ICAR

Dr Nedunchezhiyan Maniyam, principal scientist at the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) - Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Bhubaneshwar, has developed two new varieties of sweet potato - Krishna (purple) and Sona (orange).

“The way we are going, in the next 2 to 3 years, we will successfully be able to contribute 70 to 75 per cent of the total makhana production in the world.”

Having developed a nursery of the SS variety, Kshirsagar has sold saplings to more than 500 farmers. He believes that it is presently grown on 30,000 acres in Nashik district alone.

His alternative farming journey began with a small 100 sq ft unit on his terrace in Navi Mumbai. Its success led him to purchase a 15-acre land in Raigad.

“If man is going inside the jungle, the defaulter is the man not the tiger. I never blame the tiger.”

This research will help cultivate this critically-endangered species at home, protecting it from being indiscriminately harvested from forests!

Innovation is a term which is rarely associated with vegetables, fruits or spices. Interestingly, there are scores of unlettered farmers who have been ingenious enough to develop crop varieties, which besides being high-yielding, are pest-resistant and can be grown in a non-traditional environment.

India’s ultimate back-up for its food supply, the Chang La seed vault in Ladakh has been built to stand the test of time — and the challenge of global catastrophes.

A high-quality polymer material has been used to make these boxes by the IIHR team, which is odourless - unlike plastic.

ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning in collaboration with ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science-Bhopal, and FAO have developed the map with the intention of promoting knowledge-based agricultural practices in India.