The Advanced Training in Plant Breeding and Research (ATPBR), in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), hosted the Global Okra Round Table (GORT) at the NASC Complex’s AP Sinde Auditorium.
The GORT ‘22 aimed to bring all okra crop improvement scientists and other stakeholders together at the campus where the okra virus resistance breeding started with the release of the variety Pusa Sawani by the Late Dr. H. B. Singh.
ICAR is credited with introducing virus-resistant okra varieties developed at institutes such as the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) in Bangalore and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in New Delhi, as well as agricultural universities such as the Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth in Parbhani.
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in Ludhiana, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh The GORT conference this time featured a field day at the IARI campus.
Dr. Surendar Tikku, Independent Director, ATBPR, graced the GORT Inaugural session with his presence at JP Pal Auditorium, Pusa Campus, New Delhi.
“Okra is not the origin of India, but we are doing extremely well abroad.” Africa, the United States, and several European countries have a good market for okra, and the climate is also highly conducive to its growth, but India imports from these continents. India has an excellent opportunity to become a leading importer of okra and outperform the rest of the world. People and the market can also bear it as it’s not expensive. The purpose of this conference was to mobilize the momentum across the globe that we are the one who has every suitable condition from the geological to production and technology to grow any crop. Here, we are not just doing conventional farming but with updated technology as well, using different breeding tools to produce the best yield in the market in less time. One of its types is Speed Breading, where through continuous light, we try to speed up the whole breeding process. It’s a new technology, a lot of investment is made in this, and we are the first and only ones to use the updated technology in Okra. India has the best combination of policymakers, executors, farmers, students, scientists, and breeders working only on one crop. Either production, marketing, value chain, or processing people are working in it. Instead of duplication here, we can collaborate and properly synchronize the research and service, which can be beneficial for both.”
Dr. Aparna Tiwari, Co-Founder and CEO of ATPBR, stated on this occasion,
