ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala organized a pioneering brainstorming workshop on "Harnessing Crop Wild Relatives for Tuber Crops Improvement" on 29 July 2024. This dynamic event brought together leading scientists, breeders, conservationists, and stakeholders from various institutions to explore innovative strategies for improving tuber crops through crop wild relatives (CWRs). The workshop aimed to shed light on exploring genetic diversity and innovative collaborations, address conservation, breeding, and policy frameworks, and provide a roadmap for actionable strategies and research agendas for their safe utilization. The workshop included feature keynote addresses from renowned experts in plant genetics and crop improvement, interactive breakout sessions, and panel discussions. Participants had the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities, share insights, and develop partnerships that will drive future research and innovation. Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairperson, PPV&FRA, delivered the inaugural address and highlighted CWRs and the role of PPV&FRA in shaping future agriculture. Dr. G. Byju, Director, underlined the ICAR-CTCRI initiatives on tuber crop development using CWRs. Dr. T. K. Behera, Director, ICAR-IIHR; Dr. K.U.K. Nampoothiri, Former Director, ICAR-CPCRI, and Dr. J. Rajangam, Dean, Periyakulam, TNAU, also viewed the need for CWRsin the mainstream agriculture and development. Dr. Manas R. Sahoo, Head of the Division of Crop Improvement, conveyed the inaugural programme, and Dr. P. Murugesan, Principal Scientist, pronounced the vote of thanks. Eminent speakers in this field, Dr. K. Joseph John, Dr. K. Pradeep, Dr. V. Arunachalam, and Dr. Manas R. Sahoo, delivered talks on research and development on CWRs. About 100 participants, comprising scientists, breeders, academicians, extensionists, policy-makers, students, and research scholars, have participated in different group discussions to bring up a distinct roadmap for CWRs research and development for a better world.
