Agriculture World Magazine February 2018

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C o n t e n t s 18 Indian Banana Industry peeling the reality

Karthika .B.P

22 Banana the most VOLUME 4 ISSUE 02 FEBRUARY 2018 ` 100 PAGES 100

Editor-in-Chief MC Dominic Directors Shiny Dominic MG Vasan

Sr. Marketing Exectives Chunki Bhutia Poonam Bishwakarma Rinki Pundir Laxmi Pandey Hema Sharma

Editor Ajith Kumar V R

Circulation Head Nishant K Taak

Sr. Executive Editors Dr. KT Chandy Jayakumar

Sr. Circulation Manager Rahul Singh

Technical Editors Dr. B C Biswas Dr. Mahendra Pal (Vet. Sci.) Assistant Editors Ruby Jain Karthika.B.P Associate Editors Sreeja.S.Nair Monika Mondal Dr. Sangeeta Soi Sr. Correspondent Imran Khan Correspondent Vibhuti Narayan Social Media Head Sameer Tiwari Sr. Correspondent (Social Media) Sameer Tiwari Ritik Ranjan Video Editor Rishav V. P. Intl. Business DD Nair (Russia & CIS Countries) 6 Mikluho-Maklaya STR, Moscow, Russia 117198 Mob: +7903729 98 30, Tel: +7499501 99 10 Email: ddnair@krishijagran.com Gavrilova Maria

Asst. Circulation Manager Prashant Sharma Sr. Circulation Executives Pappu Rai Furkan Qureshi Pawan Kumar Tarun Singh Accounts Abdus Samad Head Pre-Press Yogesh Kumar Graphic Designers AnilRaj Nasim Ansari Atul Batham Sketch Satheesh Thoprath Cover photo Biju Karakkonam Ph : 9895545858 Legal Advisors James P. Thomas H. S. Asmuddin Printed and Published by: M. C. Dominic 60/9, 3rd Floor, Yusuf Sarai Market, Near Green Park Metro Station, New Delhi 110016.

Tel: 011-26511845, 26517923 Mobile: +91-9313301029, +91-9654193353 Web: www.krishijagran.com No. B 2, Sector-63, Noida-201301, Distt: Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P.

V. P. Strategic Alliance Ratnamajari Sharan

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Copyright @ Krishi Jagran Media Group.

Agriculture World is published

by Krishi Jagran Media Group.

Editor in Chief: MC Dominic

GM - Marketing Farha Khan Marketing Head Sanjay Kumar Sr. Marketing Managers K J Saranya Sara Khan Mohammed Owais Marketing Managers Megha Sharma Dhanya M.T. Saritha Reghu

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Disclaimer: While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of the information contained in this publications, the publishers are not responsible for any errors or omissions that might have crept into this publications.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or kept in a retrieval system, without the express permission of the publishers.

delicious fruit in the world

` Dr.B.C.Mazumdar

28 Nutrient management

of banana

A.N.Ganesh murthy-T.N.Rupa

34 Banana flowers a natural gift for cancer prevention&treatment

Dr.Beela.G.K-Sharada bai.M.R

36 Machineries used in post

harvest handling of banana

K.P.Sudheer-Seema.B.R-Ranasalva.N

42 Ripe or unripe banana

which is better for you?

Charmi Gala

44 Integrated pest

management in banana

Dr.Gavas Ragesh

48 Chengalikkodan a divine

fruit to fame and fortune

Suresh Muthukulam

50

Value addition in banana

Sreeja.S.nair

52 Smart agro intercropping

Printed at : HT Media Press, House

V.P. Spcl. Initiative Chandra Mohan

Sr. Manager Special Initiatives Harsh Kapoor

of banana in coffee plantation

Vinod kumar kodakkat

62 Mesmerizing mango meadows

Asha sadasiv –C.N.Remya

66 Impact of climate change

on Indian agriculture

Dr.Narendra singh rathore

74 Quality seed

potato production

Muralidhar Sadawarti

82 Interview

Dr.Kalyan.B.Goswami,DG,NSAI www.krishijagran.com

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Editorial

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anana has been the fifth largest agricultural commodity in the world. The major advantage of the fruit is its availability round the year. With immense demand and applications, the product market bears high growth aspects.

Global banana market is on an upswing and India, the largest banana producing country in the world, is vying for a bigger share of the global market. It is estimated that the annual trade from banana could be worth $1.2bn .

India’s share of production stands as 23% and contributes significantly in driving the regional market demand. India, China, Philippines, Brazil, Ecuador and Indonesia together account for more than 62% of the total global production. Though the domestic demand is high, if the post-harvest losses can be avoided , India can definitely take the lead in export. But our post-harvest facilities are still in their infancy, especially as there is no cold chain infrastructure for bananas. The tragedy is that the annual post-harvest loss in perishable fruits and vegetables is estimated to be around 80,000 crores of Indian rupees .

The formulation of a cold chain infrastructure will go a long way in avoiding post-harvest loss, which alone could make banana exports a profit-making business. Research done by the CII and the National Banana Research Centre (NBRC) in Tiruchirappalli has shown that the post-harvest banana loss is around 30% in Tamil Nadu and there are efforts to reduce this loss to 10%, thereby saving wastage and also helping farmers make a profit. Delivering properly ripened high quality bananas will provide a high price realisation. The agencies should involve farmers in the making of the cold chain infrastructure National Action Plan. Unless a strong bond between farmers and buyers is forged, the entire plan could collapse.

The support of NBRC is very important to convince the farmers to start produce superior quality bananas that were developed by the researchers. Intensive training under Israel scientists will help farmers to learn better production and harvesting methods. Farmers should be educated to hasten the process of ripening the fruit by inducing ethylene gas in a controlled way so that ripening is even. India is a low cost agriculture producer and if the quality of ripening alone is improved, then the farmers can get higher value for the same produce, according to the NBRC. Per hectare production of bananas in India is very low compared to many countries which encouraging a rapid change to farming technology. Government’s initiatives like subsidy for drip irrigation, tissue culture and liquid fertiliser will help the farmers create record production.

Value addition helps the banana farmers get better returns while a kg of bananas fetched Rs 30 at the farm gate, a kg of banana powder and chips sold for Rs 200 and Rs 250 respectively. Global Banana Powder Market size is likely to grow at a high CAGR by 2024. Numerous health benefits associated with banana powder will propel the market growth. Owing to the increasing awareness regarding the health benefits of banana powder, the market has bright growth prospects in near future.

The sceptical nature of the farmers , that too due to the bitter experience they face from the market, corporate and the Governments ,is the major handicap in expanding the cultivation, export and agriculture infrastructure development. Indian farmers grow more, but farmers themselves have not grown is the known fact. They have little faith in the system. When the system succeeds to fill the trust deficit , then only India can grow in agriculture sector.

MC Dominic Editor-in-Chief

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WITH KJ MOBILE APP, KRISHI JAGRAN FIRMS THE DIGITAL SPACE

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nternet and Mobile apps are the most sought after source of information in this century. And the farmer friendly agriculture magazine of India, Krishi Jagran after achieving the zenith of 12 languages and 3 portals, has launched its mobile application. The mobile application named “Krishi Jagran” was launched by the Union minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Radha Mohan Singh at his residence on the auspicious day of Makar Sakranti.

Makar Sakranti which is a farmers’ festival was chosen to outpour the importance of digital world in the farmer and farming community by the publishing house.

Director of Krishi Jagran, Mrs. Shiny Dominic and Mr. MG Vasan, Editor in chief, Mr. MC Dominic along with the VP, Special initiative Chander Mohan were present at the event along with the other department heads. Son of Mr. and Mrs. Dominic, MD Raja Dominic pre-inaugurated the application for the testing phase of the application. Mrs. Farah Khan, GM-Marketing and Marketing head, Mr. Sanjay Kumar on this great day for Krishi Jagran mentions that It would be of great importance for the growth of the publication house, since most of the agri business are trying to get involved with the online and internet based services. KJ sees fruitful associations of our clients through the medium of this launch.

The Mobile app, Krishi Jagran can be downloaded from the Google Play Store [https://goo.gl/hetcnu] free of cost.

The Editor in Chief, Mr. Dominic also announced a special offer, by which on every download of the application by any farmer, three month 8

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free subscription would be given as a token of affection. Mr. Dominic says, “Our focus is to reach the farmers in a broader way, and this mobile application would connect the farmers, retailers and industries all at a common platform and make the farmer more informative and turn the activity of agriculture as a profitable business source of income, which indeed is our goal.”

Giving the brief of the mobile app, the Developer Mr. Krishna said, the interface of the app can be switched among three languages i.e. Hindi, English and Malayalam. The app provides numerous sections, one of which is “directory” from which any company can be searched for any agricultural product which is there in the market. It would work like yellow pages of agriculture world. The app also incorporates videos and images to make the user interface alive. Another highlighted section is of “JOBS”which would help the youth and the job seekers of the agri world to have a platform from where they can find all the available jobs easily. All the e-magazines in 12 languages are also available on the app.

Ratna Manjari Sharan, VP Strategic Alliances says, “Krishi Jagran focuses on evolving with time, and matching with the pace of this digital world, it is important that Krishi Jagran also make its name in the zone of digital transmission of knowledge and information, where Krishi Jagran stood for the last 23 years since 1996 help-

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ing the farmers by disseminating the appropriate information.” Circulation head Nishant K Taak was also present at the event and was elated with the number of the subscriber which are going to increase in the time to come with the launch of the mobile app.

Information related to latest news, weather information, current crop pattern, animal husbandry, cash crops, success stories, pest management and agricultural encyclopedia can be found on the application.

Social media head, Sameer Tiwari mentions, “With the launch of the mobile app, responsibilities have augmented and the notion of serving the farmers with even better quality and quantity of news and information has to be taken care of. The team is more rigorous working on the field and we try to put out the realities of farm and rural India at the front.”

The photographer, Rishav Vishwa finds the app to be a source of attraction for all the user since it has a picture gallery feeds section where the world of agriculture unwinds with the brilliance of colors and an attractive point of view.

The free subscription of three months would be only provided to farmers which would be cross checked by authenticated sources and is valid for limited period of time.

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International news

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Weekly fish consumption linked to better sleep, higher IQ

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hildren who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have IQ scores that are 4 points higher, on average, than those who consume fish less frequently or not at all, according to new findings. Previous studies showed a relationship between omega-3s, the fatty acids in many types of fish, and improved intelligence, as well as omega-3s and better sleep. But they’ve never all been connected before. This study reveals sleep as a possible mediating pathway, the potential missing link between fish and intelligence.

For the research, a group of 541, 9-to 11-yearolds, 54 per cent boys and 46 per cent girls, completed a questionnaire about how often they consumed fish in the past month, with options ranging from “never” to “at least once per week.”The participants also took an IQ test which examined verbal and non-verbal skills such as vocabulary and coding.

Their parents then answered questions about sleep quality using the standardised Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire, which included topics such as sleep duration and frequency of night waking or daytime sleepiness.

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Finally, the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in the US controlled for demographic information, including parental education, occupation and marital status and number of children in the home.

Analysing these data points, the researchers found that children who reported eating fish weekly scored 4.8 points higher on the IQ exams than those who said they “seldom” or “never” consumed fish.

Those whose meals sometimes included fish scored 3.3 points higher, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

In addition, increased fish consumption was associated with fewer disturbances of sleep, which the researchers say indicates better overall sleep quality.

“It adds to the growing body of evidence showing that fish consumption has really positive health benefits and should be something more heavily advertised and promoted,” said Jianghong Liu, from the University of Pennsylvania.

Children should be introduced to it early on,” Liu added.

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Climate change: Soil animals cannot explain self-reinforcing effect

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hen the soil warms up, it releases more carbon dioxide (CO2) -- an effect that further fuels climate change.

It is believed that the reason for this was mainly due to the presence of small soil animals and microorganisms that would eat and breathe more in warmer temperatures. However, a new study in Nature Climate Change has shown that this is not the case. Quite the contrary: If warmth is accompanied by drought, the soil animals eat even less. In order to improve the predictive power of climate models, it is now crucial to understand the biological processes in the soil better. Climate change is also being intensified on its own, because global warming is also causing the natural carbon cycle to change. Although on Earth, carbon is constantly converted from solid compounds into gaseous CO2 and vice versa, warmer temperatures can further enhance carbon losses in form of CO2from the soil. As a result, more CO2 is introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere: a positive feedback.

dead organic matter in the soil would be decomposed at faster rates. After all, these animals are poikilotherms whose body temperature and activity depend on the environment. Bacteria and unicellular fungi in the soil should also be more active at warmer temperatures, based on the current understanding.

Scientists had previously assumed that this effect was mainly due to the presence of small animals and microorganisms in the soil, which feed on dead organic matter (for example, fallen leaves. When they ‘burn’ their food, CO2 is released (‘respiration’). It was assumed that at warmer temperatures, insects and worms with decomposing roles would eat more, and the

The study was conducted as part of a long-term climate change experiment in Minnesota, USA. In the ‘B4WarmED’ (Boreal Forest Warming at an Ecotone in Danger) experiment, scientists are heating various plots of boreal forest land artificially by 3.4°C.

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A team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Leipzig University carried out an experiment to simulate the warming of the soil in the forest and found out surprisingly: The warmer temperatures have no influence on the feeding activity of the soil animals. When the researchers simulated a second effect of climate change in addition to warming, namely drought, the results were even the opposite as expected: The soil animals ate less, and also the microorganisms living in the soil showed a decline in respiration -- an indication that they also consumed less food.

Compiled by Asha sadasiv

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New Rice Hybrid Seed Needs Minimum Pesticide

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ayer has launched a first-of-its-kind hybrid rice seed, Arize AZ 8433 DT with strong inbuilt tolerance to Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) and Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB). BPH is the most destructive pest in rice growing areas of India and caused huge losses to farmers in the 2017 kharif season.

Though there are many chemical solutions available to control BPH, these have not been able to control the insect effectively in cases of medium to heavy infestation. The usual practice is to spray when the insect build-up has already happened. As an alternative approach, Bayer has developed hybrid seeds, where pest tolerance has been achieved in the seed through innovative technologies based on marker-assisted breeding. The result is Arize AZ 8433 DT.

rice productivity in India. Since its launch, the cultivation of Arize AZ 8433 DT has expanded to more than 10,000 acres in major rice growing belts of the country, according to release from Bayer.

