Latest news with #IndianAgricultureResearchInstitute
Time of India
29-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Kesar meets its match in pusa arunima
Rajkot: Mango lovers could soon be able to get their fill of the fruit well beyond the traditional April-June window. Farmers in the state's renowned kesar mango belt are successfully cultivating pusa arunima, a hybrid variety that will lengthen the time that mangoes are available. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The cultivar, a cross between north India's Amrapali and the US's sensation, bears fruit in the first week of Aug or even late July in the Gir region. This timing is significant as climate change and unseasonal rain have been shrinking the traditional mango season and affecting yields. Developed two decades ago by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), pusa arunima is gaining traction among farmers in Talala, the heart of kesar mango production. The variety shares many characteristics with the prized kesar variety while addressing some of its key limitations. The hybrid offers advantages in terms of climate resilience, and delivers an average yield of 16 tonnes a hectare compared to kesar's 10 tonnes, while also demonstrating superior pest and disease resistance. Its climate resilience is a crucial factor as traditional mango cultivation faces increasing weather-related disruptions. In terms of quality, pusa arunima maintains competitive standards with kesar. Both varieties are fibreless and rich in vitamin C, containing 43-48mg per 100g. The new variety has a total soluble solids content of 19.5 degrees brix (°Bx), placing it within the sweetness range of kesar mango, which measures between 18-22°Bx. The pusa arunima features a distinctive red peel with light-yellow flesh inside and offers a shelf life of 10-12 days at room temperature after ripening. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Suitable for high-density plantation and container growing, pusa arunima can also be cultivated in pots for home and terrace gardening, bringing its cultivation to urban spaces. Despite these promising characteristics, farmers are yet to fully accept the variety. D K Varu, principal and dean of the College of Horticulture at Junagadh Agricultural University, said, "In our region, no variety matches kesar's taste among mango lovers, which is very unique. The colour of its pulp and aroma is unparalleled. Some farmers have taken to experimentation with other varieties, which are slowly gaining acceptance. " "This year, the kesar crop was badly affected by climate change, but pusa arunima was quite resilient," said Sumeet Jariya, a farmer in Sasan who has been experimenting with 50 pusa arunima trees for five years. His trees recently began producing fruit, validating the variety's potential in local conditions. Earlier, farmers had succeeded in marketing Sonpari, another hybrid variety, and believe pusa arunima could similarly find market acceptance if consumer taste preferences can be developed.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Building sustainable startups crucial: Expert
Dharwad: Building sustainable agri startups and farmer producing organisations (FPOs) strengthen farmers' group to handle input purchase and market challenges, said Professor Cherukumalli Srinivas Rao, director and vice-chancellor of Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), New remarkable success in agriculture production and farm mechanisation, the required growth rate at country level in the production of agricultural commodities is challenged by weather vagaries, groundwater depletion, soil health deterioration, loss of soil carbon and biodiversity, Rao said while addressing the 38th annual convocation of University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad on said sustainable rainwater management is crucial for food production stability, and rapid expansion of farm mechanisation is needed in view of labour said education in agriculture goes beyond classrooms. "It is deeply rooted in the lives of farmers, their aspirations and their challenges. The students and faculty should engage with farming communities, learn from their experiences and work collaboratively to uplift rural livelihoods," Prof Rao the National Education Policy-2020, Prof Rao said skill development and industry orientation are key components of NEP-2020. Emphasis on internships and research experiences enhances employability and practical knowledge, he praise on UAS Dharwad over its achievements in several fields, Prof Rao specially acknowledged the varsity's feat in receiving two patents-one for 'Buckwheat Upma Mix' and another for the 'Twin Ring Borewell Recharge Technique'.Karnataka governor and chancellor of University Thawar Chand Gehlot presented gold medals, degrees and cash prizes to the graduating and agriculture minister N Chaluvarayaswamy was present. UAS vice-chancellor Prof PL Patil welcomed the gathering and briefed about the university's achievements in various fields. As many as 863 candidates, including 41 Doctoral, 197 Masters and 625 Bachelor's Degree were conferred on the occasion.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
30-04-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
Shedding old habits: Rethinking agricultural practices in India
India's ambitious goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2070 faces a significant challenge from its agriculture sector, a major GHG emitter. This issue traces back to the Green Revolution which was once a breakthrough in food production but has now become counter-productive. As per a 2014 study by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI), India's Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) have the highest global warming potential, mainly due to extensive rice cultivation. The scenario remains largely unchanged today. This can be attributed to the fact that rice, a staple crop of the country, is conventionally produced in water-flooded fields and uses large quantity of nitrogenous fertilisers, resulting in significant methane emissions. Nonetheless, Indian agriculture holds the potential to become a green solution and this calls for its transformation. The advent of the Green Revolution led to the adoption of an intensive rice-wheat cropping pattern. The favourable agro-climatic conditions, availability of natural resources, government support in the form of input subsidies for power, irrigation, and fertilisers, and assured procurement of paddy at a pre-determined price facilitated the farmers in doing so. As a result, especially the states of Punjab and Haryana in the IGP, experienced a significant increase in agricultural productivity and growth. Before the Green Revolution, the agricultural productivity of paddy in Punjab was approximately 1.51 tonne per hectare (ha) which increased by 150 per