ICAR-National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Bengaluru celebrated Silver Jubilee Foundation Day on 24th November 2020. Dr Raghavendra Bhatta, Director, in a small function, presented Institutional awards for the employees and special recognition to the employees and workers, who contributed to the Institute functioning during the Covid19 pandemic lockdown.
A special webinar that was presided over by Dr Trilochan Mohaparta, Secretary DARE and Director General ICAR, in the presence of Dr B N Tripathi, Deputy Director General AS) and Dr AK Tyagi, Assistant Director General (A&P) was organized online. Dr Raghavendra Bhatta, Director, NIANP made a brief presentation about the growth and development of the Institute.
DDG (AS) in his address complimented the Institute for its excellent work, advised to further work on feed resources and tackling the challenges of livestock reproduction under field conditions.
While congratulating NIANP for his great achievements in terms of the technology, product and patents, DG, ICAR advised for acceleration in translation of research findings into viable technologies and for setting up ‘global benchmark in research’. He further added that the Centre for Laboratory Animal Research (CLAR) facility at NIANP should be recognized as accredited centre for bioavailability studies in the country. He emphasized the need to take-up research work new Frontier areas such as ‘Nutrigenomics’ and to strengthen the capacity building programme using digital platform.
On this occasion, the Foundation Day Lecture was delivered by Prof Rattan Lal, Recipient of The World Food Prize 2020, a Distinguished University Professor of Soil Science and Director, Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre, The Ohio State University. Columbus, USA. Prof Lal addressed the gathering on the topic Integrating Livestock with Crops and Trees for Climate-Smart Agriculture in India”. He highlighted the significance of integrated approach to sustain animal agricultural in India and pointed out that the country’s richest animal genetic resources provide the opportunity for future production sustenance. Prof. Lal stressed the importance of reducing non-productive animals in the country and suggested that the research efforts should be oriented in meeting the requirement with a smaller number of productive animals. Further, he emphasised that efforts must be made to stop the burning of crop residues. He highlighted the importance of enriching the fertility of soil and opined that this is a crucial measure to feed the largest livestock population in the country. He suggested that whatever we take it from the soil must go back to the soil and he related it with livestock production by urging the application of dung as manure to enrich the fertility of the soil so that more crops can be cultivated as fodder for livestock. He emphasized that this could be a useful approach for effective carbon sequestration and efficient measure for improving the soil quality. In addition, Prof Lal has signified the role of plant breeders to identify climate resilient plant varieties to ensure sustainable animal agriculture. He also urged the importance of efficient use of water resources and stressed that only optimum water requirement is necessary for agriculture rather than over flooding the agricultural land which predominantly gets wasted. Finally, he highlighted the importance of policy development for sustaining animal agriculture through integrated approach involving, soil, crop and animal component.
The online webinar was also attended by Dr K Pradhan former VC, Dr ML Madan former DDG and VC, Dr Krishna Kumar former DDG, Dr H Rahman, former DDG, Dr Saseendranath, VC, KVASU, Dr Kusumakar Sharma, Dr BS Prakash, former ADGs, Founder Director of NIANP Dr Khub Singh, former Directors of NIANP Dr KT Sampath, Dr CS Prasad, Dr Bhaskar, ADG (AAFCC), directors of animal science Institutes Dr Arun Tomar, CSWRI, Dr SB Barbuddhe, NRC Meat, Dr RK Mathur IIOPR, Former Directors Dr Abraham Verghese, Dr Chandish Ballal, Dr Hegde, Prof. Eva Schlecht, and Prof A. Buerkert from University of Gottingen & Kassel, Germany, Dr Vinicius Fonseca from Brazil, Directors and Heads of various Bengaluru based ICAR Institutes, Students and Faculty from KVASU, Kerala and RIVER, Pondicherry.
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