FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Traditional wisdom
helps develop good, disease-resistant varieties
M.J. PRABU
| ‘Neither the scientists nor the Government responds
enthusiastically’ |
— Photo: Special Arrangement
Big difference: Jai
Prakash, Varanasi farmer, in his field.
TANDIYA IS 30 km from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh.
Local farmers grow wheat, barley, gram, mustard, chilly, pea,
brinjal during Rabi season and bajra, sorghum, paddy, tuwar, moth
bean, green gram and groundnut during Kharif. It is also famous for
its vegetable market.
Like several others in the village, Mr. Jai Prakash Singh also
cultivates wheat, paddy, pigeon pea, mustard, and rears some cattle
in his 5-acre farm.
Though outwardly he seems like any ordinary farmer, he is
credited with developing several high yielding varieties of wheat,
paddy, mustard and pigeon pea.
Feed backs
Encouraging feed back continue to pour in from several farmers in
Maharashtra, Bihar, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar
Pradesh, from those who use his varieties.
How did he get into developing new seeds?
“A farmer once approached my father for guidance on availability
of high yielding wheat varieties.
“At that time a government released variety was growing in our
fields, and my father advised me to purchase it as it showed good
promise.
“I did accordingly and harvested a bumper yield. This intrigued
me and I started experimenting to develop improved varieties of
various crops using the selection methods,” says Mr. Jai.
He started spending more time in the field to develop unique and
higher yielding varieties of wheat and paddy. Gradually, he became
skilled in the selection of varieties based on various morphological
characteristics and disease resistance.
Wheat varieties
Wheat varieties such as JP-33, JP-52, JP-61, JP-64, JP-81 and
JPKarishma-100 mature in 95,100 and 130 days.
“The number of tillers per plant varies from 2-4 in JP 61
(un-irrigated) to 25-30 in JP 64.
The yield per hectare varies for JP 61 and JP Karishma-100 and is
about 1.5 to 2 tonnes and 2. 5 to 3 tonnes for JP 64 and JP 81
varieties.
Experimental results received from the GB Pant University of
Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, proved that JP 33 and JP 52
yield well.
Paddy varieties such as JP 51, JP 71, JP 72, JP 80 and JP 115 are
endowed with a good a flavour, and resistance to major diseases and
pests. The maximum yield obtained from JP 72 is 2.4 to 2.5 tonnes
and JP 80 is 2.5-2.6 tonnes per acre.
Fruiting in bunches
The mustard variety JP Vishwajit is aphid, white rust and
shattering resistant. The fruits bear in bunches.
This variety can be sown with wheat, gram and peas as an inter
crop as well. It matures in 100-110 days, bears 1,000-1,200 pods per
plant, and yields 0.6 to 0.7 tonnes per acre. Pigeon pea varieties
such as perennial JP 5, JP 6 mature in 190-220 days while the annual
JP 7, JP 9 and ICPL 87 mature in 190-230 days. The yield varies from
one to 1.5 tonnes per acre in the perennial varieties to 0.5 to one
tonne in the annual ones.
The farmer also developed a variety of Bel, in which fruits bear
in bunches (8-10 fruits) and contain less number of seeds, with a
good taste too.
“Our innovations could help inform scientific research, if only
scientists take time to invest proper resources into exploring them.
But sadly, neither the scientists nor the Government respond as
enthusiastically as they should, because they are often sceptical
about the value of traditional knowledge,” says the farmer.
Peer pressure
Experts say that the main reason why grassroot innovations are
being ignored is because peer pressure often forces scientists to
focus on high-impact research with wide visibility, and even
students shy away from work that does not guarantee them a
successful career.
Sometimes there is simply a lack of encouragement, or even
authorisation, from research heads for such work.
Being fragmented and often not noticed, the pressure from local
innovators and traditional knowledge holders to influence policies
is feeble.
For more details contact Mr. Jai Prakash Singh, PO Tadiya,
Dhadhorpur, Jakhini, Araji line, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, mobile:
9451577834, phone: 0542-107010.
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