The ICAR–Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) is organising the 20th Symposium of the International Society for Tropical Root Crops (ISTRC) in collaboration with the Indian Society for Root Crops (ISRC). The event, titled “International Symposium on Tropical Root & Tuber Crops for Nutrition, Agrifood Systems, Resilience, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability (ISTRTC 4 NARES)”, marks the 20th edition of the series that began in 1967 at St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. India is hosting the symposium for the second time, having previously hosted the 14th edition in 2006.
The programme was inaugurated on 17 November 2025 at O by Tamara, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, by Dr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Deputy Director General (Horticultural Sciences), ICAR, New Delhi. In his address, he highlighted the critical role of tropical root and tuber crops in addressing the global agrarian crisis and climate change, emphasizing their significance in ensuring food and nutritional security and supporting entrepreneurship development. He noted that root crops and banana remain integral to backyard farming systems in tropical regions and underscored the need to promote diversified food systems over monocropping, with a focus on zero waste and full utilization of plant parts.
In his presidential address, Prof. Lateef O. Sanni (President, ISTRC & Executive Director, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, Nigeria) outlined the vision of ISTRC and emphasized the importance of tuber crops and banana as staple foods in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. G. Byju, President, ISRC & Director, ICAR-CTCRI, delivered the welcome address and stressed the shared international commitment to improving food security through enhanced production and value chain development of tropical tuber crops.
Guest of Honour Dr. R. Selvarajan (Director, ICAR–National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu); Dr. Hugo Campos (Deputy Director General – Science & Innovation, International Potato Centre, Peru); Prof. Michael Abberton (Director, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, West Africa Hub); Prof. Andrew Westby OBE (Deputy Vice Chancellor – Research and Knowledge Exchange, University of Greenwich, UK); and Dr. Jan W. Low (World Food Laureate & Managing Director, JWLOW Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya) addressed the gathering. They shared research insights and field experiences and called for stronger strategic partnerships among global stakeholders. Dr. T. Makeshkumar, Secretary, ISRC, delivered the vote of thanks.
During the inaugural session, Dr. A. N. Jyothi, Principal Scientist and SIC, Crop Utilization, ICAR-CTCRI, received the ISRC Fellow 2025 Award. Smt. Jinimol and Dr. M. Nedunchezhiyan received the Dr. A. Abraham Award for the best papers published in the Journal of Root Crops. A special issue of Kerala Karshakan (E-Journal) focusing on tropical tuber crops was also released.
The symposium is bringing together eminent scientists, policymakers, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, students, farmers, and other stakeholders from across the globe, with more than 90 international delegates from over 25 countries across six continents and over 200 delegates from India. The five-day programme features seven keynote lectures, 35 lead talks, 96 oral presentations, and 149 poster presentations. In addition, a stakeholders' interface meeting and an institutional visit to ICAR-CTCRI will be organised on 20 November 2025.
