Online training on ‘Plant clinic and Pest and disease management

Five days virtual training programme was conducted during 05.10.2020 to 09.10.2020 on ‘Plant clinic and Pest and disease management’ by MSSRF Chennai under the project with the expert team of “Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International’s” (CABI) Wallingford, UK ‘Plant wise’. In the programme, 26 participants ie., 5 participants from the main hub, 9 from sub-hub I, 10 from sub-hub II, and 2 from IISWC partnering institute participated. The training programme was held in two modules viz. Module-1 (Field diagnosis and Plant clinic operation) from 5th to 7th Oct (3 days), and Module-2, (Diagnosis of symptoms, recommendations and art of advice to the farmers) was held on the last two days (8th& 9th Oct)  

More than 25 PowerPoint presentations and various other activities including interactive class and field exercises were carried out during the training. The participants were divided into two groups for smooth conducting of those exercises. On Day 3, live plant clinic was staged and organized in which the participants played the roles of Plant Doctor, observers and farmers. Valuable Information sheets on a major group of pest organisms which attack plants, common symptoms and possible causes, distinctive and confusing symptoms, potential sources of confusion, list of control methods, list of CABI banned chemicals etc. were given to the trainees. Course evaluation of Module 1 and 2 was also held on Day 3 and Day 5 in the second half of those days respectively among the participants. Hands-on training on data centre management which was organised again in virtual mode on 16th Oct. 2020. Five participants from MSSRF, Jeypore, one participant from IISWC, Sunabeda and five persons from MSSRF Wayanad and Chennai participated. They explained how to use the Plant Clinic datasheet while conducting Plant Clinic either online or offline mode.