WINTER SCHOOL ON ENTOMOLOGY INAUGURATED AT PAU

LUDHIANA, DECEMBER 22:-------



Insects play a critical role in the functioning of agricultural eco-system by acting as pests, pollinators, trash burners and as natural enemies of pests. This was stated by Dr. Manjt Singh Kang, Vice-Chancellor, PAU while inaugurating a 21-day Winter School on \'Advances in Agricultural Entomology\' being organized by the Department of Entomology. Dr. Kang said that the PAU Department of Entomology is well known not only in the country but globally for research on pesticide residue analysis and development of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Resistance Management (IRM) technology in cotton. He congratulated the Department for the accreditation of its toxicology laboratory by NABL, New Delhi adding that the laboratory is acting as \'Referral Laboratory\' under All India Network Project on Pesticide Residues and as a core laboratory under the national project. Dr. Kang said that the participants of the winter school will find opportunities of learning from the state-of-the-art laboratories of entomology. The insect molecular biology laboratory of the department is the first laboratory in any agricultural University of the country where work on DNA barcoding of important groups of insect is going on. The expertise and infrastructure available is sure to enhance the teaching, research and technology transfer capabilities of participants in the future, observed Dr. Kang. He emphasized that the young faculty members undergoing training should learn the latest techniques in entomological research and apply in their professional activities.

The winter school is meant to impart training to research, extension and teaching faculty (22) working in entomology at PAU and research stations/extension centres of the university all over the state.



Dr. S.S.Gosal, Director of Research said that the entomologists face new challenges in the form of climate change which is bound to exacerbate pest problems in crops. The entomologists have to work hand in hand with the biotechnologists, breeders, pathologists, agronomists and scientists of other disciplines to develop climate resilient agricultural production and protection technology for Punjab. He said that there were many firsts to the credit of PAU Department of Entomology that include introduction of Italian bee, accreditation of toxicology lab, research on molecular biology and insect taxonomy.

The Dean, Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Gursharan Singh said that faculty competence, state-of-the-art infrastructure and need-based curricular programmes were vital basis for education adding that the courses on Intellectual Property Right, bio-safety, bio-diversity and technical writing would equip the students with needed know how. He congratulated the organizers of the winter school for fetching the programme for PAU out of 90 winter schools designed by ICAR to train around 2000 scientists.

Earlier, welcoming the Chief Guest and other dignitaries, the Head, Department of Entomology, Dr A.K. Dhawan highlighted the excellent facilities in toxicology, molecular biology, physiology, biological control, IPM and other specialized laboratories in the department. He said that during the 21-day period there will be 76 presentations and 20 practicals on different aspects of agricultural entomology.

Present in the inaugural session were the Additional Director of Communication, Dr. Jagtar Singh Dhiman, entomology faculty from PAU campus and outstation and trainees from different parts of the state.
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