Srinagar: A ten-day training programme on ‘DSSAT as a tool for research in agriculture and allied sciences’ concluded on Thursday at SK University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.
The Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) is a software application program that comprises crop simulation models for over 42 crops as well as tools to facilitate effective use of the models. The tools include database management programs for soil, weather, crop management and experimental data, utilities, and application programs.
More than 35 scientists and scholars from various parts of the country and abroad participated in the DSSAT training, organized by the Agromet Field Unit Srinagar in collaboration with the World Bank-ICAR funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) for the institutional development of SKUAST-K.
The trainees were given hands-on training on DSSAT in virtual mode. Practical exercises concerning the preparation of various files, uploading in DSSAT tool, running the model for which scientific staff of Agromet Field Unit, Shalimar, scientists from FoA, Wadura with other faculties of national repute were involved in the successful conduct of the training. Dr Sameera Qayoom, Incharge Agromet Field Unit (Nodal Officer-ICAR) welcomed the dignitaries and briefed the audience about the training. Dr Bilal Ahmad Lone, Associate Professor, Agromet Field Unit gave a brief overview of the training programme. Feedback from the participants was received concerning the conduct of the training programme. Dr Gerrit Hoogenboom, Preeminent Scholar Institute for Sustainable Food System Professor, Agricultural and the Biological Engineering University of Florida, USA, who was the guest of honour at the concluding function, appreciated the scientists of SKUAST-K for conducting such training programmes in virtual mode and he also addressed the participants and enlightened them with the application of the tool DSSAT in agriculture, forecasting, climate change study and policy planning and other studies. Dr Purshotam Singh, Associate Professor, Agronomy thanked all the dignitaries, scientists, participants, organisers who attended the event, especially the speaker from the USA.

KR Desk