium wilt disease should be conserved for future crop improvement programme.
Dr Azeze Seye, Scientist ICAR Research Complex for NEH, Jharmapani, Nagaland presented on scenario of banana in North Eastern region and informed that Nagaland has got very good wild plants which can be used as breeding material against pest and diseases of banana. Dr. Prakash Patil, Co-ordinator of AICRP (Fruits), Bengaluru given a presentation on linking of research activities with technological needs in India and promised to supply banana special nutrient mixture to the research stations in Nagaland for evaluation for the increase in the yield of banana.
Dr Thangavelu, Principal Scientist from ICAR-NRCB who has first identified the presence of tropical race 4 in India has given the presentation of various aspects of Fusarium wilt disease which include importance and impact of Tropical race 4 in India, various methods of diagnosis and detection and steps to be taken to prevent the occurrence of Tropical race 4 in the uninfected regions like NEH states.
Dr T Damodaran, Principal Scientist (Hort), ICAR-CSSRI, RRS, Lucknow and Dr S Rajan, Director, CISH, Lucknow given elaborate presentation about the development and use of the ICAR-FUSICONT technology for the effective management of the Fusarium wilt Tropical race 4 in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They have also explored the strategy to demonstrate FUSICONT technology for prevention of Fusarium TR-4 in North Eastern states with the help of Central Institute of Horticulture.
