NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY - Bhu

Objectives & Themes
In spite of the best efforts by the crop scientists, the crop productivity has reached at a
plateau, but we are unable to attain plateau in population growth, which may result in an
acute shortage of food grains in very near future. Coupled to this is the looming dooms
day projection of rising temperature and unpredictable rainfalls due to global climate
change, which may further limit the available arable land’s capacity to produce food
grains. This has warranted the need for setting up long term strategy towards increasing
the food production and food security, while conserving and maintaining natural resources
most advantageously. The circumstances are further forced by incessant decrease in arable
land and natural resources. In order to feed burgeoning inhabitants of India and to achieve
food security, the mission oriented efforts for increasing food productivity and its
sustainability through advanced agro and biotechnological means are to be ventured.
Plant Physiologists have been consistently playing role by elucidating various
physiological and biochemical processes with implications in crop improvement through
breeding or molecular approaches. Green revolution has made us self sufficient in food
grain production, because of the development of high yielding varieties having high
harvest index, photo-insensitivity and high fertilizer requirement. However, uncontrolled
and disproportionate application of fertilizers has also resulted in deficiencies and toxicity
of nutrients in our soil, besides creating problem of pollution of underground water
resources. Further in climate change scenario frequent prevalence of abiotic stresses,
desertification, water-depletion, pollutants, etc. are being manifested, which in turn affect
plant, animal and human health. Under the circumstances, there is an urgent need of
developing strategies to alleviate the environmental disorders in order to boost crop
productivity. Studies on basic processes like photosynthesis and other biochemical
functions for ultimate synthesis of agricultural produce under biotic and abiotic stresses
are of tremendous significance. Hence, in order to meet ever increasing demand of food
grains, physiological and biochemical interventions are need of the hour to enhance crop
quality as well as quantity.
Plant Physiology has immensely contributed and provided advances in plant science
research in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, medicine and plant molecular biology.
Therefore, National Conference on “Physiological and Molecular Approaches for Crop
Improvement under Changing Environment” to be hosted at this great and historical
university is the need of the hour. Hopefully, academics and plant scientists from various
universities as well as research institutions across the country will participate and
exchange their meaningful research outcomes and share their views on aforesaid theme.