Proceedings of XVI National Conference of Agricultural Research Statisticians

Abstract

It is a matter of great pleasure for me in presenting the Discussion Papers & Proceedings of the XVI National Conference of Agricultural Research Statisticians of the I.C.A.R. Institutes, Project Directorates, Agricultural Universities and Central/State Departments of Agriculture/Animal Husbandry/Fisheries held at Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhi. The theme of the Conference was ‘National Priorities in Agricultural Statistics and Informatics'. Besides Inaugural Session and Plenary Session, the discussion in the Conference was held in four different sessions. The deliberations in the Conference, inter alia, have helped in identifying priority areas of research requiring concerted efforts on the part of the Scientists. I hope the proceedings will be well received by the scientific fraternity and help in the formulation of the appropriate research studies in different component areas of Agricultural Statistics and Computer Application in the near future. I am grateful to Dr. S. Ayyappan, Director General, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Government of India for providing necessary facilities. I am very much grateful to Professor C.D. Mayee, Chairman, Agricultural Scientists' Recruitment Board who had kindly consented and spared his precious time to inaugurate this Conference. I am thankful to Dr. M.M. Pandey, Deputy Director General (Engg.), ICAR for providing encouragement and support for organizing the conference. I am thankful to Professor TCA Anant, Chief Statistician of India for accepting invitation to be the Chief Guest at the plenary session and for his valuable guidance, advice and support in finalising the recommendations of the conference. I am also thankful to the Sessional Chairpersons, Conveners, and the discussant openers who have taken pains to conduct the technical sessions and various organizations, who have deputed their Staff and also to the delegates who have made it convenient to attend the conference and took active participation in deliberations of the conference. I am also thankful to the Dr. V.K. Gupta, ICAR National Professor who had spared his precious time for participating in Inaugural Session, Open House and Plenary Session and in coordinating the work of the Conference. I would like to express my appreciation of the hard work put in by Dr. Rajender Parsad, Head, Division of Design of Experiments and Incharge, Research Co-ordination and Management Unit/PME Cell, in coordinating the work of the Conference as Organizing Secretary. Thanks are also due to the staff members of the Research Co-ordination and Management Unit/ PME Cell and other officers of the Institute for their painstaking efforts for organizing the Conference.