City Agriculture College gets new mustard research centre
Agriculture research in the state especially Vidarbha received a major boost with Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)
sanctioning the rapeseed-mustard research centre, the only one of its kind in the entire state, to be set up at the College of Agriculture run by the Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) Akola.
Though the staff and research scientists will be from the college, their salaries, research grants, equipment and all other infrastructure will be provided by ICAR. The centre is a part of nation-wide All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Rapeseed-Mustard and 20th such centre in the country. Besides PDKV, the ICAR has also sanctioned one such centre in favour of Jammu and Kashmir University.
The centre comes as a reward to the institute which has dedicated 20 years for research on crops in non traditional areas. "College is already a part of the AICRP on Linseed and Sesame under the aegis of ICAR. We have been working on rapeseed mustard for the past 12 years and have developed a variety called ACN-9, popularly called as Shatabadi. Maharashtra does not grow much of mustard but does have good potential for the crop. Besides, the state needs to diversify its cropping pattern as well. Vidarbha is totally a non traditional area for the crop," observed Prof P B Ghorpade, principal scientist and professor in charge for the centre. The centre will have four posts including one agronomist, one plant breeder and two technical assistants.
Shatabadi, with qualities of high yield, early maturity for non traditional and rain fed areas like Vidarbha, was released by PDKV in 2000. The new centre is expected to conduct farm trials and also develop new varieties for non traditional areas in Vidarbha and the state which has 15,000 hectares of area under rapeseed-mustard cultivation.
"ICAR would review the research work every year. Maharashtra needs to work on varieties which can grow well in low rainfall and high temperatures. The centre will be expected to work on these lines," he said.
Agriculture research in the state especially Vidarbha received a major boost with Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR)
sanctioning the rapeseed-mustard research centre, the only one of its kind in the entire state, to be set up at the College of Agriculture run by the Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV) Akola.
Though the staff and research scientists will be from the college, their salaries, research grants, equipment and all other infrastructure will be provided by ICAR. The centre is a part of nation-wide All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Rapeseed-Mustard and 20th such centre in the country. Besides PDKV, the ICAR has also sanctioned one such centre in favour of Jammu and Kashmir University.
The centre comes as a reward to the institute which has dedicated 20 years for research on crops in non traditional areas. "College is already a part of the AICRP on Linseed and Sesame under the aegis of ICAR. We have been working on rapeseed mustard for the past 12 years and have developed a variety called ACN-9, popularly called as Shatabadi. Maharashtra does not grow much of mustard but does have good potential for the crop. Besides, the state needs to diversify its cropping pattern as well. Vidarbha is totally a non traditional area for the crop," observed Prof P B Ghorpade, principal scientist and professor in charge for the centre. The centre will have four posts including one agronomist, one plant breeder and two technical assistants.
Shatabadi, with qualities of high yield, early maturity for non traditional and rain fed areas like Vidarbha, was released by PDKV in 2000. The new centre is expected to conduct farm trials and also develop new varieties for non traditional areas in Vidarbha and the state which has 15,000 hectares of area under rapeseed-mustard cultivation.
"ICAR would review the research work every year. Maharashtra needs to work on varieties which can grow well in low rainfall and high temperatures. The centre will be expected to work on these lines," he said.