ANRF-Sponsored Workshop on Integrative Taxonomy of Whiteflies Organized under SSR Activity

ANRF-Sponsored Workshop on Integrative Taxonomy of Whiteflies Organized under SSR Activity

29 September 2025, Bengaluru

ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru, organized a 2-day workshop on ‘Integrative Taxonomic Approaches for Identification of Whiteflies and Their Associated Natural Enemies’ on 29–30 September 2025 under the Scientific Social Responsibility (SSR) activity of an ongoing research project sponsored by the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, New Delhi.

ANRF-Sponsored Workshop on Integrative Taxonomy of Whiteflies Organized under SSR Activity

Dr. S. N. Sushil, Director, ICAR–NBAIR, inaugurated the workshop in the presence of Dr. R. Sundararaj, Former Scientist-G, Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Sushil highlighted the recent advancements in research on invasive whiteflies and emerging diagnostic techniques crucial for their identification and management.

The workshop’s technical sessions were structured to provide participants with comprehensive hands-on training on both classical and molecular approaches to insect taxonomy. Major themes included:

•    Collection and preservation of whiteflies and their parasitoids
•    Preparation of permanent slides for specimen mounting
•    Morphological identification of whiteflies and parasitoids
•    DNA isolation and PCR/Gel electrophoresis for gene amplification
•    Editing of Sanger sequences for species confirmation and phylogenetic analysis using molecular tools

Participants were also introduced to novel molecular diagnostic assays, including species-specific markers and isothermal amplification techniques such as LAMP, RPA, HDA, and CRISPR-Cas for precise identification of whiteflies and their natural enemies.

ANRF-Sponsored Workshop on Integrative Taxonomy of Whiteflies Organized under SSR Activity

The workshop witnessed participation from 33 researchers representing 24 organizations, including ICAR institutes, State and Central Agricultural Universities, Deemed Universities, and other UGC-recognized institutions from 10 states across India.

The program concluded with an acknowledgment of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), New Delhi, for its funding support.

(Source: ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Resources, Bengaluru)

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