Title: International Training Program in Wheat Rust Surveillance and Monitoring, India, 25 Feb - 14 March 2010

The DRRW in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research conducted its first hands-on-capacity building program on wheat rust surveillance and monitoring for SAARC countries during February 25 through March 14, 2010, in India.



The program was conducted by DRRW and Directorate of Wheat Research - Karnal and Shimla. This Cornell DRRW supported project was led by Robert Park from University of Sydney, Gordon Cisar from Cornell University, Dr. A.K. Sharma, Principal Scientist, DWR, Karnal and Dr. Mohinder Prashar, Principal Scientist at Flowerdale Station, Shimla (India).

The trainees for this program converged from Afghanistan (4 participants), Nepal (2 participants), Bangladesh (2 participants) and India (4 participants).

The training program had been structured to include field visits and a week long laboratory training program at DWR Flowerdale Shimla. India has different climatic zones with diversity in the occurring rust pathotypes in the regions. The program was conceived with field visits in the different geographical zones of the country where the participants were trained to collect rust samples, dispatch of rust samples to wheat rust labs, techniques of rust inoculation in the fields and checking of rust reaction on adult plants, Artificially inoculating wheat material and recording the response of different varieties against different rusts.

The field visits were initiated from the southern zone with IARI Regional Station in Wellington, from where the participants visited University of Agricultural Sciences at Dharwad and then proceeded to the northern zone to Directorate of Wheat Research-Karnal, and Punjab Agricultural University at Ludhiana. Professor Robert Park presented seminars at the Wellington Regional Station and at DWR-Karnal on Rust Surveillance and Monitoring. Dr. Gordon Cisar presented "Ug99 - Ten Years Later" at the Wellington Regional Station. These field visits and lectures were followed by 5 days of laboratory training at the Flowerdale Research Station led by the very capable Dr. Mohinder Prashar.

Dr. A.K. Sharma welcomed the group to Wellington Station, and Dr. Jagdish Kumar presented an overview of the research activities in Wellington, and an introduction to collection and management of rust samples. Dr. Sivasamy also presented research activities currently undertaken at Wellington. The Wellington staff hosted a very nice evening bonfire and dinner.

Dr. H.S. Vijay Kumar, Hon. Vice Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad, provided his opening remarks followed by a detailed presentation by Dr. I.K Kalappanavar on the rust related activities at the university. This was followed by visit to the university rust nurseries and farmer field visits around the city of Dharwad. The participants also had a chance to be part of celebrations on the occasion of the Indian colorful festival of Holi.

Dr. S. S. Singh, DWR-Karnal, presented a comprehensive overview of Wheat research activities in all of India and made clear their open invitation for training to all visiting scientists and their countrymen. Dr. A.K. Sharma provided a detailed presentation on the rust research underway at the institute. The staff at Karnal also hosted tours of field activities and laboratory.

Dr. Indu Sharma welcomed the group to the PAU research center with a presentation on the wheat research activities and field tours for of research areas of flag smut, karnal bunt, leaf rust and stem rust.

Following the field visits the participants were provided hands on practical training at DWR Flowerdale Karnal under the leadership of Dr. Mohinder Prashar on Establishing the rust samples, Race analysis, Purification of the rust race, Multiplication and storage of rust inoculum, Dispatching rust inoculum to wheat workers, Testing seedling resistance of selected advanced wheat lines, Techniques of rust inoculation in the fields, Screening of adult plant of advanced lines against different rust races.

These participants were now equipped with skills to conduct surveillance and monitoring activities in their own country and train manpower within their own regions as a step forward in mitigating wheat rust.

For more information, contact Akshat Medakker (akshatm@sathguru.com).



Attachments:
India_2010_Surveillance_Course_list_of_participants.pdf
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newsroom136: April 2010 BGRI Newsletter
Article: Multimedia345 (permalink)
Categories: :Multimedia:training, :Multimedia:training_archive, :Multimedia:Featured Content, :Multimedia:Featured Content Archive, :advocacy:ICAR
Date: March 13, 2010; 11:53:43 AM EST
Author Name: Jenny Nelson
Author ID: jnelson