A single round of spraying pesticides costs Rs. 500-600 per acre. Even with moderate infestation, rice farmers spray three to four times, depending on the incidence of BPH. With Arize AZ 8433 DT, farmers are advised to scout their fields periodically and go for one spray, only if the BPH count exceeds economic threshold levels, or if hopper burn damage is observed in adjoining fields. However, farmers will have to use pesticides for other pests such as White backed Plant Hopper (WBPH) and Stem Borer etc.

The introduction of Arize AZ 8433 DT is another step towards improving

Compiled by Monika

Articles invited Agriculture World invites articles on agricultural innovation, new technologies, research findings, success stories etc. Articles on livestock and food technologies are also solicited. Kindly send the articles with maximum of 2000 words with authors profile and passport size photographs to feedback@krishijagran.com.

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National news

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GOLDEN TEA

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hat do you think when the word “tea” comes to your mind? Darjeeling? Assam? We take you to the lesser known but the wonderful flavoured tea of India. It’s Kangra, one of the most amazing tea, you can ever have. Known for its distinctive taste, aroma, light colour content, Kangra tea is derived from the leaves, buds and tender stems of plants. It yields a distinctive brew that is gold in colour with a sweet undertone flavour, that gives mesmerize and refresh feel with every sip. The unique colour and flavour of Kangra tea, is due to unique climatic conditions prevailing in snow-clad Dhauladhar ranges of Himalayas. Kangra tea is grown in Kangra valley, consisting of Kangra district, parts of Chamba and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Kangra tea belongs to species of tea Camellia Sinensis, having multistemmed frame, narrow leaves and planted from seed stock raised in Kangra valley. Kangra tea leaves have up to 13% catechins that

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are saved with high efficiency whole leaf-orthodox manufacture. These polyphenols are proven antioxidants, hypotensive, anti-caricinogenic, diuretic, antidentalcariatic and antimicrobial. It also has 3% caffeine and amino acids like the anine, glutamnine and tryptophan-the important vitalizers.

Tea industry of Himachal is about 150 years old.

The first commercial tea plantation was established as “ Hailey Nagar Tea Estate “ at Holta near Palampur in 1852 .Tea tourism is slowly beginning to gain ground in and around Kangra. Several of the tea estates and tea factories in Palampur and Dharamsala offer factory tours as well as home stays for those interested in learning more about the tea. The Dharmsala Tea Company offers guided tours of its factory and tea gardens, starting from its factory in Mann Tea Estate. Similarly, the Palampur Cooperative Tea Factory offers factory tours and home stays.

News compiled by Asha Sadasiv

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State of Sugar in the Country

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s on 15th December, 2017, 469 sugar mills were crushing sugarcane for the year 201718 SS against 449 mills last year same time.

They have produced 69.40 lac tons of sugar till 15th December 2017 i.e. 15.94 lac tons (29.8%) higher than the sugar production on the corresponding date of previous sugar season. Indian Sugar Mills Association estimates a normal sugar production of 251 lac tons in 2017-18 SS, as compared to a very low production of only 203 lac tons last year, and hence the higher production trend upto 15th December 2017. It is totally as expected and estimated.

In Maharashtra, 176 sugar mills are in operation as against 144 last year and they have produced 25.50 lac tons of sugar till 15th December, 2017. In 2016 ,it was 17.25 lac tons only. In Uttar Pradesh, 116 mills produced 23.37 lac tons of sugar till December 2017. This small increase was expected as U.P. would be producing around 101.5 lac tons of sugar in 2017 as compared to almost 88 lac tons produced last year.

The third largest producer of sugar viz. Karnataka, have produced 11.50 lac tons of sugar till 15th De-

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cember, 2017. This is about 0.50 lac tons higher than the sugar production in 2016-17 SS as on 15th December, 2016. During the current 2017-18 SS, 60 sugar mills are in operation as on 15th December, as compared to 59 operated on the corresponding date of 2016.

As regards Gujarat, 17 sugar mills are in operation and they have produced 2.75 lac tons of sugar till 15th December, 2017. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 20 sugar mills could start crushing till 15thDecember, 2017 and they produced about 1 lac tons of sugar till that date.There are 13 sugar mills in Tamil Nadu in operation and sugar production till 15thDecember, 2017 was about 0.75 lac tons. Bihar, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh have 10, 16, 14 and 19 sugar mills in operation respectively.

With buying interest improving and also the stock holding limit on traders being removed, the market is expected to increase their buying, which can have a positive impact on the sales and market sentiments, which in turn is already having a stabilizing effect.

News compiled by Asha Sadasiv

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National news

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Artificial intelligence, the future of farming

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rtificial Intelligence is going to change the future of agriculture. AI is steadily emerging as part of the industry’s technological evolution.

The AI solutions promise informed inputs to farmers and other stakeholders in the ecosystem right from sowing to harvesting and then to post-harvest help. Farmers always look at improving agronomic practices. Artificial-intelligence-based digital farming solutions can significantly accelerate their learning.

With drones, robots and intelligent monitoring systems now successfully being used in research and field trials, artificial intelligence, or machine learning, is set to revolutionise the future of farming as the next phase of ‘ultraprecision’ agriculture is on the horizon. Artificial intelligence could identify trouble, such as fungus growth and water shortages weeks before the naked eye would ever realize it.

AI helps to predict the likelihood of rain, the outbreak of diseases or attack of pests and the soil health condition. The information gathered from the field using satellite images and

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sensors on balloons would be juxtaposed with historical weather and other agronomic data to generate customised data for a specific farmer on a specific crop.

In India, Microsoft has tied up with International Crops Research Institute for SemiArid Tropics (ICRISAT) to develop a system designed specially to suit the needs of farmers. After piloting the solution in 14 districts in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka with over 3,000 farmers taking part in it, the MicrosoftICRISAT duo is planning to scale up this experiment to cover 10,000 farmers next year.

Meanwhile, Tech Mahindra has developed Farm Guru, a solar-powered portable unit, to assist farmers from the time of sowing, through the cropping season and then to post-harvest phase. Likely to be priced in the range of Rs.30,000, the mobile unit gets inputs from sensors and send them to the back-office for processing and get back to farmers with advisories.

News compiled by Asha Sadasiv

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Healthy Food Healthy eating linked to KID’S HAPPINESS

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t’s clear that a healthy diet has its benefits, and recently, an international team of researchers have found a link to better self esteem for kids with a healthy diet. Healthy eating is associated with better self-esteem and fewer emotional and peer problems, such as having fewer friends or being picked on or bullied, in children regardless of body weight, Better selfesteem is associated with better adherence to healthy eating guidelines.

The researchers reviewed data collected from 7,675 kids aged two to nine from eight European countries – Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Spain and Sweden. The study found that children who ate healthier food had fewer emotional issues and fewer issues with bullies or friends, regardless of how much they weighed. In young children aged two to nine years there is an association between adherence to healthy dietary guidelines and better psychological well-being, which includes fewer emotional problems, better relationships with other children and higher self-esteem.

