Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation

and extension literature that have also been
prepared.
The Department, besides other fields,
has a strong set up in biocontrol and has given
a number of technologies for both plains and
hills. The biocontrol lab in the Department has
been recognized as the referral lab by DBT. In
the recent past, Government of India has
declared the Biocontrol Lab in the Department
to perform the functions of the `Central
Insecticide Lab’ for biopesticides. Similarly the
Department also holds big strength in
mushroom research and trainings.
In view of quality of teaching, research
and extension work being carried out by the
department, ICAR upgraded the department to
the status of CAS in Plant Pathology in the
year 1995 with the major mandate to train
scientific faculty from all over the country in
important and innovative areas of Plant
Pathology. So far 25 trainings have been
conducted wherein 512 scientists from 25
states have participated.
The topic of the present training under
CAFT is ‘Diseases and management of crops
under protected cultivation’. We all know that
modern technology has given the farmers some
powerful management tools for production.
Generally, value added crops are grown under
protected cultivation. Most of them are labour
intensive and energy demanding. Green house
production, therefore, normally requires a high
level technology to obtain adequate economic
returns on investments. Quality is a high priority
for green house crops, requiring much care in
pest and disease management, not only to secure
yields but also to obtain a high cosmetic standard.
Although technological changes are ultimately
intended to reduce production costs and
maximize profits, precise environmental and
nutritional control push plants to new limits of
growth and productivity. This can generate
chronic stress conditions, which are difficult to
measure, but apparently conducive to diseases
and pests. Historically, not enough attention has
been paid to exploiting and amending production
technology for the control of diseases and pests.
This makes the control of pests and diseases in
protected crops even more challenging, with
many important problems being unresolved and
new ones arising as the industry undergoes more
changes in production system.
In view of this, the present training
programme is designed to give an updated
information/knowledge on this very important
subject not often available, to the participants, so
that they can deal with the opportunity and
applicability of emerging technologies for
enhancing production and productivity under
protected cultivation.
In last, I would like to extend my
appreciations and special gratitude to the
Faculty of Plant Pathology for their
endorsement of the topic for the present CAFT
training.
Finally, I would like to thank our Vice-
Chancellor for allowing us to hold this training.
With these words I welcome you all and
assure a fruitful and comfortable stay to the
participants of this 26 th training programme of
CAFT in Plant Pathology.
Thank you very much!
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