Students of the Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture & Forestry, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), brought laurels to the university by winning prestigious awards at the 4th Indian Horticulture Summit-cum-International Conference, 2026. The conference, themed “Harnessing Indigenous and Underutilized Horticultural Crops for Sustainable Development, Health and Economic Resilience,” was held at Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University (RLBCAU), Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, from January 28 to 30.
The three-day international event witnessed the participation of leading scientists, researchers, industry experts and students from across India and abroad, focusing on recent advances, emerging challenges and sustainable innovations in horticultural science.
PAU students showcased exceptional academic and research excellence by securing awards in both oral and poster presentation categories. In the oral presentation category, Ms Balreet Kaur, M.Sc. (Horticulture – Fruit Science), won the Best Oral Presentation Award for her research titled “Litchi under stress: understanding and managing nature’s impact on growth and fruit quality.” She was also appreciated for her effective role as Rapporteur during Technical Session VIII on Disease and Pest Management of Horticultural Crops.
In the poster presentation category, Ms Anshita Salaria, a postgraduate student of the department, received the Best Poster Award for her work on “Towards Next-Generation Strawberry Production: Enhancing yield and quality attributes.”
These achievements underline the Department of Fruit Science’s strong emphasis on quality research, innovation and sustainable fruit crop production. The department continues to play a key role in developing high-yielding, nutrition-oriented and sustainable solutions for the horticulture sector.
Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Dr A.S. Dhatt, Director of Research; Dr Manav Indra Singh Gill, Dean, Postgraduate Studies; Dr Rishi Indra Singh Gill, Dean, College of Horticulture & Forestry; and Dr H.S. Rattanpal, Head, Department of Fruit Science, congratulated the students and faculty for their outstanding achievements and dedication to scientific excellence.