Experts gather to boost soybean productivity

The 55th Annual Group Meeting of the All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on soybean commenced at Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur. The event is jointly organised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-National Soybean Research Institute (NSRI), Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Naveen Kumar inaugurated the meeting as the chief guest. In his address, he emphasised the importance of developing technologies and commercial products for farmers’ benefit. He called for breeding short-duration soybean varieties suitable for rain-fed ecosystems and proposed a national-level “Soybean Campaign” under the ICAR to promote this protein-rich crop. He also urged scientists to identify high-productivity areas for soybean cultivation, highlighting its dual role as a human protein source and a key fodder crop for livestock.

The inaugural session was chaired by Dr Sanjeev Gupta, Assistant Director General (O&P), ICAR. He underscored the need to position India as a ‘protein hub’ by prioritising soybean in crop diversification programs. Special guest Dr KH Singh, Director, ICAR–NSRI, Indore, provided updates on the implementation of decisions from the 54th meeting and noted that India is among the top five soybean-producing nations. He highlighted the growing commercial adoption of soybean among farmers.

Organising Secretary and Head of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Dr Vedna Kumari, said the three-day meeting is attended by participants from various state agricultural universities, ICAR institutes, private sector representatives, policymakers, eminent scientist, and progressive farmers from across the country.

During the event, various books, souvenirs, and booklets were released. The session was attended by key officials, including Joint Director, State Department of Agriculture Dr Jeet Singh Thakur, and Director of Extension Education Dr Vinod Sharma, along with other statutory officers.