ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research organized a 10-day National Training Programme on “Advances in Weed Management” during 30 November - 09 December 2016. The training programme was inaugurated by Dr. R.L. Yadav, Former Director, Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow. A total of 20 scientists and technical officers of different institutes / universities from eight states attended the training programme. In his welcome address, Dr. P.P. Choudhury, Pr. Scientist and Course Director of the training programme explained the purpose and overview of the training. Dr. A.R. Sharma, Director, ICAR-DWR explained the impact of weed infestation in crop production. He emphasised on the adoption of improved technologies by the farmers. Dr. Yadav enlightened participants about the weed management strategy for sugarcane production.

During the training programme, a wide range of useful items related to weeds in crop and non-crop situations, their management through cultural, mechanical, chemical and biological means, herbicide tolerance, crop-weed competition under a changing climate, conservation agriculture practices and weed management, herbicide residues, their fate in the environment and management, biofertilisers, utilization of weeds, etc. through 34 theoretical and practical classes over 10 days. Participants were trained by the resource persons from ICAR-IISR, Lucknow; ICAR-IVRI, Izatnagar; Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya , Jabalpur and ICAR-DWR. Participants visited the Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), on-farm research trials in the villages of Jabalpur district and biofertiliser production units at Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya.

During the closing ceremony, Dr. Dhirendra Khare, Director Instruction, JNKVV and chief guest of the programme advised participants to go for the advanced weed management technologies in their research work and extend it to farmers’ fields. Participants expressed their satisfaction over the new knowledge gained during the training course. Dr. Sushilkumar, Pr. Scientist and Director in-charge explained the need of weed management to enhance the productivity. The entire programme was convened by Dr. P.P. Choudhury, Pr. Scientist, Dr. Yogita Gharde, Scientist and Mr. Subhash Chander, Scientist.