One day National Brainstorming Workshop On Formalization Of Seed System In Tropical Tuber Crops was organized at ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute Thiruvananthapuram on 03 December 2024. The programme was conducted in hybrid mode and attended by several dignitaries including DDG, ADG, from SMD, former and present directors and distinguished speakers from CPRI, IIHR and IISR and participated by scientists and technical staff and project fellows. The workshop was inaugurated by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, hon’ble Deputy Director General (Horticultural science). He has stressed the importance of horticulture sector’s contribution in the agricultural GDP of the country (30% from 8.5% area under cultivation) and challenges of ensuring clean seed and planting material of vegtatively propagated horticultural crops. Dr. Sudhakar Pandey, ADG (FVSMAP) was the guest of honour and in his address informed that there is huge demand for tuber crops seed material at national level and suggested to tap new and non traditional areas viz.
NEH region etc for seed production and in turn for area expansion. Dr.S.K. Chakrabarti, former Vice Chancellor , UBKV, West Bengal and Director of ICAR- Central Potato Research Institute as well as Central Tuber crops research institute is his opening remarks stressed the urgency of developing the breeder seed standards of major tuber crops so as to strengthen the present seed system in the country and establish a formal seed system. Director, Dr.G.Byju in his address presented the need for accelerating of seed/planting material production for enhancing area from the present 4.2 lakh ha to 6.0 lakh ha by 20230. Dr. James George in his address stressed the importance of rapid multiplication techniques for increasing planting material production to meet the demand in seed material of tropical tuber crops. Dr. S.K. Chakrabarti, chaired the technical and plenary sessions and Director, Dr. G. Byju along with former director Dr. James George co-chaired. In the technical session, there were total 11 presentations.
This included two on potato (one by Dr. S.K. Chakrabarti and another by Dr. Vinod Kumar, HoD, Crop Improvement and Seed division, ICAR-CPRI). 5 were on tropical tuber crops (by Dr. James George , Dr. M.Nedunchezhiyan, Dr. Janata Tarfdar, Dr. K. Sunilkumar and Dr. R. Muthuraj), one on fruit crops by dr. M.Sankaran, HoD, Division of Fruits, ICAR-IIHR Bengaluru, one on ornamental crops by Dr. P.Naveen Kumar, HoD, Division of Floriculture, ICAR-IIHR Bengaluru and one on spices by Dr. Lijo Thomas from ICAR-IISR, Calicut. Subsequent to technical presentations, there was an open forum where interaction was held ways and means to develop a formal seed system for tropical tuber crops by adopting suitable models from potato or other vegetatively propagated crops an recommendations were documented for further follow up. Dr.K. Sunilkumar, Principal Scientist and organizing secretary welcomed the dignitaries and participants and Dr. Visalakshi Chandra C., Senior Scientist and coordinator of the workshop expressed vote of thanks.