The HDAS aims to record one’s adherence to healthy dietary guidelines, which encourage a limited intake of refined sugars, reduced fat intake and plenty of fruit and vegetables. A higher HDAS indicates stricter adherence to the guidelines, so in effect, healthier eating. The guidelines are common to the eight countries included in this study.

Data from the Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-Induced Health Effects in Children and Infants Study (IDEFICS) was used. Beyond pure research, IDEFICS offered

activities for health promotion and prevention in kindergartens and schools. These prevention programmes were developed, implemented and evaluated within the IDEFICS Study.

Initially, parents were tasked with reporting how often per week their children consumed food from a list of 43 items. Depending on their consumption of these foods, children were then assigned an HDAS score. Psychosocial wellbeing was assessed based on self-esteem, parent relations, emotional and peer problems as reported by the parents in response to validated questionnaires. The height and weight of each child was also reported, and all questionnaires and measurements were repeated two years later.

This study is the first to analyse the individual components included in the HDAS and their associations with children’s wellbeing. It was found that the recommended fish intake (2-3 times per week) was associated with better selfesteem and no emotional and peer problems.

Intake of whole meal products was associated with no peer problems.

The associations were found to go in both directions; better wellbeing was associated with consumption of fruit and vegetables, sugar and fat in accordance with dietary guidelines, better self-esteem was associated with sugar intake according to guidelines, good parent relations were associated with fruit and vegetable consumption according to guidelines, fewer emotional problems were associated with fat intake according to guidelines and fewer peer problems were associated with consumption of fruit and vegetables according to guidelines.

Compiled by Asha sadasiv

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Cover Story

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Indian Banana Industry

PEELING THE REALITY

Karthika BP Asst. Editor, Agriculture World karthika@krishijagran.com

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anana serves as an ideal and low cost food source for developing countries where most of the population depends mostly on banana for food and income. Its year round availability, varietal range, affordability, distinct taste, nutritive and medicinal properties makes banana a favourite fruit in the breakfast table of the world.

It is believed that bananas were first domesticated in New Guinea, around 8,000 BC. From New Guinea, it appears to have spread to Philippines and then across the tropics, from there it reaches in India, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia. Buddhist literature references the origin of banana in 600 B.C. The Japanese were harvesting specific banana varieties, in order to use their fibers for textiles.

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But the name ‘banana’ was given by Africans.

Centuries ago, these were called “banna”, “ghana” and even “funana”. It has been said that each time bananas received a new name when different group of people were introduced to them. It is one of the earliest

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crops cultivated and the international trade of banana started by the end of the fourteenth century. The development of railroads and technological advances in transportation subsequently enable bananas to become the most traded fruit in the world. Now, bananas are grown in more than 150 countries, and 105 million tonnes of fruit are produced each year.

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Indian Banana - A Bunch of Facts India is the world’s largest producer of banana with 29 percent of the world production. 26 out of 29 states produce banana. But only less than 0.1 percent of the current Indian banana production is exported, which is less than 0.3 percent of the international banana trade. Definitely a question will arise why India is lagging behind while being the largest ‘banana’ republic in the world?

Unlike the other major banana growing regions in the globe which are dominated by large scale cultivation and advanced technologies, the Indian banana industry is based on large numbers of small scale independent farmers, cultivating in less than three acres.

Here, it is not only the land shortage and

Vulnerability of Banana Farmers  There is no government insurance for banana farmers in case of crop failure. However, Indian farmers are tax exempted.  Many have debt problems.

Farmers pay 36–40% interest on black/grey market loans, relative to a bank rate of c.12%.  Shortage of rural workers  The value of land is rising leading some farmers to selloff their lands. saurce: FAO

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BAPNET – Networking Research on Bananas

disturbing climate change that more often not plays the havoc, farmers are faced with a serious issue, production and perish. While production has been steadily rising over the years, adequate infrastructure for storage has not been created.

According to a report, India does not have the capacity to handle and absorb excess production of five percent, whether it is of pulses, fruits or any other crops.

Among the major banana growing states of India, Tamil Nadu accounts for the largest production, around nine million metric tons annually. But an average of 30 percent of bananas currently goes to waste largely due to the absence of efficient storage system. Most of the edible bananas are cultivated mainly for their fruits, thus banana farms could generate several tons of underused by-products and wastes. Therefore, without proper agricultural waste management practice, huge amount of valuable untapped commodity will be lost and causing serious ecological damages.

Another key constraint on future growth of the industry is the state of India’s rural roads and distance from farms to the ports. This can significantly challenge the economic and environmental sustainability of export growth.

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BAPNET, the Banana Asia-Pacific Network was established in 1991, as ASPNET, to foster collaborative research on bananas and renamed in 2001. BAPNET operates under the auspices of APAARI (Asia Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutes) and is guided by a Steering Committee, which is made up of heads of the national agricultural research institutes of member countries. This committee meets every two years to review progress and identify research needs and other points of convergence and collaboration among countries. The network is coordinated by Biodiversity International.

Capacity at major Indian seaports is also a potential constraint to the export system. So the development of effective cold storage and transportation services is critical. This dramatically reduces the wastage of produce and enhances the supply. Export corridors are a good option to lower the cost of services and it will also optimize the transportation time.

Besides India, other major banana producing countries are China, Philippines, Ecuador, Brazil and Indonesia. The export market for banana is highly competitive among the top exporters.

European Union is the world’s largest consumer and importer of bananas followed by Unites States. In 2011, EU consumed about 5.2 million tons of bananas. India exports bananas mainly to Middle East countries viz. U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar. The varieties which are in demand internationally include Grand Naine www.krishijagran.com

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Country

WORLD

Area (ha)

Production (MT)

Productivity (MT/Ha)

Share in World Production (%)

India

830.00

29780.00

35.88

29.19

China

373.45

9848.90

26.37

9.65

Philippines

449.61

9101.34

20.24

8.92

Ecuador

215.65

7931.06

36.78

7.77

Brazil

486.99

6962.79

14.30

6.82

Indonesia

101.28

5755.07

56.83

5.64

United Republic of Tanzania

420.00

2924.70

6.96

2.87

Guatemala

63.53

2637.57

41.52

2.59

Mexico

76.93

2103.36

27.34

2.06

Colombia

80.52

2034.34

25.27

1.99

Other Countries

1916.11

22949.05

11.98

22.49

World Total

5014.06

102028.17

20.35

100.00

Major producing countries of Banana in the world (2010) (Source: APEDA)

and Cavendish.

Moreover, when considering a country like India where 25 percent of the populations go to bed hungry, logic of exporting and the increasing wastage of a staple food like banana is still a debatable question. Its impact on the domestic consumers and economy is a largest concern.

So we need a flawless outlook to tap the opportunities abroad and tackle the problems at home.

Explore the market avenues Marketing intelligence harmonizing with international standards is one of the major solutions for improving the accessibility of India in global markets. Nowadays, a trend in utilizing low cost renewable agricultural waste as a raw material in making various value added products are gaining momentum. Banana by-products, which are available abundantly around the world, are renewable and sustainable. So the utilization of agricultural wastes such as the banana by-products can be considered as an eco friendly approach to reduce environmental problems due to the improper management of the wastes.

