A two-day National Symposium of the Indian Phytopathological Society (IPS) – West Zone on “Integrating Crop Care for Sustainable Plant Health under a Changing Climatic Scenario” concluded successfully on 17 December 2025 at Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Parbhani. The symposium was jointly organized by the Department of Plant Pathology, VNMKV, Parbhani, the Indian Phytopathological Society, New Delhi, and the Association of Plant Pathologists (India).
The valedictory session was presided over by Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Indra Mani. Dr. Vilas Bhale, Former Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Other dignitaries present included Dr. Pratibha Sharma, Senior Scientist, ICAR–IARI, New Delhi; Dr. Bhagwan Asewar, Director of Education; Dr. Rakesh Ahire, Director of Extension Education; Dr. Jyotsna Sharma, Former Director, National Research Centre on Pomegranate, Solapur; Dr. Pravin Vaidya, Associate Dean; Dr. Prafulla Ghante, Head of the Department; Shri B. T. Raut, President, Association of Agricultural Plant Pathologists, Akola; Dr. Vikram Gholve, Convener; and Dr. Gajendra Jagtap, Co-convener.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. (Dr.) Indra Mani emphasized that the University is continuously working towards crop protection and sustainable agricultural development under changing climatic conditions. He assured that the recommendations emerging from the symposium would be translated into multidisciplinary, need-based research. He highlighted the role of timely pest and disease diagnosis by Plant Pathology and Entomology departments in delivering cost-effective solutions to farmers. He also mentioned initiatives such as PoCRA, SMART projects, and the ‘MahaAgri’ App, which are positioning Maharashtra as a leading state in agricultural development. Appreciating the growing achievements of girl students, he congratulated the organizers and appealed for farmer-centric, quality research using advanced facilities.
Dr. Vilas Bhale noted the significant contribution of the Plant Pathology Department of VNMKV in developing disease-resistant crop varieties. While productivity in food grains and fruit crops has increased, he expressed concern over serious issues such as post-harvest losses, stressing the need for focused research and adequate funding. He urged students and scientists to adopt a professional and entrepreneurial approach in research and technology development.
Dr. Bhagwan Asewar, Director of Education, congratulated the organizers and stated that the symposium generated theme-wise valuable recommendations. He highlighted the effectiveness of farmer–scientist interaction sessions, which would help in defining future research priorities, and encouraged other colleges and departments to undertake similar initiatives.
The symposium witnessed active participation of 130 scientists and 190 students. Lead papers and research papers were presented across nine major themes, including climate-resilient crop protection strategies; advances in integrated disease and pest management; soil health and microbiome dynamics; agro-ecological approaches; emerging technologies and digital innovations in crop protection; natural and organic farming systems; policy frameworks and farmer-led initiatives; capacity building and public–private partnerships; social awareness and community participation; and integrated post-harvest management of fruits and vegetables. Important farmer-centric and future-oriented research recommendations emerged from the symposium, and the organizers informed that location-specific research programmes would be undertaken based on these recommendations.
During the symposium, awards were presented to students and researchers for outstanding oral and poster presentations. Certificates and mementos were also distributed to organizers and contributors in recognition of the successful conduct of the national symposium.
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