Shillong, Sep 18: A one-day workshop on actionable biotechnology priorities for NEH agriculture was jointly organised by the Society for Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (SPBB) and ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, on Thursday.
Scientists, researchers, faculty and scholars deliberated on translating modern biotechnology into practical solutions for the region’s agricultural challenges.
The workshop focused on aligning biotechnology tools with NEH’s distinct constraints – acidic and nutrient-poor soils, abiotic and biotic stresses, climate and water challenges, limited quality seed and planting material, and gap between research outputs and field deployment.
The deliberations emphasised moving beyond broad discussions to identify clear, evidence-based and actionable priorities, with focus on scientific interventions, validation, institutional capabilities, collaboration and pathways to field-level impact.
The programme was attended by Dr T R Sharma, former DDG (Crop Science), ICAR and National Professor, ICAR-NIPB, New Delhi, and Dr Arunava Pattanayak, former Director of ICAR-IIAB, Ranchi and ICAR-VPKAS, Almora.
In his speech, Dr Sharma stressed integrating breeding and biotechnology for biofortified and climate-resilient varieties suited to NEH’s diverse agro-ecological conditions and said the workshop would help budding professionals’ advance knowledge in agri-biotechnology.
Dr Pattanayak emphasised tissue culture and apical rooted cuttings (ARC) for large-scale production of disease-free planting material and highlighted speed breeding for accelerated crop improvement.
ICAR-NEH Director Dr G Kadirvel highlighted ongoing efforts in breeding and biotechnology to enhance productivity under variable climatic conditions and stressed the need to use biotechnology for improvement of indigenous crops.