cent to 3.83 tonne/ha by 2010-11. Likewise, the agricultural productivity of paddy in Haryana was around 1.16 tonne/ha, and increased to 2.79 tonne/ha in 2010-11, indicating an increase of 140 per cent during the four decades after the Green Revolution. Over time, the side-effects of the Gree Revolution started showing up in the quality of the environment. Paddy production requires an average of 18 irrigations over a span of 135 days and is, thus, a water-guzzling crop. Its intensive cultivation has fatigued the natural resource base. Moreover, the large volume of rice production translates to a large volume of rice residue which is predominantly burnt due to limited sustainable alternative uses. The over-exploited groundwater levels, increased soil salinity, and inadequate investments in agricultural technology result in dwindling paddy yields. To ensure consistent yields and food security despite deteriorating soil quality, many paddy farmers over-apply highly subsidised fertilisers in an unscientific manner. This results in environmental degradation, including poor soil health and methane emissions instead of improving yields. The significant allocation of fertiliser subsidies for paddy production encourages indiscriminate paddy cultivation, leading to over-fertilisation. This further underscores the fiscal burden of input subsidies. Therefore, India must devise a strategy to ensure food and nutritional security without aggravating climate change or compromising crop yields. Effectively, the farmers should no longer be incentivised to produce paddy. This necessitates a paradigm shift in agricultural cropping patterns in the country, and the promotion of crop diversification can enable it. Specifically, the traditional paddy-producing states of India can diversify their cropping pattern and reduce their over-production of paddy. Alternatively, they can grow crops that are close substitutes for paddy but less resource-intensive, such as millets as they require only 5-6 irrigations in a span of 100 days. India is at the forefront of promoting millets globally. To showcase its commitment towards the same, it served millet-based dishes during the G20 meeting it hosted in 2023. Moreover, at India's behest, the United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. These initiatives not only highlight India's rich cultural history of millets but also its position as the world's leading producer of varieties like bajra, jowar, and ragi. Millet-based meals are still utilised in religious ceremonies and festivities such as Makar Sankranti, in the states of Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Nagaland. Traditionally, millets were popular in India, but the Green Revolution coupled with the country's economic growth, development, and urbanisation shifted the focus away from millet to finer calorie-rich cereals such as rice, wheat, maize, and other commercial crops like oilseeds and pulses. However, these factors also led to a notable surge in the prevalence of health issues such as diabetes, making India one of the global epicentres of the disease. As millets have a low glycaemic index and high fibre content, they are more nutritionally dense than rice. Thus, re-introducing them in modern diets can cost-effectively resolve the grave issues of malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in the population, besides offering other health benefits. Lately, the government of India has been propagating the production and consumption of millets, shedding light on its untapped uses for food, feed, fodder, biofuels, and brewing. For instance, in 2018, the government notified millets as 'Nutri-Cereals'. Subsequently, 2018 was celebrated as the National Year of Millets in India. Millets are also included in the Poshan Mission Abhiyan by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and promoted as part of the National Food Security Mission. Moreover, the country implements the National Mission for Millet with states such as Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh having their own Millet Missions. Consequently, while India witnessed a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of millet production at 410 per cent, the aforementioned states witnessed a CAGR ranging from 61 per cent to 320 per cent between 2018-19 and 2022-23. Technical interventions such as precision agriculture and the development of drought-resistant millet varieties can support these initiatives. Additionally, food processing technologies for millet and agri-tech startups can create efficient supply chains, improving their market access and prices. As of now, 25 seed hubs and more than 500 start-ups and 350 food processing organisations have been established in the millet ecosystem of India. Scaling these initiatives across all states can ultimately drive the long-term viability of millet farming. The transition from paddy to millet production could also play a significant role in doubling farmers' income and combatting climate change. Besides, it could resolve the issue of plunging natural resources and paddy yields and mounting government subsidies for agricultural inputs. States such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka which are the top millet producers can spearhead millet production to meet its increasing demand. State-led initiatives like, the Odisha Millet Mission (2017) and the Madhya Pradesh Millet Mission (2023-25) along with national millet policies can pivot states towards millet production and consumption. Meanwhile, states such as Telangana, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Bihar—which already contribute 40 per cent of the country's total paddy production and have safe groundwater levels as of 2022-23 – should focus on paddy production to meet total national demand. Subsequently, Punjab and Haryana which predominantly produce paddy could be encouraged to shed their old habits and shift their focus towards millets. As of 2022-23, their area under paddy production was almost nine times larger than their area under millets. Their production of paddy was also higher by at least 1.5 times, compared to their production of millet. Punjab and Haryana are also among the top contributors to paddy procurement for the central pool. Hence, the suggested change in agricultural cropping patterns could promote environmental sustainability, agricultural viability, and farmers' income security. It would also help reduce the government's huge fertiliser subsidy bill while meeting the consumers' food and nutritional needs. To effectively roll out these ideas and shrink India's carbon footprint, there is a need to design a holistic incentive mechanism for farmers to move away from paddy to millets. This can be done either by repurposing current government expenditure on paddy production and procurement or by creating new incentives for millet production.