As a commodity, it will not only benefit both banana farmers and the industry but also provide alternatives in terms of generated products to consumers. Hence the prime position of India in banana production provides us an unlimited potential to capture the overseas market of processed value added products.

In India, at present not much of product diversification of banana is done as only few industries are utilizing the fruits for dehydration, chips making and infant foods.

Processing of banana for preparation of derivative products seems to be a promising area since www.krishijagran.com

World Banana Forum (WBF) The World Banana Forum (WBF) is a permanent space of assembly for participants representing the global banana supplychain to promote open dialogue on challenges facing the banana industry. The secretariat of the WBF is provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

bananas can be pulped, juiced or concentrated, canned, sliced and dried. Beverages such as banana wine & banana brandy as also vinegar can be made economically. Banana fiber, one of the major byproducts of banana has long been a good source of high quality textile in many parts of the world, especially in Japan and Nepal.

Above all, it is essential to integrate government schemes in order to address the requirements of farmers. Several innovative technologies have been developed by institutes like National Banana Research Station, regional stations, agricultural universities and other government organizations.

But majority of farmers are ignorant of these developments.They are not involved in drawing up strategic plans for agriculture related research.

Farmers have only a limited opportunity to explain what improvements need to the varieties which they prefer and suitable for their growing conditions.

So it is clear that the solutions for the paradoxes in farming sector are here, proper co-ordination is the major factor. But it is not easy like peeling a banana.

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WORLD

BANANA THE MOST DELICIOUS FRUIT IN THE WORLD

Dr B C Mazumdar (Former Professor in Horticulture,Institute of Agricultural Science,Calcutta University)

B

anana is now grown in about 120countries with a total annual production of 86 million tonnes. India leads the world in banana production with an annual production of about 14.2 million tonnes. Other leading producers are China, Phillipines, Eucador, Brazil, Indonesia, Angola, Guatemala, Tanzania, Mexico etc. In India, banana is grown in all tropical parts and also in the mild sub-tropics. Production is maximum in Tamil Nadu 22

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which annually contributes 5136 thousand metric tonnes and the next leading States are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Orissa.

Merits of banana fruit Among all fruits consumable to the human beings, banana is endowed with a number of attributes and www.krishijagran.com

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anana is not just a fruit in India. It has in fact, a deep association with social, cultural and religious life of the Indian since pre-historic times.

some of these may be stated as follows. (i)

The ripe fruit highly appeases all sections of the people regardless of age and gender, for their special attributes as mentioned above.

(ii)

It is available throughout the year.

(iii)

Nutritional value of banana fruit is appreciably high. It has been stated by the National Institute of Nutrition, Government of India, Hyderabad that 100 g of ripe banana pulp having 70.1 g of water , 1.2 g of protein, 0.3 g of fat, 0.8 g of minerals, 27.2 g of carbohydrate, 17 mg of calcium, 36 mg of phosphorous, 0.36 mg of iron, 78 mcg of carotene, 0.05 mcg of thiamine, 0.08 mcg riboflavin, 0.5 mg of niacin , 32 mg of vitamin C and 41.0, 36.6, 88.0, 0.16, 0.20, 0.15 , 0.004,7.0 and 8.0 mg respectively of magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, manganese, zinc, chromium, sulphur and chlorine. On consumption of 100 g of ripe banana, the body gains 116 Kilocalorie (= 455.34 kilo joule) of energy.

(Index: g = gram; mg = milligram; mcg = microgram).

(iv)

Dietary fiber content of banana is also high and the same Institute has stated that 100 g of ripe banana pulp contains 1.1 and 0.7 g , respectively of insoluble and soluble dietary fibers.

Banana fruit whether ripe or unripe contains Angiowww.krishijagran.com

tensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitor, which is a potential constituent to reduce blood pressure and counter congestive heart failure. The fruit also contains dopamine and serotonin which have role in functioning of the brain. Scientifically and traditionally, banana fruit has many other medicinal properties and is of great help in intestinal ulcer, acidity, constipation, diabetes, depression, morning sickness and many other ailments.

Merits of banana plant Apart from fruit, all parts of the banana plant have usefulness to man except the rhizome and some are stated below. (i) Banana leaves are used to serve meals in south India, West Bengal and Orissa. In some parts of south India, the plant is cultivated solely to secure leaves and not fruits. In West Bengal, till now many affluent people (Zamindars) take their meals on banana leaves and not on metal or glass plates. (ii) The stem of banana which is actually formed by clasping leaf sheaths is called by the Bengalees as thor, who cook it on making pieces and consume. The Bengalees advise to take these curries particularly to those who are afflicted with anaemia and high blood pressure. (iii) The male flowers of the plant along with the red coloured bracts are also consumed by the Bengalees on cooking. They call it as mocha and the various curries that are made from this part are very delicious.

Among those various preparations made, one which is known as mochar ghonto is highly popular to them.

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A

bout 300 varieties of this fruit crop are known to be grown in various parts of the country and these have distinctive features in their fruit quality. The country is not confronted with serious problems in its culture or the dreaded Panama wilt disease.

Role of banana plant and fruit in religious festivals and ceremonies The fruit and the plant of banana are highly revered in many religious festivals of the Hindu. Placement of ripe banana is essential on the mangalghat established in the puja. In Durga Puja among the Bengalees, a banana plant is draped with a yellow-coloured sari and is worshipped as the holy wife of the Lord Ganesha. The image, which is called Kala bou (bahu) is first worshipped in Durga Puja. In the marriage ceremonies of the Bengalees, banana plant is an essential item. The shraddha ceremony (obsequial rites) among the Hindu is performed with banana fruit for pinda dan (offering food) to the departed soul and this is served on banana leaves.

Horticultural measures to step up productivity and quality of banana in India: Area under banana crop is gradually increasing in India, particularly as gestation period of this fruit crop is much short and is not more than 15 months in any of the variety, risk factors are less and profitability is very high. Nevertheless, many growers are however, confronted with the question of how productivity and quality of the fruits could be augmented. Tips on improved method of banana farming are given below.

It may be noted that only some aspects which have much relevance have however, been discussed without going into details on improved measures on all aspects of cultivation.

Varietal selection: There are at least 300 varieties of banana in India.

Among these, which variety (ies) should be selected to grow in a given locality should be judiciously considered, because varietal differences are noticed in respect of their edapho-climatic suitability, susceptibility to disease infection, demand in the market and 24

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on other factors.

2) High wind is another threat in banana culture which causes the plants to lean or fall or dry. Dwarf varieties like Basrai, Rajapuri etc. escape high wind as it blows at higher level. The variety, Poovan (Syn. Lal velchi, Champa, Karpura Chakrakeli, Kadali, Chini champa ) is though tall but withstand high wind to a considerable extent.

3) Susceptibility or resistance to some particular diseases is found to differ on varieties of banana. For example, the variety, Basrai is susceptible to the bunchy top and leaf-spot diseases, the famous Gros Michel variety and the variety, Monthan are susceptible to wilt disease, Champa and the famous variety of West Bengal, viz.Giant Governor are susceptible to the sigatoka disease and the like . Again, resistance against Banana wilt disease is observed in some varieties, viz., Poovan, Giant Governor, Martaman, Kanthali, Malbhog, Virupakhsi, Alapan, Rasthali and particularly Basrai. This aspect needs consideration in selection of varieties.

