Ludhiana, 20 Jan 2016:– The two days workshop on Research and Extension Specialists for Fruits, Mushroom and Agro-forestry began, today at PAU. Extension Specialists from the Department of Horticulture, Punjab as well as PAU scientists are participating in this workshop which is being conducted in Pal Auditorium. S. Kulwant Singh Ahluwalia, Member PAU Board of Management was the Chief Guest during the inaugural session and Director (Horticulture), Punjab, Dr. Gurkanwal Singh was the Guest of Honour.
Speaking on this occasion, S. Ahluwalia said that the cultivation of fruits and vegetables is a major alternative for diversification in agriculture. He also said that in future with the increase in purchase power of people fruit and vegetable cultivation will prove to be profitable. S. Ahluwalia applauded PAU invention of the Fruit Fly Trap adding that focus should be on advanced technology for better management of insects and pest related diseases. For this purpose, greater emphasis should be on organic methods.
While addressing the audience, Dr. Gurkanwal Singh informed that by the next year, there would be an increase in the area under fruit and vegetable cultivation and he also urged the scientists to cultivate spot free kinnows. He said that there was a need to develop more techniques for applying fertilization through irrigation water. There is also a need to control fruit drop, said Dr. Gurkanwal.
Dr. Balwinder Singh, PAU Director of Research shed light on the various research activities of the University highlighting the new kinnow varieties viz PAU Kinnow-1 and PAU Kinnow-2. He also gave information about two new date varieties Halaavi and Bari. Various departments of PAU have put up an attractive exhibition on this occasion. The welcome address was given by Dr. H. S. Dhaliwal, Dean, College of Agriculture while Dr. Pushpinder Singh Aulakh, Additional Director of Extension Education gave the vote of thanks. In the first technical session of the workshop, the topic of discussion was related to fruits whereas in the second session the discussion was on mushrooms and post harvest storage of fruits.
