Shadow Correspondent
JAMMU, JUN 01:
A five-day training workshop-cum-field collection program on Global Seed Conservation Challenge- Conserving India’s threatened Flora organized by the Department of Botany, University of Jammu in collaboration with Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), United Kingdom, a plant conservation organization based in Kew, London concluded here today.
On this occasion Prof. R D Sharma, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu was the Chief Guest while Prof. Geeta Sumbali, Dean, Life Sciences, University of Jammu was the Guest of Honour in the concluding session of the training programme.
Around twenty three participants from various organizations of the State including J&K State Forest Department, Agriculture Department, Higher Education and School Education Departments and research scholars belonging to various specialization of Botany participated in the said training workshop where in they were imparted theoretical and practical training about collecting, handling and banking the seeds of the economically important and endangered flora of the State of Jammu and Kashmir. The training workshop was funded by the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Kew, United Kingdom.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. R D Sharma congratulated the Department of Botany for organizing this prestigious event especially at a time when the world is facing the multifarious challenges of food security in view of the ever increasing global population, rapid urbanization, deforestation and climate change predictions.
Prof. Sharma exhorted upon all the botanists, agricultural scientists, forest officials, academicians and others to take up these challenges very seriously so that the dwindling population of important plants can be saved from extinction and in this context the seed collection and conservation holds great relevance. He also congratulated the participants from various institutions of the State for their overwhelming response and completing the training successfully.
Prof Geeta Sumbali, appreciated the interest shown by the participants and opined that all the Departments of the State collectively would play their role in seed conservation programs for future food security.
Outlining the proceedings and outcome of the workshop, Coordinator of the workshop, Prof. Yash Pal Sharma, informed that over the last five days, theoretical and practical demonstrations on various aspects of seeds and its conservation through the informative lectures and modules like planning a seed collection, seed collection methods, germination and dormancy, post collection methods, seed pathology and seed physiology etc were made by the resource persons. “They also talked at length about the present status of biodiversity of the State of Jammu & Kashmir”, informed Prof. Sharma.