4) Fruits of which variety (ies) have a greater demand in the market should be given due emphasis in selecting varieties for cropping. In West Bengal, it is found that area under the varieties, Giant Governor, Martaman, Kanthali etc. is increasing as these varieties have high demand in the markets (a) Choice of propagating materials: Banana is propagated by suckers. Two types of suckers arise from the rhizome, which are called, ‘wawww.krishijagran.com

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WORLD land is ploughed and planted. Green manuring may be done at any time of the year, if adequate water could be held in the land for rotting of the plants. It would be a good practice if the entire dose of phosphatic fertilizer is applied directly to the green manure before ploughing it rather than to apply it during land preparation. This is because; clods of phosphate remain on the ground for long time if applied during land preparation. Availability of phosphate also takes place early to the plant if supplied through green manure. If green manuring is not done, 150 –200 tonnes of farmyard manure/compost must be applied during land preparation and the amount should be more in clayee soil. (c) Planting: In south India, planting may be done at any time of the year. In eastern India, in low rainfall area, planting should be done at the beginning of monsoon and in high rainfall area, at the end of it. But planting very late in rainy-season should not be done as the plants would be stunted in growth due to advent of winter within two months.

ter-suckers ’and ‘ sword-suckers ’. Water-suckers have broad, large leaves while the sword-suckers have thin leaves, pseudostems and their tops are pointed.

Although the plants that come out from water-suckers produce fruit at somewhat earlier maturity, the plants that arise from such suckers become diseased. But this is not the case with sword-suckers which produce healthy plants and hence, only sword-suckers should be used. About one metre long sword-suckers should be taken, their lower ends should be dipped in solutions of 0.2 and 0.5 percent respectively of Bavistin and Monocrotophos , partially dried in shade and then planted.

Tissue culture banana Nowadays, banana plantlets raised from tissue-culture (micro-propagation) are available. These are very good materials for planting as the resulting plants come to flower all at the same time, fruits are borne at shorter time, i.e., within 12 months from planting and above all, they are disease free. (b) Green manuring: Organic manure has a high requirement in banana.

Many progressive banana growers in West Bengal get good results by green manuring the land before planting. With pre-monsoon showers in the month of May, the land is ploughed once and dhaincha seeds are evenly broadcast at the rate of 30-35 kg in a hectare area .After one and half to two months when the seedlings become 40-60 cm tall and monsoon sets in, they are ploughed down once or twice and the rain water is held by bunding. When the plants have rotten, the www.krishijagran.com

Planting distance depends on varieties, soil fertility and other conditions. In general, spacing should be up to 3.0 metres for tall varieties and 1.8 metres for dwarf varieties and for medium height plants; it may be 2 metres both ways. If plants are grown only to secure leaves, more than 4 metre spacing may even be required. (d) High density planting Of late, a new system, i.e. close density planting gains popularity. In this system, plants are set closely or very closely apart. For example, in close density planting, as many as 6900 – 7000 plants could be accommodated in a dwarf variety, like Robusta. It is believed that in this system, utilization of sunlight, nutrients etc. takes place in an efficient manner and that the yield also goes much higher. Thus, Robusta variety, for example is known to produce about 200 tonnes of fruits in this system. But it should be remembered that manure, fertilizer and other inputs are to be applied to a much greater amount in this system besides that, no intercropping is possible to be done in this system.

Planting should be done in 0.5 metre cubic pits which should be already made and filled with manure and neem cake. (e) Manuring: It should be remembered that banana is a gross feeder.

Land should be prepared by thorough ploughing with at least 150 tonnes of farmyard manure/compost as basal dose. Application of vermin compost also gives excellent results.

Each plant requires about 200 gram of nitrogen, 100 gram of phosphorous and 300 gram of potash. Deep placement of fertilizers is advisable. It is better to apFEBRUARY 2018

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ply nitrogen such that 80 percent of it is applied as inorganic form and 20 percent in organic form. Thus, half or ¾ th of nitrogenous fertilizer should be applied during planting and the remaining part of it in installments during gradual growth of the plant as it is required in reproductive phase of the plant also.

Phosphate fertilizer is best applied in the green manure crop as stated above. If however, green manuring is not done, the total amount of phosphatic fertilizer should be applied during land preparation.

Potassium fertilizer in full is usually applied by most of the growers during land preparation. But it is advisable to apply 40-50 percent of it during land preparation and to apply the remaining part installments during growth of plants, because potassium is much required during ‘fruit-filling stage’ and thus, the topdressed amount would be made use of.

Some banana growers in the Hugli and West Burdwan districts of West Bengal tend to apply ash of paddy husks which they procure from local rice mills at very little cost. The material is very rich in potash. Some growers apply the entire quantity of this ash at one time during land preparation while others apply this in installment. The author has noted that those who apply it in installments get much higher production of banana.

Foliar feeding of banana plants with solutions of magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, boron and zinc salts is done by many growers. The practice is good to get high yield and fruits of better quality provided they are applied in optimum concentrations. Increase of yield is also obtained with application of Azospirillium biofertilizer 26

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(f) Irrigation: Banana soil should be kept moist throughout the year but water should not stagnate in any time. The plant may require 40 – 50 irrigations till harvest. In general, banana should be irrigated once a week in summer, 10 –12 day interval in winter and 3-4 in rainy-season if prolonged dryness exists.

Drip irrigation is an efficient method which makes 40- 50 percent economy of water, i.e., requires about 20 litres of water daily, controls weed growth and increases yield. Water-soluble fertilizers may be applied through drip water (= feritgation) and thus, makes economy of fertilization. (g) Post-planting care: The following particularly needs attention. (i)

Earthing up – Clumps should be in ridges in rainy-season and hence, regular earthing up is necessary.

(ii)

De-suckering - Suckers compete with mother plant in respect of moisture and nutrinents and hence, are to be cut off. Without cutting, heart may also be destroyed.

In a ratoon crop, during first flowering, a half-grown sucker and another which is just emerging out should be retained.

(iii)

De-navelling – When all the female and bisexual flowers have set fruits, the remaining flower-stalks having male flowers should be cut- off leaving about 10 cm distance. The cut-end should be smeared www.krishijagran.com

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n production, India now leads the world and out of an annual global production of 86 million tonnes, the country produces 14.2 million tonnes

with fungicidal paste and wrapped with coloured polythene. (iv)

Weeding –Weeding is best done with a wheel-hoe or a khurpi but in large plantation, chemical weedicide like 2 kg of Gramoxone or Glyphosate per hectare basis may be applied.

(v)

Propping - To prevent leaning or falling of the plants due to heavy weight of bunch or high wind, propping is necessary and this may be done with crossed bamboo poles and strong ropes. Necessity of propping is much felt in Gujarat and Malabar.

(vi)

Intercropping - This may be done in the plantation but the amount of manures, fertilizers must be increased in such case.

(vii)

Mulching - The practice greatly helps in soil moisture conservation and preventing weed growth. In west Bengal, mulching is much done by growers using water-hyacinth which is available in plenty. Many growers leave the plants on the field to decompose and act as manure.

(viii)

Soil heating – Some growers in Maharashtra tend to burn brushwood or other materials on the land to warm the soil, in order to protect banana roots. This is a dangerous practice. By such burning, earthworms and many soils micro-flora and fauna are also killed. As a result, fertility and texture of the soil are seriously hampered and agricultural potentiality of the land is highly jeopardized. About 10 years or more time would be required for these biotic agents to reappear in the land. When cold is severe, only 1 or 2 irrigations of the land would raise its temperature to a considerable extent. Application of farmyard manure and irrigating the land just after that would be more fruitful.

(ix)

Control of pests and disease – Specific control measures no doubt, be taken to control them but it should be noted that sanitary measures and applying ash on the land may ward off many pests and diseases.

(x)

Ripening with carbide – Many growers and traders ripe bananas on exposure to acetylene gas. They take the fruits (=hands)

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in a container, put some calcium carbide into that, add a little water and close the lid. By this, the fruits are exposed to acetylene fume which is evolved. After sometime, fruits are taken out. As acetylene gas is extremely harmful to health, the practice should be stopped. Instead, fruits may be treated with ethylene gas releasing chemical for short period. Storing the bananas in closed container along with some fully ripe guava, jackfruit, sapota etc. may be done to ripen as these fruits also emanate ethylene gas. Storing in warmth may also be done. disease.

BANANA ART For most of us, banana is only a delicious fruit. But for Stephan Brusche, an artist based in Netherlands, banana is an artistic medium. He used to make creative pieces with banana and ink. His work on banana ranges from images of celebrities to animals and religious iconography.

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Nutrient Management

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AN.Ganeshamurthy and TR.Rupa Indian Institute of Horticultural Research Hessaraghatta Lake Post, Bengaluru 560089

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anana is the second most important fruit crop in India next to mango. India is the home for bananas and plantain and is being grown even before the Vedic times.

Its year round availability, affordability, varietal range, taste, nutritive and medicinal value makes it the favorite fruit among all classes of people. It has also good export potential. India leads the world in banana production with an annual output in 2014 of about 29725 thousand tons from 802600 ha. Eleven states were identified as prime banana producing states of India. Based on categorization with respect to area and production per unit 28

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area, 76 districts were identified as prime banana growing districts (Table 1). Banana can be grown in all kinds of soils having good drainage. In sandy loam soil, plants grow faster compared to Vertisols or clay loam soil. Though soil pH of 6.5-7.5 is optimum, banana can be grown in soils having a pH up to 8.5 with suitable amendments. More organic amendments are essential in sandy as well as heavy soils.

Production and productivity in banana is affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses. The production constraints also vary from region to region; www.krishijagran.com

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Table 1.Eleven States and districts growing banana in India 1

Andhra Pradesh

West Godavari, Guntur, Kadapa, Anantapur, Kurnool

2

Telangana

Medak, Nizamabad, Khammam

3 4

Assam Bihar

Sonitpur, Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Nagaon, Morigaon, Kamrup, Cachar, Goalpara Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Katihar, Purnia, Samastipur 22

5

Gujarat

Anand (Borsad, Ankalav), Vadodara (Sankheda, Chani), Bharuch (Zagadia), Narmada (Rajpipla), Surat (Kamrej)

6

Karnataka

Hassan, Shimoga, Bengaluru, Chickmagalore, Dakshina Kannada, Tumkur

7

Madhya Pradesh

Balaghat, Kukshi, Dhar

8

Maharashtra

Jalgaon, Nanded , Parbhani

9

Odisha

Puri, Cuttack, Balasore, Bhadrak, Angul, Dhenkanal, Bolangir, Kalahabdi, Koraput, Rayagada

10

Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore, Erode, Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Tiruchirapalli, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Karur, Krishnagiri, Salem, Nilgiris, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai

11

West Bengal

Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Nadia, North 24 Parganas, South24 Parganas, Hooghly, Bardhaman, Midnapore (West & East), Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpore, DakshinDinajpore, Malda, Birbhum, Bankura

I

ndia is the second largest producer and the largest consumer of banana in the world. It is grown on all types of soils and over a large geographical area. It is grown as a main crop or inter crop or as a crop on bunds and in backyard gardens. The crop is a heavy feeder of nutrients and removes very large quantity of nutrients especially potassium. If proper nutrition in not provided, cultivation of banana will lead to depletion of the native nutrient stocks and deteriorates soil productivity and health. Hence integrated nutrient management is necessary for growing banana.

however, most of the problems are similar in nature. Banana being an exhausting crop requires large quantity of fertilizers,research findings have indicated optimum quantity of fertilizers and time of application are essential for efficient utilization of nutrients. Response of micronutrients like Zn, B and Mn has been noticed for increasing the quality and yield.

Owing to its large size and rapid growth rate ,bananas require relatively large amount of nutrients for high yields of quality fruits. Nutrients removed by banana is presented in table 2. A banana garden (4444plants /ha) may remove 637 kg N, 71 kg Table 2. Nutrient uptake banana Nutrients N, kg/ha P, kg/ha K, kg/ha Ca, kg/ha Mg, kg/ha S, kg/ha Fe, g/ha Mn, g/ha Zn, g/ha Cu, g/ha B, g/ha Mo, g/ha

Banana (4444plants /ha) Whole plant Fruits 637 2.11 71 0.24 1324 6.37 256 0.22 174 0.30 77 0.24 5900 850 g/ha 12500 500 g/ha 4700 450 g/ha 370 175 g/ha 1270 750 g/ha 20 trace

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Plantain Fruits 1.54(kg/ton) 0.22(kg/ton) 4.83(kg/ton) 0.14(kg/ton) 0.22(kg/ton) 0.14(kg/ton) 380 g/ha 200 g/ha 90 g/ha 30 g/ha 250 g/ha trace

P2O5 and 1324 kg K2O/ha. Application of inorganic fertilizers though increases the yield substantially but could not be able to sustain the fertility status of the soil and have caused several undesirable consequences in the fragile soil eco-system, leading to gradual decline in productivity.

Considering the present situation of soil quality and environmental security, it is necessary to go for an integrated nutrient management, involving various sources of organic manures, organic cakes and bio-fertilizers besides using chemical fertilizers in banana. Integrated nutrient management in banana are being practiced and experimented in various parts of India. A combined application of 100% recommended dose of NPK along with organic manures increased the pseudostem height and girth, minimize the days for flowering and total crop duration and yield attributes in banana. In today’s cultivation ,many commercial organic manures are being used because of their application in lesser volume and also enriched with nutrients.

Banana responds very well to applied fertilizers on all types of soils. However, the quantity to be applied depends upon soil fertility status at planting and the type of banana to be grown like Cavendish type or poovan type or plantain/nendran type. The FEBRUARY 2018

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Table 3.Fertilizer recommendations to banana in selected three states: State

Variety

Karnataka Kerala

Tamil Nadu

N

Poovan Dwarf Cavendish Robusta Nendran irrigated Nendran Rainfed Nendran garden land Other varieties garden land Nendran wet land Rastali Poovan/robusta

200 270 202 190 100 150 110 210 210 160

P2O5 120 162 122 115 200 90 35 35 50 50

K2O 250 337 253 300 400 300 330 450 390 390

I

ndia leads the world in banana production with an annual output in 2014 of about 29725 thousand tons from 802600 ha. Production and productivity in banana is affected by various biotic and abiotic stresses

fertilizer recommended for different varieties and in different states is given in table 3.

Nitrogen and potash are generally applied in five equal splits at planting, 45 days, 90 days, 135 days and 180 days after planting. Phosphorus is applied at the time of planting itself. For ratoon crop ,the quantity of fertilizers are same as main crop. For micronutrients, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru has developed Banana micronutrient foliar formulation called “Banana special”. This can be applied as foliar spray at 5g per liter of water and two to three sprays can be given at critical growth stages of the crop. Depending upon the response the number of sprays may be altered by the farmers. Another technique IIHR has developed is nutrient feeding through the distal end of the bunch peduncle after the removal of flower.

This results in enhancement of the bunch weight and also giving good shape to the fruits. The method involves tying a bag containing fresh cow dung slurry mixed with 5-7 grams of urea and sulphate of potash for Cavendish type and 2-3 grams for poovan type banana. This is practiced by many farmers in many states.

Fertigation - Supply of fertilizers through drip irrigation is becoming most common method these days. In this, fertilizers are applied through drip system at weekly interval or more frequently depending upon convenience. By Fustigation, the fertilizer requirement can be easily reduced by 25 to 30 percent as this method reduces losses of nutrients through leaching, fixation and other means.

Under integrating nutrient management following

Fertigation schedule of water soluble fertilizers for one acre tissue culture plantation of Grand Nain (6 feet X 5 feet spacing).

Days after planting

Fertilizer

Total quantity, kg

Kg/day/acre

Water required, litres per plant/day

1 – 45 days

19:19:19 13:0:46 Urea

100 Kg 80 Kg 40 Kg

2.22 Kg 1.77 Kg 0.88 Kg

4

46 – 90 days

19:19:19 13:0:46 Urea

120 Kg 80 Kg 40 Kg

2.66 Kg 1.77 Kg 0.88Kg

8

91 – 135 days

0:52:34 13:0:46 Urea

40 Kg 120Kg (100) 50 Kg

0.88Kg 2.66 Kg (2.22) 1.11 Kg

136 – 180 days

13:0:46 Urea

140 Kg (100) 40 Kg

3.11 Kg (2.22) 0.88 kg

181 – 226 days

13:0:46

140 Kg (120)

3.11Kg (2.22)

20

227 - 270 days

13:0:46

120 Kg (100)

2.66 Kg (2.22)

24

271 – 300 days

13:0:46

80 Kg

2.66 Kg

24

30

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WORLD of nutrient supply, synergism and improvement in physical and biological properties of the soil.

points are important:

•

Combined application of organic manures and chemical fertilizers generally produces higher crop yields than their sole application.

•

This increase in crop productivity may be due to the combined effect

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•

Locally available various organic sources like FYM , composts, vermin composts, poultry manures, green leaf manures, coir pith, press mud, and copper ore tailings (COT) can be judiciously used to enhance the yield and profitability of crops.

•

Application of Arka Microbial Consortium at the rate of 50 grams per plant at planting along with 100% recommended dose of fertilizers is recommended to get high yield potential of 65 t/ha.

•

Foliar application of IIHR Arka

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C

onsidering the present situation of soil quality and environmental security, it is necessary to go for an integrated nutrient management, involving various sources of organic manures, organic cakes and bio-fertilizers besides using chemical fertilizers in banana

Banana Special” at 4th,6th and 8th months after planting along with recommended dose of fertilizers is recommended to improve the yield and quality traits.

RECOMMENDED DOSAGE FOR FERTIGATION: To attain high yield in Banana, it is essential that all limiting factors in the cultivation are identified and minimized. One of the major impediments other than problematic farm soil and irrigation water is the poor knowledge among farmers about fertilizer application. Farmers are blindly following ‘blanket recommendation’ of Agriculture Universities & Research Stations without considering the native fertility of his farm soil. By following ‘blanket recommendation’, there are more chances of lesser or excessive application of fertilizer doses.

In other words, by applying lesser fertilizers ,the yield will get affected and by applying more there is avoidable monetary loss in addition to physiological stress the plant undergoes due to overdose and deterioration of soil health due to accumulation of chemicals in the soil strata. Farmers have to understand that the fertilizer recommendations for banana cultivation provided by Agriculture Universities, Fertilizer / Biotech / Drip Irrigation companies as mere guidelines and the correct method 32

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is to arrive at a fertilizer application schedule based on your field soil test reports. One of the general fertilizer recommendations for banana for fertigation through selected water soluble fertilizers is: all 19 (19:19:19) -220 Kg,MKP / Mono Potassium Phosphate (0:52:34) – 40 Kg,Potassium Nitrate / Multi K (13:0:46) – 760 (640) Kg. Urea – 170 Kg. If the farmers use only water soluble fertilizers like www.krishijagran.com

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19:19:19 or 13:0:46 etc then the total cost of fertilizers will be exorbitantly high. So instead of this, farmers can go for following suggestions:

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The entire Phosphate requirement can be applied as basal and as top dressing, directly as soil application at planting.

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Nitrogen can be given as urea and ammonium sulphate which are very cheap and fully water soluble.

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Potassium requirement can be met by using white colour MOP which is highly soluble when compared to red coloured ones which are normally available in market.

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Health

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The consumption of banana helps to combating from diarrhea, dysentery and promotes healing of intestinal lesions in ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Beela G.K, Associate Professor & Kum Sharadabai M. R

Research Scholar

Department of Community Science, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram. Emal: beela.gk@kau.in

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anana tree is the ideal to look up on when it comes to a no wastage policy.

All most all parts of the banana tree can be used the most obvious the fruit that we eat, but then there are other parts of the tree that has more health benefits. Banana flowers are called banana hearts for reason because they are very pretty. Hundred gram of banana flower has51 kcals, 1.6g protein, 0.6g fat, 9.9g carb, 5.5mg of fibre, and 56mg of calcium. Banana flower is also rich in phytochemicals like vitamins, flavonoids, proteins and has antioxidant properties too.

medicinal values such as stem juice is used in nervous affectations like epilepsy, hysteria, dysentery and diarrhoea. Banana also contains oligosaccharides such as fructose, xylose, galactose, glucose and mannose which making it an excellent prebiotic for the selective growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestine. The consumption of banana helps to combating from diarrhea, dysentery and promotes healing of intestinal lesions in ulcerative colitis. Musa paradisiaca’s roots are antihelmintic, flowers are astringent and fruits are mild laxative. The flowers are useful for treat the celiac disease, bronchitis, constipation and peptic ulcer.

Musa sp. (Musaceae) also known as banana is a familiar tropical fruit and important source of food throughout the world. It possesses numerous

Research evidence shows that consumption of fruits and vegetables will lower the risk of cancer.

Plant metabolites contain Phenolic compounds

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which are the most abundant and are an integral part of the human diet. