Padma Shri award winner Dr S. Ayyappan on Wednesday said the National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM) plays a key role in advancing      health, food security and plant health.

Ayyappan, a former Secretary of DARE and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said NIBSM was the sole ICAR institute in Chhattisgarh.

He said this while speaking at a two day conference on "Novel Strategies for Mitigating Biotic and Abiotic Stresses for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability."

Present at the venue were Prof. A.N. Mukhopadhyay, a former Vice Chancellor of AAU, Jorhat, Dr. S.N. Puri, a former Vice Chancellor of CAU, Manipur, Dr. C.D. Mayee, a former Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board in New Delhi, Dr. P.K. Ghosh, Director and Vice-Chancellor of ICAR-NIBSM, Prof. Piyush K Pandey, Vice Chancellor of Amity University Chhattisgarh, Raipur, and Dr. K Sammi Reddy from ICAR-NIBSM, Baramati.

Approximately 250 distinguished scientists, industry partners and students are attending the conference.

Dr. Puri elaborated on the origins of the institute and NIASM as deemed universities of national importance, aiming to strengthen graduate and postgraduate student capabilities.

He envisioned NIBSM as a crucial national institute in plant protection, focusing on addressing farmers' major challenges such as pest and disease management and optimizing input usage to enhance their incomes.

Prof. Mukhopadhyay highlighted NIBSM's unique position as the world's first institute of its kind and its potential contribution to food security for India's 1.4 billion population through crop protection technologies.

With the participation of renowned scientists from India and around the world, the conference serves as a platform for discussing the latest scientific innovations in crop stress management.