Workshop on Fall Armyworm held

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, May 17: A two-day workshop on Management of Fall Armyworm in the Scientific Production of Maize was opened today at the Lamphelpat complex of ICAR, Manipur Centre.
The workshop is jointly organised by ICAR-RC-NEH Region, Manipur centre and ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR), Ludhiana, Punjab under collaborative project “Promoting improved technology of maize production in NEH Region” under NEH programme.
The workshop was inaugurated by Sumant Singh, Agriculture Commissioner, Ms Laltanpuii Vanchhong, Director, Department of Agriculture, Prof K Mamocha Singh, Registrar, CAU, Imphal; Dr JC Sekhar, Principal Scientist and WNC I/C, ICAR-IIMR, Hyderabad; Dr N Sathyanarayana, Joint Director, Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage, Faridabad; Dr Narendra Prakash, Director, ICAR-RC-NEH Region, Umiam; Dr. I Meghachandra Singh,  Joint Director, ICAR-RC-NEH Region, Manipur centre, Lamphelpat and Dr SL Jat, Coordinator IIMR-NEH Maize programme.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Sumant Singh appreciated the initiative of ICAR, Manipur Centre and IIMR to bring all the stakeholders together in order to create the necessary level of preparedness to tackle the menace of Fall Armyworm at the State level.
Other dignitaries highlighted the threat posed by this invasive pest and called for designing effective strategies to manage it so that farmers could realise high economic returns from cultivation of crops. Importance of use of bio-pesticides and natural enemies in the control of Fall Army Worm was emphasized.  The inaugural programme ended with the vote of thanks by Dr MA Ansari, PI of the maize project for NEH Region.  Detailed technical sessions and Farmers’ Scientists’ interaction were also organised with emphasis on management of Fall Armyworm menace in the State and ways to protect crops from it.  Around 170 farmers, 140 invitees from line departments all over the State & CAU and 60 Scientists and subject matter specialists of ICAR participated in the workshop.  Notably, ICAR Manipur Centre for the first time reported the incidence of Fall Armyworm in Manipur at the beginning of the current month.