[Yadukrishnan Premachandran]

Hi Eddy,

I deeply resonate with your thoughts. I agree that we should find ways to connect more with the farmers at the grassroots. The key question to address is how to establish this connection systematically by inculcating it as a practice, beyond just romanticizing its importance. I am sure everyone doing plant research – whether basic or applied – wants this to happen. The current academic system does not encourage lab-oriented plant scientists, especially those who work on basic biology, to engage with the farmers. In India, other than the agricultural scientists working in universities and institutes under a government body named ICAR (which is one of their major mandates), plant scientists hardly engage in direct interaction with farmers. Even this engagement is largely restricted to subjects that have direct field implications such as agronomy, horticulture, soil science, and crop protection.

I think plant biologists should first reach out to and actively engage with people who currently act as direct links between academia and farmers. These links include field-level agricultural scientists and governmental/non-governmental agencies that involve in agricultural extension activities. Associating with these people during their field visits and getting familiar with the farming communities of the area can be our baby steps. First, we will hear the farmers, and slowly, they will be ready to hear us. With time, we can eliminate the need for intermediate links and will be able to connect with the farmers directly. Building mutual trust is a slow process, but it will be highly rewarding for both academia and the farmers in the long run.

[Yadukrishnan Premachandran]

Hi everyone! My name is Yadukrishnan Premachandran and I am a postdoctoral fellow at Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, India.

I am interested in studying light responses in plants and the interaction of the light signaling pathway with various hormonal pathways during plant development. In my Ph.D at IISER Bhopal, I studied the influence of light on the ABA-mediated inhibition of early seedling development in Arabidopsis.

For me, Plantae has always been the most effective platform that brings together plant biologists across the globe.

Eagerly looking forward to being an active part of this community.