Workshop Held at GAKRU to Evaluate Effectiveness of Rapid Wheat Blast Detection Kit

A training workshop titled “Evaluation of the effectiveness of the rapid wheat blast detection kit” was held today, 6 November (Thursday), at the university’s Old Auditorium, starting at 9:30 a.m., to assess the practical application of the developed kit for the quick detection of the devastating wheat disease, wheat blast.

The workshop was organized by the Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (IBGE) of Gazipur Agricultural University (GAKRU) under the supervision of the chief investigator of the "Disease Early Warning System (DEWAS)-Wheat Blast Diagnostic" project, Professor Dr. Md. Tofazzal Islam.

The workshop highlighted that the main features of this kit include its ability to detect the wheat blast fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum (MoT) very quickly, easily, cost-effectively, and accurately. Using the immuno strip method, the pathogen can be detected in just 30 minutes. The cost per sample test is only 300-400 Taka.

The inaugural session of the day-long, three-part workshop was attended by the chief guest, Vice-Chancellor of Gazipur Agricultural University, Professor Dr. GKM Mostafizur Rahman.
Chaired by IBGE Director Professor Dr. Shah Mohammad Naimul Islam, the event’s special guests were Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. M. Moynul Haque and Treasurer Professor Dr. Md. Safiul Islam Afrad.

This groundbreaking workshop for global agriculture brought together BARI, BIRI, BADC, BJRI, OMC Health Care, BWMRI, ACI, Apex Biofertilizer, Lal Teer, Supreme Seed, BRAC Seed, as well as almost 70 participants from various universities, national research institutes, international organizations, and the industrial sector. Also present were deans of different faculties, Registrar Md. Abdullah Mridha, Proctor Professor Dr. Mohammad Saiful Alam, various directors, and students from the university.

At the beginning of the program, the chief investigator of the project, Professor Dr. Md. Tofazzal Islam, presented the invention and key aspects of the rapid detection kit developed for swift identification of wheat blast. During his presentation, he remarked:

“This technology is easy to use in the field at the farmer level and can be applied at airports, land ports, and plant quarantine centers for rapid detection of the disease’s spread. In the future, this technology can serve as a model for the development of diagnostic technologies for other important crop diseases.”

During the inaugural speech, the Vice-Chancellor commented:

“It is because there are world-class scientists at GAKRU that this university has been able to achieve first place in diverse international rankings.”
“With the help of this revolutionary kit, it will be possible to detect disease outbreaks rapidly and take timely preventive measures. As a result, the country’s wheat production will be protected, and food security can be ensured.”

In the workshop’s second session, Associate Professor Dr. Dipali Rani Gupta of IBGE provided hands-on training on the kit’s effectiveness, testing procedures, and field application. Afterwards, a lively open Q&A session was chaired by Professor Dr. Tofazzal Islam, during which participants discussed experiences, opinions, and research-focused questions.

The important and fruitful workshop concluded with a certificate awarding ceremony.