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Volume 17, No.1 January – June, 2018

Contents

5th International Workshop for Capacity

Building in Nematology

PSN Society meeting 2018

2nd Invention to innovation Summit

Sindh 2017

Award win by NNRC

President

Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro

ECOSF, Islamabad

Vice Presidents

(FEDERAL)

Dr. Munawar Raza Kazmi NARC,

Islamabad

(SINDH)

Dr. S. Asim Rehan Kazmi CDRI,

PARC, Karachi

(PUNJAB)

Dr. Tariq Mukhtar, PMAS, UoA,

Rawalpindi

(K P.)

Dr. Farman Ali, AWKU, Mardan

(BALOCHISTAN)

Mr. Taimoor Khan, Uthal

University, Lasbella

Gen. Sec. I Treasurer

Prof. Dr. Shahina Fayyaz

NNRC, KU, Karachi

Joint Secretary

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rehman, BZU, Multan

Editor-in-Chief

Prof. Dr. Manzoor H. Soomro

ECOSF, Islamabad

5th International Workshop for Capacity Building

in Nematology

5th

International Workshop for Capacity Building in Nematology

was held from 12-22 February, 2018, jointly organized by Pakistan

Society of Nematologists (PSN), National Nematological Research

Centre (NNRC), Uok, Higher Education Commission (HEC)

Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and ECO Science Foundation

(ECOSF) at National Nematological Research Centre, University

of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

The workshop was inaugurated by Vice Chancellor University of

Karachi Prof. Dr. Ajmal Khan. In inaugural session, President of

ECOSF and Pakistan Society of Nematologists, Prof. Dr. Manzoor

Hussain Soomro delivered the presidential address to more than

400 researchers, students and subject specialist. Member of HEC

(Operations and Planning) Prof. Dr. Ghulam Raza Bhatti ensured

his full cooperation to support and accelerate the process of

developing capacity building in Nematology. Director of NNRC

Prof. Dr. Shahina Fayyaz welcomed the participants. Ms. Safia

Siddiqi shared the contribution and memories of late Dr. M.R.

Siddiqi. Dr. Nasira Kazi highlighted the NNRC contributions and

successful journey. Dr. Salma Javed had given the vote of thanks.

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Pictures of Inaugural Session of 5th International Workshop for Capacity Building

in Nematology

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A total of 47 participants, 12 from ECO countries, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of

Azerbaijan, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of

Tajikistan and 35 from all around the country attended this training workshop.

Shields and souvenirs were presented to the guests and foreign participants in inaugural session.

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Ms. Safia Siddiqi gave the memorable dinner to workshop

participants, friends, family and science community in the

honor of her late father Dr. M. Rafiq Siddiqi. Prof. Dr.

Shahina Fayyaz paid the tribute to late Dr. M.R. Siddiqi. She

said that Dr. Siddiqi contributed a lot to the discipline of

Nematology in Pakistan. He had a long- standing association

with the Centre. Whenever, he came to Karachi he always met

us with love and kind-hearted friendship which was a

characteristic of his personality.

In this occasion, special memorial issue of PSN Newsletter

was distributed among the guests.

Pakistan Society of Nematologists (PSN) and National Nematological Research Centre,

University of Karachi, Karachi (NNRC) have been holding national and international capacity

building workshops in Nematology ever since their establishment. The objectives behind to hold

this workshop was:

To develop capacity in the field of Nematological research and management.

To identify deficiencies in present methods of dissemination of crop protection

information, and opportunities arising from new communication technologies.

To develop collaboration among ECO member countries in the field of Nematology with

focus on crop production.

To emphasize the importance of phytonematodes problem in the context of current and

future global challenges.

The senior scientists have presented country report in this workshop regarding field of

Nematology and its Development in his/ her country.

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The content of the workshop had been designed to sum up initial to advance techniques in series

of lectures and lab exercises such as:

Symptomology.

Sampling techniques and strategies.

Processing analysis of sample.

Morphological identification of plant parasitic nematodes, soil nematodes, marine and

entompathogenic nematodes.

Molecular identification with phylogenetic characterization.

Sequence alignment and deposition in NCBI.

Biocontrol potential of specific EPNs.

In vitro culturing of EPNs.

In vivo culturing of EPNs.

The participants were engaged for ten days performing different activities in this context.

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Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro presenting shields and certificates to resource persons

The chief guest Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro distributed shields and certificates to the

participants at the end of the concluding ceremony of the workshop. All the foreign and local

participants gave their remarks and concluded that “There is a need to promote and develop

cooperation and coordination among the ECO countries for the strengthening and capacity

building in the field of nematology”.

Group photo of the workshop participants with President ECOSF and Pakistan Society of

Nematologists Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro.

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Minutes of Meeting of the General Body of Pakistan Society of Nematologists (PSN)

12th

Feb, 2018 at University of Karachi

A General Body Meeting of the PSN was held on the

occasion of 5th

International Workshop for Capacity

Building in Nematology on 12th

Feb, 2018 at Salim-

uz-zaman Siddiqi Auditorium International Center for

Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS),

University of Karachi, Karachi.

