A high level team of QRT (Quinquennial Review Team), constituted by the ICAR, New Delhi to evaluate the All India Network Project (AINP) on Acarology visited the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on September 21 and 22. The team was led by the Chairman of the QRT Dr NK Krishna Kumar, former Deputy Director General (Horticulture); and the Member Secretary Dr Arjun S Baloda, Network Coordinator, AINP on Soil Arthropod Pests, Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur. Other members of the team included Dr Subash Chandra, Director of NCIPM, New Delhi; Dr K Ramaraju, former Director, CPPS, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore; Dr N Srinivasa, former Dean Postgraduate Studies, University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru; Dr RS Chandel, former Professor and Head, Department of Entomology, Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishwavidyalya, Palampur; and Dr CC Gowda, Network Coordinator, AINP on Agricultural Acarology, UAS, Bengaluru. In this meeting, work conducted on Agricultural Acarology by the PAU Centre of Ludhiana; Mashobra Centre of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni and the SKUAST, Srinagar was reviewed.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said that PAU has been proactive and pioneer in developing various agricultural technologies which revolutionized agriculture in India, especially, in Punjab. He appreciated the remarkable contributions of the Department of Entomology in the field of Agricultural Acarology.
Dr GS Mangat, Additional Director Research (Agriculture), pointed out mites becoming major pest problem, especially, in polyhouse conditions and stressed the need for biorational management strategies.
Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, highlighted the important modes of technology dissemination being followed by PAU to promote adoption of latest agricultural technologies. Besides, he talked about biorational management of mite pests by the farmers in order to improve farm income while taking environmental factors into consideration.
Dr Kumar praised PAU for being a torch bearer in the service of farmers and number one among the State Agriculture Universities of India. He also laid emphasis on the new challenges being faced in agriculture.
Dr CS Aulakh, Dean, College of Agriculture, proposed a vote of thanks and emphasized the importance of reducing pesticide use to harvest best quality produce.
Dr Manmeet Brar Bhullar, Principal Acarologist cum-Head, Department of Entomology, welcomed the dignitaries. She along with Dr Paramjit Kaur, Acarologist, presented the research and extension work carried out by the PAU Agricultural Acarology team during the last 11 years.
The QRT team applauded PAU Centre of AINP on Agricultural Acarology for the excellent work done in research and outreach programmes. The team also visited the Museum of Social History of Punjab, PAU Apicultural Gallery and Apiary, Acarology Polyhouse and mite rearing facilities at Entomological Research Farm, National Insect Museum, Acarology and Insect Molecular Laboratories.
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