Meet on utility of spiders in agriculture

Amravati:ShriShivaji Education Society-run JD PatilSangludkarMahavidyalaya, Daryapur, is hosting the 3rd Asian Conference of Arachnology here from November 16. The four-day event will discuss utility of spiders in agriculture and human welfare.
Addressing a press conference, scientist Dr GN Wankhade said that Asian Society of Arachnology, that is researching on spiders, assigned the conference to the college and Indian Society of Arachnology.
Wankhade said the event will be the first international conference on spiders in India and will see participation of 44 scientists from 18 countries beside Indian researchers.
Asked about the utility of spiders, Wankhade said they are useful to human in medicine, defence and agriculture sectors. He said spiders help farmers in pest control and they also terminate mosquitoes. Wankhade said that spider silk is bullet proof and can be used in defence.
Admitting that study on spiders has not been to the extent it should have been in India, Wankhade said that it has picked up lately. He said that during the conference a special workshop will be held for farmers on rearing spiders on the insistence of Indian Science Congress Association.
Talking about the species and families of spiders, Wankhade said that 1,500 species of spiders are recorded in India. He said that to promote independent studies on spiders, 100 species of spiders have been provided to Bombay Natural History Society.
Wankhade said besides scientists from across the globe, Simon Hodge, Ambassador of England in India, Josef Koh, Ambassador of Singapore to Australia, Dr AK Saxena, President of Indian Science Congress Association, Dr Dipak Apate, Director, BNHS, Dr Asim Pal, Pro VC of CITE, Manoj Chakravarti, executive council member of Indian National Congress, Dr Vijayalaxmi Saxena, Dr Nibedita Chakravarti will attend.
Wankhade said the conference is a joint venture by principal Dr Sanyogita Deshmukh and convenor Dr AK Bodkhe under the guidance of Shivaji Education Society president Arun Shelke and him.