Thursday, October 29, 2009
Contact desk at reception for MSI membership forms and latest issue of KAVAKA
Delegates are requested to contact the counter near reception for MSI membership forms and to purchase latest volume of Kavaka.
The annual membership of MSI is Rs. 225 and life membership is Rs. 2025. Kavaka copies are available for Rs. 400 each.
For further information contact Dr. Sudhakar Reddy, treasurer, MSI or any other MSI office bearers
The annual membership of MSI is Rs. 225 and life membership is Rs. 2025. Kavaka copies are available for Rs. 400 each.
For further information contact Dr. Sudhakar Reddy, treasurer, MSI or any other MSI office bearers
Inagural address by chief guest Mr. Pratapsingh Rane, Oct. 29
Goa University and Mycological Society of India
National seminar on fungal biodiversity and bioprospecting in the age of Global Warming
October 29-30, 2009
Text of inaugural speech of the Chief guest,
Hon. Speaker , Goa assembly
Shri Pratapsingh Rane,
Good morning!
Prof. Dileep Deobagkar, Vice Chancellor of Goa University, Prof. Manoharachary, President of Mycological Society of India, Prof. Desai, Dean of Life Sciences & Environment, Prof. Bhat, Convener and Prof. Rodrigues, Organising Secretary of the Programme, invited guests and delegates who have come from far and near, research scholars, students Ladies and Gentlemen -
I am delighted to be here this morning to inaugurate the ‘National Seminar on Fungal Biodiversity & Bioprospecting in the Age of Global Warming and the 36th Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of India’ being held at Goa University, as part of its Silver Jubilee Programme. This Seminar is a rare honour to the state of Goa.
Goa University is in its 25th year and I have seen the birth and growth this institution from close quarters. In my capacity I have done best to assist the University in every possible way and very soon it would have a new, large and spacious Chemistry block and a new boys’ hostel. I am more than pleased that this temple of higher learning has imparted high quality education to the youth of Goa and produced hundreds of graduates and post-graduates who are now serving in various service sectors in India and abroad.
I understand that you will be discussing, in the next two days, the extent of fungal diversity and its influence on plants and humans. I am especially happy that it is taking place in a state which is progressive and has been known as a pioneer in modern medical and pharmaceutical education in Asia. Goa has a culture of using fungi-in making bread, fermenting cashew feni, producing a variety of fruit wines, manufacturing some of the best brands of Beer and in consumption of edible mushrooms. We need better mycological research for all round biotechnological development. I’m sure that the outcome of this seminar would handsomely contribute to new ideas which would help our country to get a major share of five hundred billion dollars global market of products based on fungi. We need to create wealth and new employment opportunities by identifying and using creative fungi.
We need to control fungi which affect agro-horticulture. There are dreadful plant diseases caused by fungi which impacted greatly on crop productivity. Historical records tell us that devastating diseases such as ‘black-stem rust of , ‘late-blight of potato’ ‘downy mildews of grapes’, ‘blast of rice’ etc. resulted with curtailment of crops and consequently death or starvation of millions of people around the world. Fungal diseases are there on cereals, vegetables, ornamentals and cash crops. Fungi also cause post-harvest damage to perishable produces such as vegetables and fruits. Thanks to the inventions and formulations of various fungicides and antibiotics, we are able to curtail majority of the fungal diseases.
We have many fungal diseases on our crops here in Goa, viz. Blight of areca, root rot of brinjal, powdery mildews on vegetables, mango and rubber and many more. There are fungi which damage trees and timber as well. Would the disease load change due to global warming?. Would new fungal pathogens appear on crops due to climate change?. I hope that you will be discussing on these during the course of your deliberations.
On the other side, fungi have great application value. Edible mushrooms are a culinary favorite word over. We, in Goa, during rainy season in the early days, used to harvest from wild and consume the mushroom, Termitomyces, a rare delicacy. The fungus is now becoming a rare species and we have brought it under wildlife protection category, as a conservation measure. I am proud to say that Goa produces high quality, button mushrooms through M/s Zuari Agro-foods which is now marketed all over south.
Thanks to the discovery of world’s first antibiotic penicillin by Alexander Flemming in 1920s from a fungus-, we now have several target specific, broad spectrum, antibiotics with which most of the infectious diseases are now controllable. Besides, fungi produce pharmaceutically significant immunosuppresants, anti-cancer drugs and nutritive-rich vitamins, enzymes and pigments. These are the good signs of revolution taking place in fungal biotechnology.
India is bestowed with rich biological resources but the extent of biodiversity is not known fully. We are in the proximity of Western Ghats, one of the mega-biodiversity zones, which is also a fungus rich zone. I am told that about 1000 fungal species have been catalogued from Goa and many of these are ecologically and industrially useful. Department of Botany, Goa University, is documenting and researching on fungi of this region since last 15 years and they need to come out with monographs and catalogues in future. I’m sure that the proceedings of the seminar would be published by the university and would get a global audience.
You have come from all over the country. In the next two days, please deliberate on the extent of fungal biodiversity and ways and means of its judicial usage, especially in this age of global warming. Let your discussions and conclusions be on a pragmatic path and assist the humanity very constructively. I appeal the young students and research scholars to pay close attention to all the deliberations and get inspiration for research. India needs a dynamic generation of mycologists and fungal biotechnologists.
