Goa University's Department of Botany organizes MSI National Seminar -Oct 29-30, 2009

The hosts:-Department of Botany, Goa University

(for more inforamtion about the department , please log to http://www.unigoa.ac.in/department.php?adepid=18)

The department of Botany was established in June 1990 on the background of a rich natural and cultural heritage.

With more than 1600 plant species Goa exhibits a rich genetic mosaic of indigenous and introduced plants. Ethnobotanical practices date back to very ancient period. Ayurvedic schools were encouraged by the Deccan dynasties esp. Chalukyas, Kadambas and Vijayanagaras ruling over Goa. The advent of the Portuguese in 1510 introduced European knowledge. Christopher Acosta, Garcia da orta, Sebastiao dalgado are some famous names associated with promotion of Botany in Goa.
The Portuguese introduced the art of Mango grafting-resulting in development of more than 100 local cultivars in a few centuries. India’s most prized Mango variety-Aphonso/Alfonso is named after ‘Afonso de albuquerque’ the conqueror and first viceroy of Goa. Studies on local medicinal plants were initiated in Asia’s first school of pharmacy in Goa during the middle of 19 th century.

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY, today has a strong base in teaching and research on subjects such as algae, higher plants, and fungi. Thrust areas of research include plant and fungus biodiversity systematics and documentation, ecology, conservation and utilization, mycorrhizae, molecular stress physiology of crop plants for enhanced productivity, rice biology and histochemistry, mushroom cultivation and wine technology. The Department has excellent herbaria of higher plants, algae, bryophytes and fungi, plant tissue culture facility and a botanical garden for ex situ conservation of plants of the Western Ghat region. It was identified by the western ghats secretariat, Planning commission, New Delhi for a seven years project to prepare an inventory of plants, pteritophytes and fungi of the western ghats.

With support grant received through various sponsored projects, the Department has set up a state-of-the-art infrastructure facility for basic and applied research. The Department has facility for research on mycorrhizal techniques aimed at phyto-rehabilitation of denuded areas, crop improvement and VA fungus identification. The Goa University Fungus Culture Collection as of today has about 3000 pure cultures of interesting, rare, new and common micro- and macro-fungi and yeasts isolated from terrestrial and aquatic litter, flowers, fruits, endophytes, entomogenous and soil habitats of Western Ghat forests and west-coast region.
The Department is now known around the nation and elsewhere as a centre for studies in modern botany with first-class teaching and research facilities extended to young students. The syllabi at U.G. (B.Sc.) and P.G. (M.Sc.) level are regularly updated and every student in their final year undertakes a dissertation, as part of the Degree programme. A number of students have obtained Ph.D. in Botany in the last 12 years. The Goa University has signed a memorandum of agreement with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines, to work on transgenic rice in the Department of Botany. The Planning Commission of India has supported a five years project to map the economically useful plant and fungal biodiversity of the Western Ghat region of Goa.
The mycological expertise available in the Department, especially on taxonomy and identification of micro-fungi, is known worldwide. The Fungus Culture Collection facility is only of its kind in southern India. The Department has established industry-related collaborative researches with, a local mushroom entrepreneur, M/s Zuari Foods and Farms Ltd., Goa, to improve mushroom spawn quality and with M/s Western Ghats Kokum Foundation to work on indigenous wine technology. The Department presently accommodates the secretariat of Mycological Society of India and further represents the country in the International Mycological Association Committee for Asia.
The Department of Botany has recently been recognized by the University Grants Commission for Special Assistance Programme at DRS level to work on biodiversity and bio-prospecting of Western Ghats region.