Curtain raiser held for Sixth International Agronomy Congress 2025 at NASC, New Delhi

New Delhi: The curtain raiser of the Sixth International Agronomy Congress (IAC) 2025 was held recently at the NASC Complex, New Delhi. The event brought together senior leadership from ICAR, the Indian Society of Agronomy, scientists from IARI, and media representatives for a briefing on the forthcoming three-day congress dedicated to advancing sustainable agronomy for India’s future.

Dr. S.K. Sharma, President, Indian Society of Agronomy, welcomed the dignitaries and participants, emphasising that the IAC aims to foster scientific collaboration and policy linkages to strengthen agronomic research and innovation across the country.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, outlined India’s record food grain production of 357.73 million tonnes and the 95 percent reduction in crop residue burning since 2020. He highlighted the Congress theme — “Re-Envisioning Agronomy for Smart Agri-Food Systems and Environmental Stewardship” — underscoring its relevance in promoting resilience, efficiency, and ecological balance within agriculture.

Dr.Jat stressed the importance of system agronomy, natural and regenerative farming, and data-driven technologies such as artificial intelligence and IoT for bridging yield gaps and enhancing sustainability. He also called for self-reliance in agricultural inputs by reducing import dependency, promoting indigenous resources, and improving nutrient use efficiency.

Responding to participant queries, Dr.Jat assured that the recommendations from the IAC would be compiled and shared promptly for integration into national agricultural planning.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. S.S. Rathore, Organizing Secretary, who urged extensive media outreach to ensure the Congress outcomes benefit farmers, policymakers, and the wider scientific community.