Shimla plant-health symposium brings climate risks, diagnostics and AI into focus

A two-day national symposium on plant health opened at ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute in Shimla on October 22, bringing together more than 250 scientists, researchers, academics and students from 17 states. The meeting focuses on crop-disease management, climate resilience and sustainable agriculture.

At the opening, former agricultural-university vice-chancellor S. S. Chahal called for stronger surveillance, modern diagnostics and coordination to address emerging and invasive pests and diseases. He raised concerns about gaps in screening and post-entry quarantine surveillance associated with agricultural imports. These were the speaker’s assessments, rather than findings of a new enforcement investigation.

Artificial intelligence is among the technologies under discussion. Chahal said reliable field applications require better datasets and cooperation across disciplines, while limited data and crop-specific tools still constrain wider use.

Technical sessions also address regenerative agriculture, genome editing for disease resistance, mushroom production and emerging plant diseases. The gathering provides a forum for exchanging research approaches; its opening report does not establish that new treatments have been validated or that proposed technologies are ready for use on every farm.