Goa is a tourist’s paradise, known world over. This is also a land of greenery, peace and serenity. Once your seminar is over go around and enjoy the lovely sight-seeing places and enjoy the hospitality of peaceful and fun loving people of Goa. I wish that your stay here be most memorable.
I wish you all the success and declare that the Seminar is open.
Thank you.
October 29, 2009
National seminar on fungal biodiversity and bioprospecting in the age of Global Warming
October 29-30, 2009
Text of inaugural speech of the Chief guest,
Hon. Speaker , Goa assembly
Shri Pratapsingh Rane,
Good morning!
Prof. Dileep Deobagkar, Vice Chancellor of Goa University, Prof. Manoharachary, President of Mycological Society of India, Prof. Desai, Dean of Life Sciences & Environment, Prof. Bhat, Convener and Prof. Rodrigues, Organising Secretary of the Programme, invited guests and delegates who have come from far and near, research scholars, students Ladies and Gentlemen -
I am delighted to be here this morning to inaugurate the ‘National Seminar on Fungal Biodiversity & Bioprospecting in the Age of Global Warming and the 36th Annual Meeting of the Mycological Society of India’ being held at Goa University, as part of its Silver Jubilee Programme. This Seminar is a rare honour to the state of Goa.
Goa University is in its 25th year and I have seen the birth and growth this institution from close quarters. In my capacity I have done best to assist the University in every possible way and very soon it would have a new, large and spacious Chemistry block and a new boys’ hostel. I am more than pleased that this temple of higher learning has imparted high quality education to the youth of Goa and produced hundreds of graduates and post-graduates who are now serving in various service sectors in India and abroad.
I understand that you will be discussing, in the next two days, the extent of fungal diversity and its influence on plants and humans. I am especially happy that it is taking place in a state which is progressive and has been known as a pioneer in modern medical and pharmaceutical education in Asia. Goa has a culture of using fungi-in making bread, fermenting cashew feni, producing a variety of fruit wines, manufacturing some of the best brands of Beer and in consumption of edible mushrooms. We need better mycological research for all round biotechnological development. I’m sure that the outcome of this seminar would handsomely contribute to new ideas which would help our country to get a major share of five hundred billion dollars global market of products based on fungi. We need to create wealth and new employment opportunities by identifying and using creative fungi.
We need to control fungi which affect agro-horticulture. There are dreadful plant diseases caused by fungi which impacted greatly on crop productivity. Historical records tell us that devastating diseases such as ‘black-stem rust of , ‘late-blight of potato’ ‘downy mildews of grapes’, ‘blast of rice’ etc. resulted with curtailment of crops and consequently death or starvation of millions of people around the world. Fungal diseases are there on cereals, vegetables, ornamentals and cash crops. Fungi also cause post-harvest damage to perishable produces such as vegetables and fruits. Thanks to the inventions and formulations of various fungicides and antibiotics, we are able to curtail majority of the fungal diseases.
We have many fungal diseases on our crops here in Goa, viz. Blight of areca, root rot of brinjal, powdery mildews on vegetables, mango and rubber and many more. There are fungi which damage trees and timber as well. Would the disease load change due to global warming?. Would new fungal pathogens appear on crops due to climate change?. I hope that you will be discussing on these during the course of your deliberations.
On the other side, fungi have great application value. Edible mushrooms are a culinary favorite word over. We, in Goa, during rainy season in the early days, used to harvest from wild and consume the mushroom, Termitomyces, a rare delicacy. The fungus is now becoming a rare species and we have brought it under wildlife protection category, as a conservation measure. I am proud to say that Goa produces high quality, button mushrooms through M/s Zuari Agro-foods which is now marketed all over south.
Thanks to the discovery of world’s first antibiotic penicillin by Alexander Flemming in 1920s from a fungus-, we now have several target specific, broad spectrum, antibiotics with which most of the infectious diseases are now controllable. Besides, fungi produce pharmaceutically significant immunosuppresants, anti-cancer drugs and nutritive-rich vitamins, enzymes and pigments. These are the good signs of revolution taking place in fungal biotechnology.
India is bestowed with rich biological resources but the extent of biodiversity is not known fully. We are in the proximity of Western Ghats, one of the mega-biodiversity zones, which is also a fungus rich zone. I am told that about 1000 fungal species have been catalogued from Goa and many of these are ecologically and industrially useful. Department of Botany, Goa University, is documenting and researching on fungi of this region since last 15 years and they need to come out with monographs and catalogues in future. I’m sure that the proceedings of the seminar would be published by the university and would get a global audience.
You have come from all over the country. In the next two days, please deliberate on the extent of fungal biodiversity and ways and means of its judicial usage, especially in this age of global warming. Let your discussions and conclusions be on a pragmatic path and assist the humanity very constructively. I appeal the young students and research scholars to pay close attention to all the deliberations and get inspiration for research. India needs a dynamic generation of mycologists and fungal biotechnologists.
Goa is a tourist’s paradise, known world over. This is also a land of greenery, peace and serenity. Once your seminar is over go around and enjoy the lovely sight-seeing places and enjoy the hospitality of peaceful and fun loving people of Goa. I wish that your stay here be most memorable.
I wish you all the success and declare that the Seminar is open.
Thank you.
October 29, 2009
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