Hyderabad Hosts Workshop on GIS for Plant Biodiversity
A one-day international workshop titled ‘GIS for Plant Biodiversity and Resource Management’ was conducted at the State Horticulture University in Mulugu on Wednesday. The event brought together experts from around the globe to share insights on advancements in geographic technologies and their applications.
Dr. Danda Raja Reddy, Vice Chancellor of the Horticultural University, highlighted the role of the Internet of Things (IoT) in shaping the future of horticulture. In his address, he explained that the university plans to use remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to map horticultural crops. He added that future initiatives will include DNA fingerprinting and genome sequencing for key plants such as vegetables, fruits, and medicinal crops in the horticulture sector.
Dr. Reddy also discussed the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and deep learning to develop specific plant models. He emphasized that GIS and remote sensing would enable quicker access to crucial data, which the university aims to leverage for research and development.
Prominent international speakers contributed to the workshop. Dr. Takashi Watanabe, a professor at Kumamoto University in Japan, and Dr. Raju Edla, a professor at the Vishnu Educational Development and Innovation Centre (VEDIC) in Hyderabad, discussed how GIS is being applied to study Japanese flora and explore global plant resources.
Dr. Yukio Nagano, associate professor at Saga University, Japan, and Ms. Eranga Pavani Vitaran, a researcher at the same university, presented research on phylogenetic relationships in citrus plants using advanced genome analysis techniques. Their work focused on understanding how citrus species are related through their chloroplast and nuclear genomes.
Adding to the diverse topics, Dr. Shyam Saran Shrestha, president of the Himalayan Research and Development Centre in Nepal, spoke about bioprospecting medicinal plants in Nepal, Italy, and Japan. His presentation highlighted the potential of medicinal plants in global health and biodiversity.
The workshop served as a platform for scientists and researchers to exchange knowledge on leveraging GIS and other cutting-edge technologies for plant biodiversity and resource management.
