A 12-member student faculty delegation of Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni is undergoing a 21-day international internship program in the Philippines sponsored by NAHEP IDP. The students are being exposed to the different aspects of agroforestry and Fruit Growing at the College of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of the Philippines, Los Banos.
Among the students, Ambika Sharma, Shlok Kashyap and Khushboo Kashyap are from the College of Horticulture while Archana Jamwal, Anchal and Priyanka Devi represent the College of Forestry. Four students, Akriti, Vanshika, Suryansh and Damini Naryal are from the university’s College of Horticulture and Forestry, Neri. Dr Uday Sharma and Dr Chuni Lal Sharma are accompanying the students.
The exposure tour is aimed at giving the students a chance to learn about agroforestry in the Philippines, particularly in the Southern Tagalog region. The students are being introduced to the ongoing agroforestry research in Asian countries which would result in their exposure to different models of agroforestry, related technologies and livelihood schemes, in addition to opening up opportunities for potential collaborative agroforestry-related projects in the future.
Besides, the students are also learning different aspects of soil and water conservation in conjunction with agroforestry systems for alleviating poverty in hill areas. Students were trained in alley cropping and hedgerow planting. They were taken to the technology hub where they got the opportunity to learn about the different products of the university. They also got an opportunity to interact with the scientists of IRRI where rice varieties with low glycemic index and rich in micronutrients are being developed. A visit to the mangrove areas of Quezon was also made to see the aqua silviculture system in mangroves as well as to see the sanctuary areas of bats.
Professor Rajeshwar Singh Chandel, Vice-Chancellor thanked the ICAR, NAHEP National Director Dr. RC Aggarwal and National Coordinator Dr. Naveen Jain for giving the students an opportunity to learn from the top global research institutes and develop an international perspective. Principal Investigator of IDP Dr. KK Raina informed that international exposure tours of faculty and students have been undertaken to broaden the perceptive to the students and faculty. He said that the university was confident that the learnings from this program would be incorporated into the university teaching.
