Shimla . Officials and staff members from the press and media fraternity from Odisha, visiting Shimla as part of the PIB interstate exchange programme, they reached to Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, and witnessed the institute's research and development initiatives regarding potatoes. During this visit, the institutes Director, Dr. Brajesh Singh, apprised the delegation of the institute;s activities and operational methodology. In his address, he highlighted that the institute has developed distinct potato varieties tailored to the diverse agro-climatic zones of the country, emphasizing the pivotal role of potatoes in ensuring the nation's food security.

On this occasion, Mr. Sanjeev Sharma, Assistant Director at the PIB, Shimla raised the query regarding Artificial Intelligence (AI), On this point Director Dr Brajesh Singh stated that in the current scientific era, technologies such as drones and AI are being increasingly utilized not only in general agricultural operations but also specifically
in potato cultivation practices. He further elaborated on the Indoblightcast model developed by the institute, which enables farmers to detect the onset of Late Blight disease in advance, thereby saving them from the financial burden of purchasing pesticides/Insecticides.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Alok Kumar, Head of the Social Sciences Division, affirmed that his department is committed to acting as a bridge between the institute and the farming community specifically by facilitating the dissemination of institute-developed potato varieties to farmers fields and making other innovative technologies developed by the institute accessible to farmers across various states of the country.

Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, Head of the Plant Protection Division, provided an overview of the ongoing research at the institute aimed at managing major potato diseases; in
addition to the extensive work being conducted on Late Blight—a disease known to cause significant crop damage—he also highlighted the research efforts focused on combating Bacterial Wilt. Dr. Vinod Kumar noted that the institutes Crop Improvement Division has, to date, successfully developed over 76 potato varieties suited to diverse climatic regions. He added that the nation;s continuous requirement for high-quality, improved seed material is being effectively met by the institute.

Dr. Jagdev Sharma outlined the activities of the Institute;s Crop Production Division, explaining that agricultural operations related to potatoes—such as the application of balanced fertilizers, the implementation of various crop rotation cycles, and the utilization of different machinery in agronomic practices—are carried out through his division.

Dr. Som Dutt, Head, CPB&PHT informed that the Institute;s Post-Harvest Division is responsible for work related to potato processing. Earlier in the session, all media personnel articulated the objectives of their respective outreach programs, actively participated in the discussions, and raised questions regarding potato seed,
technology adoption, ongoing research, the Institute;s grassroots-level initiatives, and the challenges lying ahead. The interactive nature of the session facilitated a meaningful exchange of ideas.

At the conclusion of the program, Mr. Rajdeep Bux expressed his gratitude to everyone for their participation in the event. During the interaction programme, the press and media team was also taken on a tour of the Institute's aeroponics technology laboratory and appreciated the Institute technology.

SS/RK

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