Plant Health Clinic (PHC) at Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), Kalyani was established in 2007 with the financial support of National Horticultural Mission. Later in 2008, a project was sanctioned by the Department of Food Processing Industries and Horticulture, Government of West Bengal on, ‘Horticultural Crop pests Mapping and Pest’s Advisory Services in West Bengal’, for a period of three years and at present, one Crop Doctor, three Research Fellows are working at PHC.
A Toll Free Telephone no.1800 345 5235 has been installed which could be accessed from 11.00am to 5.00pm (Monday to Friday only). The number could be availed from any mobile/land line/WLL etc. and if no person is attending the call from farmers/Agricultural Development Officers (ADO)/SMS/NGOs/Commercial growers etc., the call will automatically be diverted to two mobile numbers of expert members.
Besides, PHC has partnership with Association for Advancement in Plant Protection (AAPP) where experts from different disciplines and senior/retired Professors of Plant Pathology/Entomology/Weed Science/Soil Sciences from BCKV are actively supporting and/or guiding to achieve the goal of the Clinic.
Currently, the services extended through PHC are:
Attending Telephone Calls (Toll Free service) and providing Pest Advisory Services primarily on crop protection problems.
Attending the new/emerging problems in the farmers’ field with a team of scientists and documenting the problems for advance research.
Extending detection and diagnostic services for insects, mites, nematodes and plant pathogens.
Imparting ‘Hands-on Training on identification of plant parasitic nematodes’ for research scientists/teachers and scholars/NGOs.
Organizing farmers' meeting on crop protection problems at farmers’ field.
Forming network with Computer savvy Extension Officers (ADOs/SMS/NGOs for gathering/documenting field problems and their solution (IT interface with crop protection)
Organizing lectures/brain storming sessions/training/nematode awareness day etc.
Publishing Newsletter/Bengali colourful diagnostic bulletin/leaf let etc. in collaboration with AAPP.
Formulating research projects on emerging pest problems of crop in West Bengal.
Expert members from BCKV
Plant Pathology
Prof. D.C.Khatua, Plant Pathologist
Cell: +91 9339216493
