Diseases and Management of Crops under Protected Cultivation

INAUGURAL ADDRESS
by
Dr. J.P. Pandey
Registrar
G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar- 263 145
on
September 04, 2012
Dean, Directors, faculty members,
organizer of this summer school, participants
from different parts of the country, media
representatives and ladies and gentleman!
I am sure you know that Pantnagar
University has a distinguished record of
producing outstanding Plant Pathologists. The
accomplishments of this Department have all
become self-evident as the faculty members
and their students have won more then 36
national/international awards from different
recognized bodies like FAO, ICAR, Indian
Phytopathological Society, Society of Mycology
and Plant Pathology, Indian Society of
Oilseeds Research and many others. On this
particular occasion, I would like to make a
mention of two giant plant pathologists, Dr. Y.L.
Nene and Dr. R.S. Singh, who gave inspiring
leadership to the Department of Plant
Pathology during early 1960s soon after the
establishment for the University on November
17, 1960. The first discovery goes to Dr. Nene
by doing the discovery of Khaira disease of rice
due to zinc deficiency and its control, turned
this Tarai into rice bowl of the country. Thus the
goal of establishment of first Agriculture
University in India at Pantnagar was fulfilled. It
was the single most important and simple
factor in 1967 that earned a name for the
university and the department by way of
winning the FAO award.
Second eminent scientist Dr. R.S.
Singh worked out basic mechanisms for
obtaining the disease control of soil-borne plant
diseases through soil organic amendments
which is now becoming a reality and way of
organic farming still existing after green
revolution as ecologically sustainable
agriculture farming system.. His books are
considered to be the milestones for being
handy text books both for under graduate and
post graduate students & Teachers in Plant
Pathology as well as extension workers and
farmers. This department has to its credits
considerable number of research publications
and several books have been published by
most reputed national and international
publishers.
The Faculty of Plant Pathology at
Pantnagar recognized the need for attention
to role of protected cultivation, particularly the
disease management, proves the importance
of the subject for which the participants have
come to study and participate in the
i