Asian Solanaceous Round Table (ASRT)- 2022, was inaugurated at ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru on 11.05.2022. ASRT-2022 was jointly organized by Society for Promotion of Horticulture, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru and Asia Pacific Seed Association (APSA), Bangkok, Thailand from 11th -13th May 2022 at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru.
The inaugural session was graced by Dr. A. K. Singh, Deputy Director General, (Hort. Sci.), ICAR, New Delhi, Dr. Ramakrishnan M. Nair (Regional Director - South and Central Asia) Dr Vikramaditya Pandey, ADG (HS) Dr. B.N.S. Murthy (Director, ICAR-IIHR & President, SPH) Dr. Manish Patel (Vice President, APSA), Dr Conrado Balatero, Chair ASRT-4, Organizing Committee and Member of R and D AG, APSA/Group Head Breeding, East-West Seeds Pvt. Ltd., Dr Seetharam Annadana, Chair, APSA R&D. During welcoming address Dr. Manish Patel (Executive Director, APSA) emphasized the goals and objectives of APSA in R and D of solanaceous vegetable crops and called for mutual collaboration among various organizations. In his presidential opening remarks, Dr. A. K. Singh, DDG (Hort.) shared his vision and highlighted the need for development of varieties/ hybrids in solanaceous vegetable crops for changing climatic scenario and he emphasized the need for strengthening public private partnership in achieving the breeding goals in these crops. Dr. Seetharam Annadana Chair, APSA R&D Advisory Group highlighted the ASRT as a concept and Public Private Partnership in taking forward more collaborative research and development. Dr. B.N.S. Murthy (Director, ICAR-IIHR & President, SPH) introduced the delegates to ongoing research and development activities at ICAR-IIHR. Later Dr C Aswath, Vice-President, SPH, highlighted the role of SPH in promoting horticulture. Dr Vikramaditya Pandey, ADG (HS), ICAR briefed about MOU and roles and responsibilities of partners (ICAR and Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance Ltd., Singapore) for cooperation of agricultural research and education. More than 200 delegates from 52 countries working on Solanaceous vegetable crops (Tomato, Hot pepper, Sweet pepper and Eggplant) are participating in the three days event. During the event, delegates would be deliberating on modern breeding techniques, resistance to pest and diseases, germplasm diversity, plant variety protection, past and future of Bt brinjal and application of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technology for high throughput Phenotyping. This event is sponsored by leading global multinational companies (MNCs) namely Syngenta, East-West Seed, Takji, Nongwoo Seed India Pvt Ltd and Lal Teer. In an Historical step, ICAR, New Delhi signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Asia and Pacific Seed Alliance Ltd., Singapore for public private partnership in research and development. Inauguration programme ended with vote of Thanks by Dr K. Madhavi Reddy, Head, Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR-IIHR
