The Plant Health Camp, organized on March 18th, 2025, at Mawsiatkhnam, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, under the Farmers’ FIRST Programme by the Division of Technology Assessment and Capacity Building, ICAR-RC for NEH Region, Umiam, served as a vital platform for disseminating scientific knowledge on plant health management, disease prevention, and sustainable agricultural practices. The camp aimed to enhance farmers’ capacity to mitigate crop losses due to biotic and abiotic stress factors through the integration of innovative and eco-friendly approaches.
        Dr. Tasvina R Borah, Senior Scientist, Division of Crop Science, delivered a comprehensive lecture highlighting the significance of proactive plant health management to sustain agricultural productivity. She elaborated on the role of early disease diagnosis, integrated pest management (IPM), and soil health enhancement in ensuring long-term farm sustainability. Dr. Tasvina R Borah emphasized the necessity of crop rotation, organic amendments, and bio-control agents to minimize dependency on chemical pesticides, thereby reducing soil degradation and ecological imbalance.
        The initiative significantly empowered local farmers by equipping them with essential inputs and practical knowledge to improve farm productivity while adhering to sustainable agricultural principles. As part of the programme, participating farmers received mushroom spawns to promote agro-diversification, bio-pesticides (SAFE ROOT and Sparsha) to enhance plant defence mechanisms against soil-borne and foliar diseases, and antifeedant/repellent (MULTINEEM) to naturally deter pests without harming beneficial organisms. These bio-inputs align with eco-friendly plant protection strategies, reducing chemical load in agroecosystems while ensuring crop health and yield stability.
        The successful execution of the Plant Health Camp was facilitated by a dedicated team of experts, including Dr. N. Uttam Singh (Senior Scientist and PI, FFP), Dr. Tasvina R Borah (Senior Scientist and Co-PI), Dr. Rahul Katiyar (Scientist and Co-PI), Dr. Gojendro Singh (Scientist and Co-PI), Dr. M. Bishonath Singh (SRF, FFP), and Mr. Wanbiang Dkhar (Project Assistant). Through this initiative, the Farmers’ FIRST Programme reinforced its commitment to bridging the gap between scientific research and farm-level implementation, ensuring that local agricultural communities have access to sustainable and scientifically validated solutions for improved crop health and productivity.