Welcome
to
International Conference on Pomegranate-2026
"Climate Resilient Pomegranate Ecosystem for Amritkaal: Fostering Sustainability, Innovation & Global Health"


Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an ancient fruit crop renowned for its nutritional, medicinal, and economic importance and is globally recognized as a “Superfruit.” In India, pomegranate is cultivated on approximately 2.24 lakh hectares. However, its rapid expansion has led to several critical challenges, including flower and fruit drop, as well as major pests and diseases such as shot hole borer, thrips, bacterial blight, wilt complex, fruit rot, and cercospora fruit spot (Tikri).

To address these emerging issues in pomegranate cultivation and crop protection, the National Research Centre on Pomegranate (NRCP), Solapur and the Society for Advancement of Research on Pomegranate (SARP), Solapur are jointly organizing the International Conference on Pomegranate 2026 during 06–07 September 2026 at Yashada, Pune, Maharashtra (Hybrid Mode), in collaboration with Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV), Rahuri.

The conference theme, "Climate Resilient Pomegranate Ecosystem for Amritkaal: Fostering Sustainability, Innovation & Global Health," aims to bring together scientists, farmers, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss innovations in pomegranate research, identify key research priorities, and develop climate-resilient crop production and protection strategies. The event focuses on promoting sustainable agriculture, farmer prosperity, and inclusive growth, contributing to India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047.


Conference Themes



01

Pomegranate Genetics, Improvement and Biotechnology

  • Conventional and molecular breeding techniques in pomegranate
  • Advances in biotechnological tools for pomegranate improvement
  • Alternative strategies (Speed breeding, RGA) for pomegranate improvement
02

Climate-Smart Pomegranate Production and Protection

  • Root stocks, clean planting material and innovations in pomegranate propagation for disease free planting material
  • Climate-informed production practices
  • Use of artificial intelligence in pest and disease diagnosis and their management
03

Pomegranate Microbiome and Bio-Inputs

  • Bio-prospecting of microbes for nutrition management
  • Bio-intensive management of pomegranate pests and diseases
  • Role of microbes in residue-free pomegranate production
04

Post-Harvest Handling, Processing and Value Addition

  • Value addition, phytochemicals and emerging processing technologies
  • Strategies and practices to boost pomegranate export
  • Market intelligence
05

Farmer–Researcher–Entrepreneur Interface

  • Farmer’s innovations and indigenous technologies
  • Knowledge transfer and technology dissemination
  • Policy Support & Institutional Framework


Conference Committee

Chief Patron

Dr. Mangi Lal Jat
Secretary, DARE & Director General,
ICAR, New Delhi

Patron

Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh
Deputy Director General (Horticultural Sciences),
ICAR, New Delhi

Convenors

Dr. Rajiv Arvind Marathe
Director,
ICAR-NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Vilas K. Kharche
Vice Chancellor,
MPKV, Rahuri

Co-Convenors

Dr. K. Dhinesh Babu
Principal Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Sangram Dhumal
Principal Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Ranjan Kumar Singh
Principal Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Prakash G. Patil
Principal Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. N. V. Singh
Principal Scientist,
IARI, New Delhi

Organizing Secretaries

Dr. Nilesh Gaikwad
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Manjunatha N
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Somnath Pokhare
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Co-Organizing Secretaries

Dr. Pinky Raigond
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Shilpa P.
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Chandrakant Awachare
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Basana Gowda G.
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Ramniwas
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Mallikarjun M.H.
Senior Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Namrata A. Giri
Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Dr. Roopa Sowjanya P
Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

Mr. Rahul Damale
Scientist,
NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur

National Advisory Committee
  • Dr. C. D. Mayee
    Former Chairman, ASRB, New Delhi
  • Dr. Himanshu Patak
    DG, ICRISAT and Former Secretary DARE and DG, ICAR
  • Dr. H. P. Singh
    Former Vice Chancellor, RAU, Pusa, Bihar & Ex. DDG (HS), New Delhi
  • Dr. V. B. Patel
    ADG – Fruit & Plantation Crops, ICAR, New Delhi
  • Dr. Indra Mani
    Vice-Chancellor, VNMKV, Parbhani, Maharashtra
  • Dr. Vishnuvardhana
    Vice-Chancellor, UHS, Bagalkot, Karnataka
  • Dr. K. Dhanumjaya Rao
    Vice-Chancellor, Dr. YSRHU, West Godavari, Andhra Pradesh
  • Dr. Rajeshwar Singh Chandel
    Vice-Chancellor, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, Himachal Pradesh
  • Dr. Sudhakar Pandey
    ADG (Flowers, Vegetables, Spices & Medicinal Plants), ICAR, New Delhi
  • Dr. S. P. S. Tanwar
    Director, ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur
  • Dr. K. V. Prasad
    Director, ICAR-DFR, Pune
  • Dr. Ram Dutta
    Acting Director, ICAR-DOGR, Rajgurunagar, Pune
  • Dr. N. G. Patil
    Director, ICAR-NBSS & LUP, Nagpur
  • Dr. Mahendra Kumar Verma
    Director, ICAR-CITH, Srinagar
  • Dr. Ashutosh Murkute
    Director, MGIRI Wardha & DG (In-charge), NI-MSME Hyderabad
  • Sh. Priya Ranjan
    Managing Director, National Horticulture Board, Gurugram
  • Shri Suraj Mandhare, IAS
    Agriculture Commissioner, Pune, Maharashtra
  • Dr. V. I. Benagi
    Former Vice Chancellor, UAS Dharwad
  • Dr. B. N. S. Murthy
    Former Horticulture Commissioner, GOI & Former Director, ICAR-IIHR
  • Dr. Kailash Mote
    Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Maharashtra
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Gujarat
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Rajasthan
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Telangana
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Karnataka
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Tamil Nadu
  • Director of Horticulture, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh
  • The Secretary, APEDA, Govt. of India
  • The Managing Director, KAPPEC, Govt. of Karnataka
  • IMC Members, ICAR-NRCP, Solapur
  • Dr. D. P. Waskar
    Former Director of Research, VNMKV, Parbhani
  • Dr. Sachin Suroshe
    Project Coordinator, AICRP on Honeybees & Pollinators, IARI
  • Dr. Akath Singh
    Principal Scientist, ICAR-CAZRI, Jodhpur
  • Sh. Ramdas Patil
    RAC Member, ICAR-NRCP, Solapur
  • Dr. Yogeshwara H. R.
    Chairman, Southern Region Pomegranate Growers Association
  • Sh. Bhausaheb Kate
    Former President, Maharashtra Pomegranate Growers Association
  • Sh. Munegowda
    President, Karnataka Pomegranate Growers Association
  • Sh. Nagaraja S. M.
    Vice - President, Karnataka Pomegranate Growers Association
  • Mr. Bhagwat Uttam Pawar
    Progressive Farmer, Malshiras
  • Mr. Ratnaram Chaudhari
    Progressive Farmer, Rajasthan
  • Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra
    Chairperson, PPV&FRA and Former Secretary DARE and DG, ICAR
  • Dr. A. K. Singh
    Ex. Vice Chancellor, CSAUA&T, Kanpur & Ex. DDG (HS), New Delhi
  • Dr. Sharad Gadakh
    Vice-Chancellor, PDKV, Akola, Maharashtra
  • Dr. Sanjay G. Bhave
    Vice-Chancellor, BSKKV, Dapoli, Maharashtra
  • Dr. R. C. Jagadeesha
    Vice-Chancellor, KSN-UAHS, Shivamogga, Karnataka
  • Dr. S. K. Malhotra
    Vice-Chancellor, Maharana Pratap Horticultural University, Karnal, Haryana
  • Dr. V. S. Jaitawat
    Vice-Chancellor, Agriculture University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan
  • Dr. T. K. Behera
    Director, ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru
  • Dr. Kaushik Banerjee
    Director, ICAR-NRC for Grapes, Pune
  • Dr. K. Sammi Reddy
    Director, ICAR-NIASM, Baramati
  • Dr. D. K. Ghosh
    Director, ICAR-CCRI, Nagpur
  • Dr. Lakshmi Kant
    Director, ICAR-VPKAS, Almora
  • Dr. Nachiket Kotwaliwale
    Director, ICAR-CIPHET, Ludhiana
  • Dr. Prabhat Kumar
    Horticulture Commissioner, Govt. of India
  • Mr. C. P. Gandhi
    Joint Director (IS/CPP), NHB, Govt. of India
  • Dr. K. K. Mondal
    Joint Director (Research), ICAR-NIBSM, Raipur
  • Dr. Jyotsana Sharma
    Former Director, ICAR-NRCP, Solapur
  • Dr. Ganesh Murthy A. N.
    Emeritus Scientist, ICAR-IIHR
  • Dr. Manjunath Girigowda
    Professor, UHS Bagalkot
  • Dr. L. R. Tambde
    Senior Scientist & Head, KVK Solapur
  • Mr. Anil Patil
    Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Maharashtra
  • Mr. Vilas Shinde
    Chairman and Managing Director, Sahyadri Farms, Mohadi, Nashik, Maharashtra
  • Mr. Prakash Kulkarni
    Agriculture Technologist, Krishibondh, Pune
  • Sh. Merama Ram Choudhary
    Shiv Kisan Producer Company Ltd., Rajasthan
  • Sh. Prabhakar Chandane
    President, Pomegranate Grower Association of India
  • Sh. Shahajirao Jachak
    Former President, Maharashtra Pomegranate Growers Association
  • Mr. Ramachandra Reddy
    Progressive Farmer, Bengaluru
  • Mr. Prakash Bafna
    Progressive Farmer, Pune
  • Mr. Mahipalsingh Jadeja
    Progressive Farmer, Gujarat
  • Mr. Ratnaram Chaudhari
    Progressive Farmer, Rajasthan
  • Members, Society For Advancement of Research in Pomegranate, Solapur
Local Organizing Committee
Chairman

Dr. M. S. Mane
Associate Dean, College of Agriculture, Pune


Members

Dr. S. G. Bhalekar
Professor (Hort.), College of Agriculture, Pune

Dr. D. B. Lad
Professor (Botany), College of Agriculture, Pune

Dr. A. B. Gosavi
Associate Professor (Soil Science), College of Agriculture, Pune

Dr. P. U. Raundal
Associate Professor (Agronomy), College of Agriculture, Pune


Member Secretary

Dr. Y. C. Sale
Professor (Agri. Economics), College of Agriculture, Pune

Conference Venue

Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA)

Rajbhavan Complex, Baner Road
Armament Colony, Ganeshkhind
Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra – 411007


Contact Details
The Director
ICAR – NRC on Pomegranate, Solapur
Mobile: 9922100401 / 70667976174

Society for Advancement of Research on Pomegranate
Solapur
📱 Mobile: 9108206800, 742093017

Conference Organizing Committee Contact Number
📱 Mobile: 8308428983,9423295619

Technical Support – EventUP Team
support@eventup.in


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