Oscar Fernandes to inaugurate Krishi Mela on Oct 23

Bramhavar, Karnataka, Oct 17 (UNI) Union Minister for Labour Oscar Fernandes will inaugurate Krishi Mela organised to mark the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ARS) here on October 23.

The ARS has undertaken research activities of paddy varieties and identification of location specific problems of the farmers and to orient research with a multidisciplinary approach.

Briefing newsmen here today Mr S D Sampath Samrajya, Chairman of the Silver Jubilee celebration committee and member of Board of Regent, University of Agriculture Sciences (UAS), Bangalore said that the station had till date released 12 high yielding rice varieties and recently released MO-4 variety of rice was being cultivated in more than 80 per cent of rice growing areas in the district. Recently, Kaje Jaya rice variety had been found promising and undergoing testing in the field, he added.

He said that three high yielding groundnut varieties (TMV-2, Dh-3-30 and Dh-40), one each of sesamum (T-7), cowpea (TVX-944-2E) and Sugarcane varieties have been recommenced for cultivation by the station. Among the fruit crop, Ratna variety of Mango, cricket ball variety Sapota and Coorg honey dew and CO-3 varieties of Papaya were found promising for the zone, he added.

He said that other areas of research undertaken by the station included crop production, soil management, organic farming, pest and disease management besides others aimed at getting higher yield through maintaining soil fertility and productivity. Besides, supply of quality/graft seedlings to the farmers, it was also engaged in farmers- scientist participatory seed production programmes, he added.

UNI