Cowpea Germplasm Field Day at Agricultural Research Station, Badnapur, Maharashtra
15 October 2021, New Delhi: Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary (DARE) & Director General (ICAR) visited the Cowpea Germplasm Field Day co-organized by the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi at Agricultural Research Station, Badnapur, Maharashtra today.
Dr. Mohapatra keenly observed the core set accessions and appreciated the variability found in the traits of interest, viz., early-maturing, dwarf-stature, anthocyanin-rich, long-podded, thick-podded, erect-synchronous maturity type, etc. The DG also urged for early and effective utilization of the resources in Cowpea Improvement Programmes.
The Director General was accompanied by Dr. Suresh Kumar Chaudhari, Deputy Director General (Natural Resource Management), ICAR; Dr. R.K. Singh, ADG (CC), ICAR; Dr. A.S. Dhawan, Vice-Chancellor, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani and Dr. D.P. Waskar, Director of Research, VNMKV, Parbhani, Maharashtra.
In his address, Dr. Ashok Kumar, Director, ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi outlined the importance of germplasm that are important as grain, vegetable and fodder source.
More than 50 Breeders from the University Stations of Badnapur, Parbhani, Latur, Aurangabad, Rahuru, Akola; ICAR-IIPR, Dharwad Station) and Private Seed Companies participated in the Field Day.
