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Hans India
30-07-2025
- Science
- Hans India
Bagalkot plot, a testing ground for world's first heat-tolerant pigeonpea
Bengaluru: When Hanamanth Mirji, a farmer from Bantanur village in Karnataka's Bagalkot, agreed to cultivate ICPV 25444, the world's first heat-tolerant pigeonpea, purpose-bred for summer cultivation by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in a small patch of land he owns, he went in with blind faith. About four months later, he waxes eloquent on the advantages of the yet-to-be-marketed cultivar. For him, the foremost advantage of this variety is that it enables machine harvesting. "Normally, harvesting pigeonpea takes a lot of labour and time. The stems of this variety are thinner, and the crop matures evenly, both of which make it easier to cut mechanically. Now, I'll be able to bring in the crop faster and at a lower cost," said Mirji. This is a huge help for a small-time farmer like him, he added. "I have more time to focus on other work and I am less dependent on hired help," he said. Mirji believes that this variety could really change the game for farmers cultivating pigeonpea. "As a legume, pigeonpea also enriches soil health. So, for smallholder farmers, especially in rainfed and resource-constrained areas, this cultivar offer a reliable, efficient option that makes the most of limited irrigation and improves land-use efficiency," said Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT. For decades, pigeonpea has been synonymous with the monsoon season. The idea of growing it during the hottest months of the year was, until recently, considered impractical, according to ICRISAT scientists. But with this breakthrough it is also possible now for farmers to make fuller use of fallow lands. "ICPV 25444's ability to withstand extreme temperatures of up to 45°C, mature within 120-125 days, and grow outside traditional seasons -- thanks to its photo- and thermo-insensitivity-- makes it ideally suited for today's unpredictable climate," Pathak told PTI. The experiment also demonstrated the power of institutional partnerships. ICRISAT is collaborating with the Karnataka State Seed Corporation (KSSC) and Department of Agriculture for its experiment in Bantanur village. According to ICRISAT, Vijendra Sangam, Director (R&D) of KSSC, played a key role by identifying Mirji for the trial as well as mobilising other participants. Senior leaders from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (UASD), including P L Patil, Vice Chancellor, and B D Biradar, Director of Research, also actively engaged with the stakeholders, said a press note issued by ICRISAT. Pathak said these kinds of interventions are essential as India continues to face a shortfall in pigeonpea production, despite sustained efforts. "The target of 5 million tonne annually remains unmet. Climate change has made conventional solutions inadequate," he said. With India currently importing a sizable quantity of pulses to meet domestic demand, ICPV 25444 also holds great promise in advancing the country's goal of self-sufficiency in pulses, said the ICRISAT Director General. "This is not just an advancement in plant breeding, it's a step toward climate-smart agriculture that serves both people and the planet," added Pathak.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Pre-monsoon rains kindle hopes of good crop yield in Mandya
Good pre-monsoon rains followed by timely onset of south west monsoon has kindled hopes of a good harvest and crop yield among farmers in Mandya. In view of the favourable weather conditions, the Agriculture Department has set a target of bringing 1,66,590 hectares under cultivation during the monsoon season. Deputy Commissioner Kumar said the area under cultivation in the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons will be 1,92,103 hectares. He presented an overview of the agricultural situation to the district in charge Minister N. Cheluvaraysaswamy at a review meeting here on Friday. It was pointed out that during the summer season, crops were cultivated over a total area of 13,463 hectares of which 11,208 hectares was brought under paddy, while 1,820 hectares was brought under millet. The harvesting of the summer crops is under process at present, Dr. Kumar said. In the pre-monsoon season, pulses were cultivated on 15,906 hectares and sesame (ellu) on 4,476 hectares which totalled 20,382 hectares of crop area. In addition, sugarcane cultivation has been taken up, and its area of cultivation is 36,435 hectares. The lifeline of Mandya district is Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir and due to heavy rains in the catchment area of the river Cauvery, the dam is expected to reach its full level of 124.80 ft. early this year. The water level as on June 6 was 107.68 ft., said the authorities. Coupled with comfortable storage position in the reservoir, the district has been blessed with copious rains so far. Against a normal rainfall of 176.7 mm for the period April 1 to June 6, the district has received 247.7 mm. The normal rainfall for April is 46.6 mm against which the district received 82.2 mm and in May, it received 161.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 99.9 mm. The demand for seeds of various crops estimated during the current season is 11,256 quintals, while for paddy it was 8,522 quintals. But the stock available at various warehouses of Karnataka State Seed Corporation (KSSC), National Seed Corporation (NSC), VC Farm etc., was 18,138 quintals. Based on taluk-wise demands, 6,544 quintals of paddy seeds and 2,053 quintals of ragi or millet seed have been ordered from KSSC, while 2,298 quintals of paddy seeds will be procured from NSC. There are 31 Raitha Samparka Kendras in the district apart from 16 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and 80 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies through which the seeds will be distributed, the authorities added. The district administration has also ruled out shortage of fertilisers and has pegged the demand at 73,065 metric tons. This includes 32,543 MT for the period April to June. The farmers have also been urged to enrol for crop insurance under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and efforts will be made to increase crop insurance coverage in the district, said Joint Director of Agriculture and others were present.
Kuwait Times
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Kuwait wins two gold, one bronze at Asian Shooting Championship
Kuwait wins two gold, one bronze at Asian Shooting Championship KUWAIT: The Kuwait Shooting Sports Club (KSSC) announced on Thursday that the Kuwaiti team participating in the Asian Shooting Championship won three medals, two gold and one bronze, in Linfen, China. Head of the Kuwaiti delegation Daij Al-Otaibi stated said that shooter Mansour Al-Rashidi won first place and the gold medal in the individual skeet shooting competition, while shooter Abdulaziz Al-Saad won third place and the bronze in the same event. He added that the Kuwaiti team, consisting of shooters Mansour Al-Rashidi, Abdulaziz Al-Saad, and Abdulaziz Al-Faihan won the gold medal in the team skeet competition, ahead of the Chinese team, which took silver, and the Qatari team, who took the bronze. Al-Otaibi praised the remarkable performance of the Kuwaiti team, expressing his hope of winning more medals in upcoming championships for Kuwaiti shooting sports. - KUNA
