ICAR team visits PAU to review flagship apiculture project

Ludhiana, August 27

Quinquennial Review Team (QRT) constituted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, visited Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).

The high-level team has been constituted by the council to review the progress made under its All India Coordinated Research Project on Honey Bees and Pollinators (AICRP, HBP).

The team after having detailed discussion in a meeting of seven north Indian centres at SKUAST-Jammu on August 23, visited the PAU which was named the Best Research Centre in 2023.

Dr HC Sharma, head of the six-member team, a renowned entomologist worked as Principal Scientist at ICRISAT and Vice-Chancellor at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, praised the initiatives taken by the PAU Ludhiana Centre of AICRP on honey bee breeding and hive products.

PAU V-C Dr SS Gosal highlighted the untiring efforts made by the team of PAU scientists lead by Dr AS Atwal in introducing Italian bees to India.

This effort of the PAU laid path for helping the farmers and farm-women of the country establish entrepreneurship and leading India to become a big exporter of honey.

The V-C also applauded the significant contributions of this section in imparting basic beekeeping training to farmers and farm-women and defence personnel, and advance trainings to progressive beekeepers of the state.

Director of Research Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt highlighted the significance of bees for the novel cause of pollination. He also highlighted utilising honey bees in obtaining higher seed set in vegetable crops. Dr Manmeet Brar Bhullar, head, Department of Entomology, highlighted the accomplishments of the apiculture unit of the department, which, as per Dr Bhullar, had contributed a lot in nourishing the subsidiary occupation. Following the detailed discussion, the team also visited the PAU Apiary and Apicultural laboratories, interacted with the postgraduate students and representatives of Progressive Beekeepers Association. The team also visited National Insect Museum, Apicultural Molecular Biology Lab and Insecticide Residue Labs in the Department of Entomology.