* Deliberations were made on “Recent Trends in Smart and Sustainable Agriculture for Food and Nutritional Security (SSAFNS)”

* Mega conference fostered collaboration, knowledge sharing, and addressed seeming global challenges in the agriculture sector

* “Have land from university to develop freely as per your innovative agri-plans”: LPU Chancellor & MP Rajya Sabha Dr Ashok Mittal invoked university’s agricultural students

The School of Agriculture at Lovely Professional University (LPU) hosted a two-day international conference on ‘Recent Trends in Smart & Sustainable Agriculture for Food & Nutritional Security (SSAFNS)-2023’ at the university campus. It was aimed to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and to address global challenges in the agriculture sector.

The conference provided a wide platform to discuss cutting-edge advancements in smart and sustainable agricultural practices. Topics discussed included innovative technologies, agricultural sustainability, and strategies for ensuring global food and nutritional security wanted as per United Nations’ SDGs.

While inaugurating the conference & unveiling the related abstract-book; LPU Chancellor & MP Rajya Sabha Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal invoked university’s agricultural students to have land from the university to develop it as per their innovative Agri-plans & SDGs. With this, it seems certain to make students self-settled and earning- hands only during their programs’ duration of almost 3-4 years.

It was also shared that the conference is planned to promote communication among scholars and practitioners from other scientific fields, who want to enhance diverse agricultural approaches. The conference maximized the impact of science and innovation on the global society.  Latest nanotechnologies implemented to see and sense deeply in the fields were discussed vehemently, in particular.

Dy Director General Krishi Anusandhan (Govt of India) Dr RC Agrawal asked LPU students to be great part of agriculture in India as it requires a large number educated manpower for healthy growth in the sector

For this, leading scientists, researchers, and industrialists from the USA, UK, Japan, and Malaysia and from across top international–national institutions had congregated to exchange novel ideas and share their expertise. These were about the innovative and revolutionary works done in agricultural waste management; nanotechnologies based on the latest agricultural trends; climate resilient agriculture; millets as promising food crops; food & industrial microbiology; crop production & plant protection; post-harvest & value addition, as well as nutrition and human health.

On this occasion, Dr Kazuyuki Inubushi from Tokyo University Japan; Dr Megha from Texas University, US; Director UGC-HRDC Dr Neeraj Dilbaghi; Dr Ikechi Agbugha from University of Birmingham, UK; Dr Tan Ngai Paing from University Putra Malaysia; Dr Sachiko Hayashida from Nara Women’s University Japan; MD, Dhanuka Agritech Dr RG Agarwal; Dean Dr Ganesh Nanjappa from Bangalore; Soil Scientist of CSSRI, Dr Bhaskar Narjary; Sr Scientist from Central Potato Research Institute; HoS Prof Dr Ramesh Sadawarti and many others of high ranks were present at the conference.

The conference brought together keynote speeches, talks and posters showcasing the latest research. It remained cantered around topics like sustainable agriculture, food security, natural resource management and cutting edge research in the field of agriculture and allied fields.