A two-day national conference on ‘Biodiversity and plant genetic resource (PGR) conservation for future’ will be held at the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, on March 15 and 16.

M.K. Naik, Vice-Chancellor of UAHS, Shivamogga, told presspersons here on Wednesday that 150 agriculture scientists and research scholars from agriculture universities across the nation will take part in the event. The sessions on agro-biodiversity and poverty alleviation; ethno-botany and biodiversity; bio-prospecting for sustainable and equitable use will be held to mark the event. There will be oral presentations of 35 research papers at the event. In addition, arrangements have been made for poster presentations of 100 research papers, he said.

Mr. Naik said that Ashok Dalwai, CEO, National Rainfed Authority, will inaugurate the event on March 15 at 10 a.m. N.K. Krishnakumar, serving with Biodiversity International Organisation as Regional Representative of South and Central Asia, will deliver the keynote address.

Mr. Naik said biodiversity and PGR need to be conserved to face challenges posed by climate change and to develop sustainable agricultural practices. The event will shed light on recent developments in research on PGR on enhancing agriculture yield and on making crops resistant to pest and fungal infections, he said.

Extant plant varieties

Elaborating on the role played by the regional centre of Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority(PPVFRA) on the UAHS, Shivamogga campus, in conservation of PGR, he said farmers can get the extant plant varieties that are part of their traditional food and agricultural practices registered with PPVFRA.

New plant breeds developed by farmers will also be registered with PPVFRA after subjecting the breeds to tests for distinctiveness, uniformity and stability (DUS). After the registration, the breeders will get authority over plant varieties developed by them. It is mandatory to take the permission of the breeders and pay proper remuneration for them for commercial utilisation of the registered plant varieties.

30 more breeds

The Shivamogga centre of PPVFRA commenced functioning in May 2017 and so far, four plant breeds developed by farmers have been registered with it. He said that 30 more breeds developed by farmers are likely to get registered at the Shivamogga centre shortly.