Symposium on horticultural inputs efficiency in B'lore from Aug 9

Bangalore, Aug 7 (UNI) A three-day National Symposium on 'Improving Input Use Efficiency in Horticulture' will be held here from August nine, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) Director S D Shikhamany informed today.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the event, conducted by IIHR in association with the Society for Promotion of Horticulture, would focus on improving production of horticultural produce with minimum use of inputs, including water, land, fertilisers, pesticides and labour.

Dr Shikhamany said the symposium would deliberate on topics like seed and planting material efficiency, water use efficiency, nutrient use efficiency, pesticide use efficiency and labour use efficiency. It also aimed at taking stock of technologies developed, identifying gaps and evolving research strategies to sustain productivity and maintain quality of produce to make horticultural enterprise more remunerative and cost-competitive globally.

He said that in recent times, agriculture was getting a lot of attention from policy makers to make it more profitable. The Indian farming community should be equipped to meet international challenge in terms of cost and quality of their agricultural and horticultural produce.

He said over 300 delegates, including scientists, progressive farmers, technocrats, policy makers, representatives of development agencies and horticulture department officials from various States, would participate in the symposium. Among the prominent participants would be Union Agricultural Research and Education Secretary Dr Mangala Rai, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board Chairman Dr C D Mayee and Dr S P Ghosh, former Deputy Director General (Horticulture), ICAR, and FAO expert in Bangladesh.

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