National Conference on "Fruit Breeding in Tropics and Subtropics - An Indian Perspective" National Conference on "Fruit Breeding in Tropics and Subtropics - An Indian Perspective" Fruit breeding has seen a paradigm shift from the conventional methods viz., introduction, selection, hybridization and mutation to next generation high throughput sequencing. Research in breeding of fruit crops encompassing a wide array of unique questions cannot be extrapulated based on the results of Arabidopsis. Availability of valuable germplasm is a prerequisite for crop improvement.There is an urgent need for conservation and evaluation of indigenous varieties in various fruit crops. On-form conservation & recognising the farmers who conserve native germplasm as 'custodians of genetic diversity' is a welcome trend. Fruit breeders have been attracted to use the molecular technology as a complimentary tool to the conventional breeding. Resistance breeding and dev...

A new whole pod edible dual purpose Pea variety Arka Apoorva A new whole pod edible dual purpose Pea variety Arka Apoorva Garden pea (Pisum sativum L. var. hortense) also called sweet pea is a choice vegetable grown for its shelled green seeds rich in protein (7.2 %). In India, it is grown in an area of 0.35 million ha. with the production of 2.91 million metric tonnes and productivity is 8.31 t/ha. In garden peas, though whole mature fresh pods are purchased by the consumer, the fibrous pod walls are discarded and only the shelled fresh the fresh green seeds are consumed. Thus, only 55 to 60 % being the fresh seeds are used as vegetable, while around 40 to 45% goes as waste in the form of pod walls. This problem wastage is overcome in whole pod edible peas which are grouped under var. macrocarpon. In the whole pod edible peas, entire pods are consumed since the pod walls are devoid of fibrous parchment layer. The pods of whole pod peas can be consumed at any point of time du...

Inauguration of Retail Outlet of Puthari Farmers Producer Company Limited at KVK Gonikoppal, Kodagu           The Retail outlet of Puthari Farmers Producer Company Limited was inaugurated in KVK Gonikoppal office premises on 5 th   December, 2017 by Shri M.C. Nanaiah, the Assistant General Manager of NABARD, Kodagu district. Other Guests present on the occasion were Shri Kurubur Shanthakumar, Chairman, Raith Mitra Farmer Producer Company Ltd, Mysore, Shri Mr. Bharath Kumar, MD, Econut FPCL, Hunsur and several members and Board of Directors of Puthari FPCL, Gonikoppal. The purpose of the retail outlet is to provide farmer members with quality farm and estate inputs like Dolomite, coffee picking mats, shade nets, small farm equipments like harvesters, organic inputs, chemicals and fertilisers at a very competitive rate so as to reduce the cost of cultivation for farmers with technical advice from KVK. The company has tied up with many reputed f...

Field Day on Tomato and Frenchbean by ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli, Tumakuru Language  English A field day on Tomato (ArkaSamrat) and Frenchbean (ArkaSuvidha) was organised by ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli, Tumakuru at Durgadahalli and Sethupalaya villages of Tumakuru District on 12 th  Dec 2017. Dr.T Sadashiva, Head, Division of Vegetable crops, ICAR-IIHR, Dr T S Aghora, Principal Scientist and Dr T H Singh, Principal Scientist, Division of Vegetable crops took part in the event as experts.  The Tomato – ArkaSamrat variety was grown by the farmer Shri.ChikkaNagayya in one acre plot.  He adopted poly mulching technologies and followed all the recommended practices advocated by KVK staff. The growth of the crop and bearing of fruits were superior to the condition of other private varieties grown by nearby farmers. Dr Sadashiva advised the farmers to take up seed production activities in support with ICAR-IIHR and ICAR-KVK. Later in the day, another successful front lin...

ICAR-IIHR participated in Kisan Mela organised by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur, Bihar Language  English ICAR-IIHR participated in the Kisan Mela exhibition organised by by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, during 03 to 05 Dec 2017 at their campus in Samastipur, Bihar. Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh inaugurated the Kisan Mela-cum-Krishi Shiksha Diwas at Rajendra Prasad Central Agriculture University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar in the august presence of Deputy Director General (Extn.) Dr. A.K. Singh, Vice Chancellor of DrRPCAU Dr. R. C. Srivastava and several other distinguished guests. During the three-day Kisan Mela on the theme “Integrated Farming System Approach for Mitigating Climate Change Impact”, stalls were put up by different organisations to give information to the farmers about new techniques and researches made in the field of farming. Selected technologies of ICAR-...

Arka Fermented Cocopeat – Makes an Entry into the Nursery Hub of India The Kadiyam Mandal of East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, spread over eleven villages occupying an area of 3500 acres is often touted as the nursery hub of India owing to the presence of a large number of ornamental and fruit nurseries. The nursery entrepreneurship provides employment to over 20,000 residents from nearby villages and other places. The planting material produced in this Mandal is known all over India for their quality and variety. From the year 2011, big nursery farmers from this region started exporting nursery plants to Middle East nations, thereby making a mark in the international arena. But commensurate to the expansion of the nursery entrepreneurship, the region has been facing the loss of precious top soil, which is  a major input in the production of the nursery potting media.  Alarmed by this situation the Department of Horticulture, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh requested...