Following office bearers of the society attended the meeting:

1. Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro (ECOSF), Islamabad

President (in chair)

2. Dr. Tariq Mukhtar, PMAS, UoA, Rawalpindi

Vice President, Punjab

3. Dr. S. Asim Rehan Kazmi CDRI, PARC, Karachi

Vice President, Sindh

4. Dr. Shahina Fayyaz, Karachi

General Secretary/Treasurer

The meeting began with recitation from the Holy Quran.

Various matters related to the functioning of the Society were discussed and following

decisions were made unanimously.

Item 1: Election for the post of President (PSN)

It was resolved with the collective decision of the Executive Council and Members of

PSN that Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro will continue to serve as the President of

the Society.

Item 2: Nomination of Vice Presidents

Prof. Dr. Nazir Javed proposed Prof. Dr. Tariq Mukhtar, Chairman, Department of

Plant Pathology, PMAS- Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, for the post of

Vice President from Punjab, and the Society approved the proposal.

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Dr. Farman Ali, Assistant Professor, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan was

elected as Vice President from KPK.

Mr. Taimoor Khan, Associate Professor, Dept. of Agriculture, Uthal University,

Lasbella, Balochistan was elected as Vice President from Balochistan.

Dr. Asim Rehan Kazmi, PARC, Karachi will remain the Vice President from Sindh.

Dr. Shahina Fayyaz will continue her services as General Secretary/Treasurer.

Dr. Ateeq-ur-Rehman was elected Joint Secretary with consensus.

Item 3: Revise criteria for PSN membership:

Continue with the already demonstrated by-laws pertaining to membership, however, the

proposal from AJK and Gilgit Baltistan for creating new posts of Vice Presidents or

Councillors would be looked into and considered in the next GB meeting for any

modification in the by-laws.

Item 4: Ways and means to promote the science of Nematology in Pakistan

1. Coordinated Research Projects will be designed by different institutes to involve

different funding agencies and to develop the concrete association between researches

all over the country.

2. Development of Farmer field School to facilitate farmers and engage them in

spreading information about nematology among their community.

3. Establish networking among Society members through developing mobile app.

4. Promotion of Nematology in Gilgit Baltistan Establish new setups or transfer

technology to the concerned departments. However, it was suggested that the

Department of Agriculture of GB may organize and host a workshop for advocacy

with higher authorities and for building capacity of staff.

Any other item

Ms. Safia Siddiqi of the International Journal of Nematology (IJN) has proposed to revise

the status of the Journal after Dr. Siddiqi’s Death and sought possibility of merger of IJN

and PJN. The PSN members noted that a lot needs to be looked into options to decide.

Thus, the Society authorized Dr. Shahina Fayyaz to negotiate with Ms. Safia on this

matter.

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2ND

INVENTION TO INNOVATION SUMMIT SINDH, 2017

Prof. Dr. Shahina Fayyaz, Director,

NNRC, University of Karachi with

other research staff members

participated “2nd

Invention to

Innovation Summit Sindh, 2017” 20-

21 December, 2017 at University of

Karachi.

The inaugural session was held at

Salim-uz-zaman Siddiqi Auditorium

ICCBS, University of Karachi. The

Vice Chancellor University of

Karachi opened the session and

welcomed the community of

scientists. He focused on the role of intellectual property in invention and innovation and list the

various ways that inventors can defend their ideas at University level. The Chief Guest,

Chairman Higher Education Commission Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad emphasized on promotion of

invention, design, innovation and diffusion on ongoing processes with a range of factors

affecting success to protect sustaining and disruptive innovation.

In two days summit, several parallel sessions were successfully conducted by groups of different

areas of science and technology and they also projected their innovative research work in stalls.

The NNRC team demonstrated their Intellectual innovative property and their achievements by

installing stall during the summit. More than 20 universities also took part in the program.

Inaugural session of 2nd

Invention to Innovation Summit Sindh, 2017

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National Nematological Research Centre projected their research work in 2nd

Invention to

Innovation Summit Sindh, 2017.

AWARD WON BY NATIONAL NEMATOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTRE

National Nematological Research Centre has won “SDG- 6 Water and Sanitation Award” by

ECOSF of Rs. 25,000, on its outstanding research outputs in 2nd

Invention to Innovation Summit

Sindh, 2017

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FUTURE EVENTS:

27-28 March, 2018

Ecosystem and Habitat Management: Research, Policy, Practice at: Worcester

University, UK

11 - 13 April, 2018

Advances in Plant Virology at: Jurys Inn, Birmingham, UK

22-23 May, 2018

Soil Improvement: Impact of Management Practices on Soil Function and

Quality at: Game and Wildlife Trust, Loddington, Leicester UK

29 July - 3 August, 2018

International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) on “Plant Health in a global

economy at Bostan”, USA.

9-13 September, 2018

European Society of Nematologists will organized a conference during 9-13

September, 2018.

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PSN NEWS LETTER A Biannual Publication of Pakistan Society of Nematologists

National Nematological Research Centre, University of Karachi , Karachi-75270, Pakistan Tel: 92-021-99261387 E-mail: pakjnema@gmail.com,info@pjn.com.pk PRINTED AT: BCC&T PRESS UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI