An Indian agriculture university has finally found the answer to highly destructive virus in tomatoes that have hit productivity in the country and abroad. The three virus-resistant varieties of tomatoes developed by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore also reduces cost of cultivation and are pesticide-free. (Courtesy-The Economic Times, 28th June) This year farmers will plant a record number of genetically improved crops. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 74% of soybean acres and 32% of corn acres will consist of genetically improved plants, up from last year’s rates of 68% and 26%, respectively. Biotechnology is actually good for the environment. By increasing crop yield, it allows the same amount of land to produce more food. This is good economics for farmers and consumers-but it also aids soil conservation. In developing countries, it decreases the pressure people face to turn rainforests into farmland. Genetically improved food is also good for the people who eat it. The science is still young, but we’ve already discovered ways to make food more nutritious. There is even a new variety of rice that fights vitamin A deficiency, which is a leading cause of blindness around the world. (Source-Biotechnology Global Update) Cotton based intercropping system is more prevalent under irrigated and rainfed situations of India. An attempt was initiated to study weed management in cotton based intercropping system at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Killikulam during 1999 - 2000. Cropping systems viz., Cotton + Onion, (local), Cotton + Vegetable Lablab (CO12) and Cotton + Cowpea (CO2) were compared with sole cotton (MCU5). Weed management practices of metolachlor 0.75 kg ha{+-}{+1}, metolachlor 1.00 kg ha{+-}{+1} and fluchloralin 1.00 kg ha{+-}{+1} were applied as pre-emergence and the herbicides were combined with one hand weeding on 45 DAS and compared with hand weeding. Cotton + vegetable cowpea (CO2), intercropping system effectively checked the growth of weed population, weed drymatter production and removal of nutrients (N, P and K) by weeds than cotton + onion, cotton + lablab and sole cotton. Application of metolachlor 1.00 kg ha as pre-emergence herbicide combined with on-hand weeding on 45 DAS effectively controlled the weeds and favourably influenced the growth attributes and yield attributes of cotton. The yield also increased with the above weed control method. Raising cotton as sole crop with metolachlor 1.00 kg ha{+-}{+1} + one hand weeding on 45 DAS through produced an increased Kapas yield of 1585 kg ha{+-}{+1} cotton + vegetable cowpea raised as 2:1 ratio under paired row system. Bt cotton seeds will be sown in the forthcoming season. This might help increase production from 160 lakh bales to 200 lakh bales. The long awaited decision of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) clearing the release of Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) for commercial use from the beginning of the current month on certain conditions is expected to be a boon for farmers as well as textile mills. There is progressive increase in the actual area of transgenic cotton in the world. Better yield and reduced number of sprays are known to characterize Bt cotton trials in India. Reduction in insecticide use to the extent of 80% in China and 60% in USA has been reported. At present India plants nearly 8.5 to nine million hectares of land under cotton and produces nearly 155-160 lakh bales. The country is the third largest producer of cotton in the world after China and the US, even when in terms of area it is at the top. The supply of Bt cotton seeds for the forthcoming sowing season is expected to be limited to 1.1 lakh packets, hardly enough for around 48,000 hectares or half a percent of the total area under cotton cultivation in the country. Every field where Bt cotton is planted will have to be fully surrounded by a belt of land called refuge in which the same non-Bt cotton variety will be sown. The earlier white revolution ushered by hybrid cotton enabled the country to increase production from 100-110 lakh bales to 160 lakh bales, now it is hoped that the Bt cotton will take it further to 200 lakh bales soon. Fastest growing alternative to teak Mangium survives various terrains and soil conditions, including degraded areas such as bushes, grasslands, open areas and even compact ground. MANGIUM (Acacia mangium) is one amongst the three fastest growing useful hardwood trees. This native of Australia is also known as Brown Sal, is a major re-forestation tree in Malaysia with more than 80 per cent of new plantation. A hardy tree, Mangium survives various terrains and soil conditions, including degraded areas such as bushes, grasslands, open areas and even compact grounds. Saplings raised with seeds, naturally crossbred and hybridised, produces disease resistant quality timber trees. The tree is usually planted for windbreakers, erosion control, in agro forestry and for pollution control. Planting is done during monsoon the pit size should be 50 x 50 x 50 cms filled with red soil, river sand, FYM, at the ratio of 1:2:1. Plants planted at 1.5m between plants and 2.5m between rows at 2650 plants/Ha with 10 per cent on mortality, 30 per cent thinning in 2nd year, 20 per cent thinning in 5th year, 25 per cent in 1st harvest in the 10th year 20 cuft round logs/ trees at Rs. 150/cuft and 15 per cent in the final harvest in the 15th year 30 cuft round logs/ tree at Rs. 200/cuft. The two most common diseases which affect the tree are root rot and heart rots. They are effectively controlled with the usage of 1 per cent bordeaux mixture, Rhizobium, Phosphobacteria and VAM. Caterpillars and grasshoppers occasionally cause problems. They can be controlled by usual methods. Regular pruning of branches makes it grow straight. It can be grown with other shade resistant medicinal plants (Gymnema Sylvestre) black pepper, for interim returns. (Courtesy- The Hindu) Orrisa coconut crop ruined by pest attack Hundreds of coconut farmers in Orissa face ruin with a new mite destroying a major portion of their crop, especially in the coastal districts of the state. The eriophyed mite, a microscopic organism, has attacked nearly 200,000 coconut plants over the past three months. This organism makes holes in tender coconuts and destroys them, cracking open the fruits. A farmer says that this summer we noticed the colour of the nut change from green to yellow after flowering. It then stopped growing and withered away. It had lost nearly 70% of plants due to the disease. If not checked immediately, the disease might completely break the backbone of coconut farmers in the state. These farmers had lost most of their coconut trees in the ’99 super cyclone. The Indian Tobacco Association (ITA) has described as draconian the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of Smoking and Health Promotion Act’ which was passed on March 27. ITA has said it welcomed the Supreme Court decision to protect the interests of non-smokers but that the AP legislation had added provisions detrimental to the interests of the industry in general and state’s one lakh tobacco growers and the five lakh farm workers in particular. The AP Act’s ban on the advertising of smoking substances in any place, ITA had observed that this would see a consumer-shift from high-priced and high-quality products to low-priced and low-quality products, thereby affecting purchases of high-quality tobacco from growers. The State Bank of India(SBI), Mumbai circle, launched Project Uptech Grapes, covering three districts of western Maharashtra. The three districts of Nashik, Sangli and Solapur account for 1,800 hectare of land under grape cultivation out of the state’s total 35,000 ha. Nashik district alone accounting for 50% of the state’s total. Under Project Uptech Grapes, 25 representative farmers form each district will be selected for the SBI’s impact study. These farmers will get the benefit of technological and other support from SBI which has also roped in the National Research Centre for Grapes(NRC), located at Manjari. Chief general manager SBI, Mumbai told that the financial package of Project Uptech involves giving farmers interest-free loans for up to Rs 1 lakh for a 36 month period and term loans of longer tenure(between 4-10 years) at the bank’s prime lending rate(PLR), currently at 12%. Usually, it lends at 2-2.5% above PLR. He added that the focus is to improve quality of the produce, change agri practices, introduce other varieties of grapes and diversify the export markets. The Project will have a four-year life, which will involve a 30% increase in yield, a 25% increase in shelf life and ensure that 1,000 acres of grapes are grown under organic farming and five new downstream projects come up. Poultries told to take a cue from Karnataka milk co-operatives Mr. Sengupta, secretary of Karnataka’s animal husbandry and fisheries department said that there was an urgent need to increase the poultry co-operatives in the state. Currently, the state poultry federation has only 57 co-operatives as members. This was also endorsed by Nabard. With India being a signatory to the WTO, there is a need to become competitive even in the poultry sector. The “high meat” Giriraja poultry variety has proved to be popular in the tribal pockets of the state. The rural sector is not in a position to invest large sums of money. An effort must be made to reduce the input cost and ensure that the return is high which is possible bby mass-breeding the Giriraja variety. Giriraja is an ideal variety of breeding not merely in the state but also India and other parts of south Asia. It is estimated that a full-grown 280-day Giriraja weighs about 3-3.5 kg compared to 1.3-1.5 kg for the usual variety. The Giriraja variety was developed at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. Duck rearing Backyard duck rearing with it’s low input high disease resistance and feed efficiency provides ample scope. Water tanks or ponds are of at all a must under this system. Under this system 5-10 ducks can be reared. It can be fed with agriculture/kitchen wastes. Khaki cambel and crossbred ducks are best suited. They start laying at an age of 20 weeks. On an average they lay more than 250 eggs annually. Vigova super-M duck is a dual purpose breed best suited for meat. Vigova duck will attain a body weight of about 3 kg at an age of 8 weeks. These ducks are available at Govt. duck farm, Niranam, Pathananmthitta (Dt.) of Kerala. |
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