Srinagar, Feb, 27:Vice Chancellor of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Prof. Nazir Ahmad Ganai, called for strengthening plant health intelligence systems and adopting predictive approaches to pest management while delivering the keynote address at the National Conference on “Innovations in Plant Health Management for Resilient Agriculture and Agri-Export Promotion” held at National Institute of Plant Health Management.
The three-day national conference, being organized from February 26–28 in Hyderabad, brought together scientists, policymakers and plant health experts from across the country to deliberate on emerging agricultural challenges and sustainable crop protection strategies.
In his keynote address, Prof. Ganai emphasized the urgent need to shift from conventional reactive pest control systems to predictive, intelligence-driven plant health governance. He stressed the importance of fully operationalizing the National Integrated Plant Health Intelligence Mission to enable timely surveillance, early warning systems and data-based decision making in agriculture.
Highlighting India’s growing agricultural output, he noted that while the country produces over 330 million tonnes of food grains annually and horticulture production has surpassed food grain output, pests and diseases continue to cause significant crop losses. Referring to global scientific estimates indicating 20–40 percent crop losses due to biological stresses, he said such losses translate into major economic and ecological costs.
Prof. Ganai observed that climate variability, global trade expansion and increasing pest resistance are rapidly transforming the biological risk landscape. He cited the spread of invasive pests such as Fall Armyworm, Tomato Leaf Miner, Desert Locust outbreaks and Apple Blotch Leaf Miner as clear indicators of evolving threats to agricultural sustainability.
He further underlined the need for modern surveillance systems, including digital pest monitoring networks, smart traps, drone-based precision applications, biological control methods and climate-linked forecasting models. According to him, improved early detection and targeted interventions would help reduce pesticide dependence, minimize crop losses and strengthen agri-export compliance standards.
The Vice Chancellor also highlighted the importance of customized plant health advisory systems for climate-sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir, particularly for temperate horticulture ecosystems.
During the inaugural session, Prof. Ganai also declared open a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on “Appropriate Pesticide Application Techniques.” Participants described his address as timely and policy-oriented amid rising climate-linked pest challenges.
Later, the SKUAST-K delegation visited the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, where Prof. Ganai held detailed discussions with Director General Dr. Himanshu Pathak and senior scientists. The meeting explored opportunities for collaborative research on climate-resilient agriculture, pest surveillance and sustainable farming solutions.
The proposed collaboration is expected to strengthen research partnerships and support farmers, particularly in addressing emerging pest threats and climate-related agricultural challenges in Kashmir Valley and other vulnerable regions.
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