About US

Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture, Bikaner came into existence since the establishment of
College in 1988 with the specific objectives of developing skilled and efficient human resource in the field
of Plant Pathology. The Department offers Under Graduate and Post Graduate programmes to generate quality
human resource. The Department has got one UG, PG laboratories and a Mass Production Unit which cater to the
needs of students for conducting practical and imparting identification skills for the respective
programmes. The M.Sc. and Ph.D. programmes in the department started from 2000 and 2004, respectively. The
Department also undertakes extension activities in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Station,
Krishi Vigyan Kendra and imparts need based training to farmers and agricultural officers. Evolving
strategies for management of Diseases of various crops viz., cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, oilseeds
and estimation of fungicides residues for the farmer’s community of Rajasthan state have also been
developed. Local isolates of various biocontrol agents are being identified for their utilization as
potential agents to minimize/use of pesticides.

Vision

“To create an intellectually stimulating campus environment and implement the strategies and programmes to
achieve excellence in plant pathology as well as Agriculture at National level through Improvement of
Agricultural Production Systems by the development and multiplication of location specific, economically
viable and eco-friendly strain of bio agents and adopted Integrated Disease Management Technologies”.

MISSION/Thrust area

• Survey and surveillance of major diseases of crops in the State for development of prediction models.

• Monitoring & forecasting of diseases, development of linkages in biosystematics with other projects for
evolving suitable disease management strategies and effective diseases control measures.

• Development and mass production of bio-agents.

• Development of integrated disease management technology for major diseases invivo and vitro.

• Eco friendly Disease management based on host plant resistance, behaviour modifying fungicides, plant
products as well as purified plant product components.

• Residue analysis of fungicides in field crops as well as vegetables, Pulses and Fruits.

• Isolation, purification, identification and characterization of microbial agents and their mass production
for plant diseases management.

• Molecular studies of pathogenic strains for diagnosis and identification.

• Strengthening of lecture theatres for E-learning, laboratories for basic research and establishment of
repository of natural bio-agents of crop diseases.

Mandate

• The major mandate of the Department is to maintain cultures of major pathogens as well as bio agents (local
and other locations) and develop suitable technologies for minimizing the production losses caused by them.
At present Division has focused its effort to develop Integrated Disease Management Technologies
particularly for bio agents to minimize the soil borne diseases of the State.

• Survey, surveillance and identification of major plant diseases as well as specific bio-agents and to
locate hot spot.

• Develop suitable components for IDM technologies

• Develop technologies based on bioagents to manage all epidemic and endemic diseases.

• Develop suitable technologies based on botanicals and organic products to manage diseases (seed, soil, and
air borne diseases).

• Develop technologies to minimize hazardous effect on human health and environment pollution due to
injudicious use of fungicides and antibiotics.

• Develop suitable mass production technologies for economically important bio agents.

Major activities

2. Ongoing projects