Guwahati: A three-day national-level biennial workshop on dryland agriculture began Monday at the Horticulture Research Station, Kahikuchi. Funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and organised by Assam Agricultural University (AAU), the workshop aims to review research outcomes under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA) and to chart the research agenda for the next two years.
Inaugurating the programme as Chief Guest, ICAR Director General and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Government of India, Dr. M.L. Jat urged scientists to build a strong, data-driven research ecosystem for dryland agriculture. He also stressed the need to move from micro-level system studies to landscape-based research.
ICAR Deputy Director General Dr. A.K. Nayak highlighted the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, while AAU Vice Chancellor Dr. B.C. Deka noted that changing climatic conditions call for revisiting contingency agricultural plans.
Earlier, AICRPDA Project Coordinator Dr. J.V.N.S. Prasad presented the status and impact of research conducted under the project. During the programme, awards were conferred on the best-performing AICRPDA centres at Bengaluru, Parbhani and Biswanath Chariali.
The inaugural session was anchored by Dr. Jayanta Kumar Sharma, and the vote of thanks was delivered by Organising Secretary Dr. P.K. Sarma. The workshop will feature five technical sessions across various thematic areas, with around 100 agricultural scientists from 28 states participating.
