The three-day National Conference on Maize tilted “A Crop for Food, Feed, Nutritional and Bioenergy Security with Environmental Sustainability” concluded at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) on Sunday evening. Organized by the Maize Technologists Association of India (MTAI) in collaboration with the ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR) and PAU, Ludhiana, the conference saw the participation of scientists, students, farmers, entrepreneurs, and representatives from seed and agrochemical companies.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor of PAU, was the chief guest, while Dr SK Vasal, World Food Laureate, and Dr Rajbir Singh, Assistant Director General (Agronomy, Agroforestry, and Climate Change) at ICAR, were the guests of honor.
During the plenary session, Dr Gosal praised the efforts of all the lead presenters and the award winners, emphasizing the importance of the conference for fostering collaboration and idea exchange among various stakeholders. He highlighted the need for adopting simple, farmer-friendly technologies to address urgent agricultural issues and stressed the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach to meet future demands in food, feed, and fuel sectors. Alongside other dignitaries, Dr Gosal presented awards for the Best Oral and Poster Presentations to researchers from each session.
Dr Vasal highlighted the crucial role of youth in the future of Indian agriculture, stressing the importance of speed breeding and improving the standability of maize plants. He also proposed strengthening research on dwarfing genes in maize.
Dr Rajbir Singh emphasized the potential of maize in India, particularly through the development of distilleries and silage units, noting that Punjab farmers often set trends for the rest of the country.
Dr HS Jat, Organizing Secretary and Director of ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, shared the key recommendations that emerged from the three-day discussions. He underscored the importance of balancing conventional and molecular tools to achieve better genetic gains in maize.
Dr Sain Dass, President of MTAI and Former Director of IIMR, commended the continuous efforts of maize researchers, farmers, and industry stakeholders but urged them to prioritize soil and plant health. He reiterated the potential of maize to enhance the income of Indian farmers through its diverse and lucrative applications.
Dr Surinder Sandhu, Co-Organizing Secretary and In-charge of the Maize Section at PAU, while proposing a vote of thanks, emphasized the importance of continued cooperation in advancing maize research and development in India.
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