ICAR to soon produce new maize varieties

Guwahati, Sep 16: The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), North East Hill Region (NEH) will soon produce four new varieties of maize and two of brinjal, ICAR Director K M Bujarbarua said.

Talking to UNI at a function, Dr Bujarbarua said the scientists have completed their research works and were planning to release the varieties soon.

'' We have given trial production of these varieties in the ICAR farm and the results are satisfactory. We are certain that these varieties will produce more,'' he said.

The director said the scientists working at ICAR are generally more concerned to develop suitable varieties for the hilly region.

So far a number of rice and tomato varieties released by ICAR (NEH) has helped the hilly areas of the region, Dr Bujarbarua said.

At present it is engaged in 206 institutionally funded projects and 25 externally funded projects. Besides, ICAR had bagged three internationally funded projects after completing three such projects earlier, he said.

The projects included screening and development of crop varieties, development of intensive integrated farming system models, bio-tech research for both crops and animals in the genetic research division, development of farm implements, use of plastic in agriculture and macro water-based farming.

About 130 scientists have been working with 230 projects, undertaken by the institute, since last few years.

''Some projects take a longer time. For example, the new crop varieties we are now planning to release had to be cultivated in our farm and tested to ensure that they would help the farmers and would not harm people when consumed. All these take quite some time,'' Dr Bujarbarua said.

He said since 1975, the ICAR here had contributed the NE region with 12 rice varieties for different altitude conditions, three tomato varieties and one of turmeric and yellow mustard.

Besides, the ICAR had also developed a pig variety, indigenous ornamental fish breeding and a farming system and a technology for organic agriculture, he added.

UNI