DOGRA HERALD BUREAU
JAMMU, Feb 23
Dr. Parshant Bakshi, presently serving as the Head of the Division of Fruit Science in the Faculty of Horticulture & Forestry at SKUAST-Jammu, has been honored with the esteemed award for Best Language Film in Dogri entitled “Get Quality Citrus by these Practices: Walk and Talk with Progressive Grower.” The award was conferred by the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), Hyderabad, during the second MANAGE Agri Film Festival 2023 held on February 22, 2024.
The ceremony, graced by the presence of dignitaries such as Sh. Fiaz Ahmed Kidwai, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Govt. of India, Dr. P. Chandra Shekara, Director General of MANAGE, Dr. M.Srikanth, Director (ABM), Dr. Saravanan Raj, Director (Agriculture Extension) and Dr. Srinivasachayulu Attaluru, Dy.Director (Knowledge Management), MANAGE, Hyderabad, aimed to acknowledge outstanding contributions in agricultural filmmaking and foster knowledge dissemination within the agricultural community through visual storytelling.
Amongst 417 film entries in 13 languages from 185 participants representing 22 states and UT across the country, Dr. Parshant Bakshi was honored with one of the 21 awards presented at the festival. Dr. Bakshi expressed his gratitude to his family, fruit growers, friends, and students for their unwavering support towards his YouTube Channel.
The channel serves as a platform for providing hands-on information to fruit growers, strawberry cultivators, students, and development officers, with over 440 videos available in Hindi, English, and Dogri languages garnering 4.14 lakh views and a viewing time of 11K hours, Dr. Bakshi’s channel has reached audiences not only in India but also in countries like the USA, Indonesia, Egypt, Philippines, Australia, Spain, Nepal, Bhutan, Russia, and France.
The content covers a wide array of topics including high-density planting, mango rejuvenation, pit preparation, use of drone in spraying, smart nursery of fruits, organic production of fruits and vegetables by using sensors, stress management of fruit crops for inducing flowering and fruiting and use of artificial lights in dragon fruit production, aligning with the vision of increasing farmer’s income by providing technical guidance.
The accolade presented by MANAGE includes a cash prize of Rs. 10,000/-, a certificate, and a memento.
Dr. Bakshi’s illustrious career encompasses teaching, research, extension, and project management, where he has mentored numerous undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. students in Fruit Science as the major advisor and handled projects externally funded by MIDH, HTM (MM-1), DST, NABARD, NHB, and HADP. His impact transcends academia with an extensive portfolio comprising 125 research papers published in prestigious national and international journals, along with review papers, book chapters, books, and popular articles.
Dr. Parshant Bakshi has been the recipient of fellowships for international exposure on fruit crops, including visits to Volcani Centre Israel, Beijing China, Bangkok, and IPB University, Indonesia.
Dr. Bakshi’s initiatives have significantly enhanced the income of farmers in the region, particularly in mango, guava, strawberry, anardana, apple, dragon fruit, and walnut production. He has introduced new fruit varieties such as Jammu mango (Selection-5), JWSP-06 and SJPW-1 (Walnut varieties), and Lime selection 1001 (Lime variety) and awarded one patent from UK. Committed to environmental conservation, Dr. Bakshi has spearheaded the “Save Horticulture” initiative for the past seven years, advocating for individuals to plant fruit or herbal plants on their birthdays as a sustainable and eco-friendly practice.
