The ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research (DWR), Jabalpur organized XXIX Annual Review Meeting (ARM) of All India Coordinated Research Project on Weed Management (AICRP-WM) during 25-27 May, 2022 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. Dr. V. Geetha lakshmi, Vice Chancellor of the TNAU graced the occasion as the Chief Guest during the inaugural programme. She underlined the importance of weed management in sustainable food system under climate change scenario, and stressed on the losses caused by weeds to the natural resources, developing weed management technologies for organic agriculture, aerobic rice, use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in developing precision weed management, genetic engineering for development of herbicide tolerant crop varieties, drones, robotics and nano-herbicides.

Dr. M. Raveendran, Director of Research, and Dr. M. Kalarani, Director, Directorate of Crop Management also emphasized on the development of weed database, non-transgenic herbicide tolerant crop varieties, management of herbicide resistant weeds, and impact of climate change on weeds and weed management. Retired weed scientists of the TNAU were also felicitated on the occasion. Eight publications from different AICRP-WM centres were also released. After through discussion on the progress of AICRP-WM for 2021-22, the technical programme for 2022-23 and 2023-24 was finalized. Veteran weed scientists namely Dr. NT Yaduraju, former Director, ICAR-DWR, Jabalpur and Dr. AN Rao, visiting scientist, ICRISAT, Hyderabad contributed immensely in formulating the new technical programme as the experts. More than 100 participants including Principal Investigators and scientists from DWR, AICRP-WM centres and faculty members and students of TNAU attended the programme. Some participants also attended through On-line. Live demonstration on use of drone technology for herbicide spraying was also organized. Dr. B. Muthukumar, Associate Professor, Texas University delivered a special lecture on ‘New technologies in weed management’ for the benefit of the participants. During the valedictory programme, Dr. Suryanarayan Bhaskar, Assistant Director General (Agronomy, Agroforestry & Climate Change), ICAR, New Delhi emphasized to have strong collaboration with other crop-based ICAR-institutions to avoid duplicity in weed management research. Weed management research in organic and natural farming need to be given priority.

Earlier, Dr. JS Mishra, Director, ICAR-DWR, Jabalpur, in his welcome address, emphasized the importance of weeds and weed management in sustainable crop production, and role of AICRP-WM centres in developing and disseminating the need-based location-specific weed management technologies. He, however, emphasized that in view of the emerging challenges, the AICRP-WM programme need to be linked with the national priorities in weed management. Dr. RP Dubey, Pr. Scientist & In charge, AICRP-WM, presented the salient achievements of the AICRP-WM for the year 2021-22. Dr. P. Murali, Principal Investigator, AICRP-WM, TNAU, Coimbatore & Organizing Secretary, proposed the vote of thanks.