VC SKUAST-J chairs inaugural Scientific Advisory Committee meeting of KVK Kishtwar

Kishtwar, March 11: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Kishtwar held its first Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) meeting Tuesday in a hybrid mode under the chairmanship of Dr B.N. Tripathi, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders, including Dr Amrish Vaid, Director Extension, SKUAST-Jammu, Dr S.K. Gupta, Director Research; Dr Hema Tripathi, Associate Director Extension, Dr Ashish Murai, Principal Scientist, ATARI Ludhiana, as well as district heads of agriculture and allied departments, progressive farmers, and NABARD representatives. In his address, Dr Tripathi highlighted the importance of enhancing production and protection technologies for niche crops such as saffron, kala zeera, and red rice. He stressed the need for plant biotechnology and breeding advancements to develop new cultivars and improve existing ones. He also called for collaborative efforts from regional research stations to introduce innovative production technologies.
Dr Narinder Paul, Head of KVK Kishtwar and SAC Member Secretary, presented an overview of KVK’s past activities and outlined the proposed action plan for 2025-26, with a focus on scientific interventions and technological advancements in agriculture. Dr Amrish Vaid stressed the promotion of SKUAST-Jammu’s high-yielding Rajmash variety BR-104 to boost production and advocated for the replacement of existing wheat varieties with newly developed ones suited for hilly terrains. He also highlighted the urgent need for scientific solutions to combat corm rot, a major threat to saffron cultivation. Dr S.K. Gupta called for the expansion of niche crops into non-traditional areas and emphasised operational research to address key agricultural challenges. Dr Ashish Murai urged strengthening KVKs’ national rankings through timely updates of research portals and better visibility of achievements. The meeting also facilitated valuable discussions with progressive farmers and agriculture officials, addressing critical extension and research issues. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Amrish Vaid.