The Department of Botany of College organized an educational visit to the Government Mushroom Spawn Laboratory, Food Preservation Laboratory, and Flower Nursery at Baradari Gardens, Patiala on 18 February, 2026. The visit was planned to connect the gap between theoretical knowledge in the classroom and practical skill-oriented practices in a real-world context.
The Principal, Dr. Neeraj Goyal appreciated the efforts of the Department of Botany in organizing such an informative visit and encouraged the staff to carry out more such educational and skill-oriented activities in the future for the overall development of students.
The programme was further strengthened by the support of Dr. Kuldeep Kumar, Dean of Life Sciences and Coordinator of the DBT-STAR College Scheme, whose academic guidance and inspiring leadership significantly enriched the culture of practical learning.
Dr. Santosh Bala, Head, Department of Botany, led the tour and provided invaluable guidance to the students. Dr. Akshita Dhaliwal, Assistant Professor, Department of Botany played a pivotal role in the educational tour’s success. She ensured smooth execution with her meticulous planning and organizational prowess. Their students actively participated in the demonstrations and interacted with laboratory officials to clarify their queries. The lab attendant Mr. Ranbir Singh also accompanied the visit.
Dr. Sandeep Singh Grewal, Deputy Director Horticulture and Dr. Harinderpal Singh, Assistant Director Horticulture played a significant role in fostering the exploratory spirit and scientific temperament among the students. With his approachable nature, Dr. Harinderpal created a comfortable atmosphere for students to learn and explore. During the visit, Dr. Navneet at Mushroom Spawn Laboratory demonstrated various stages of mushroom cultivation, including compost preparation, spawning techniques, temperature and humidity control, harvesting methods, and post-harvest processing. Students also gained valuable insights into the nutritional value, medicinal benefits, and commercial potential of mushroom farming. They also learned about food preservation techniques and nursery management practices. Students actively interacted with the staff, clarified their queries, and enhanced their understanding of the commercial and nutritional importance of mushrooms.
List of participants
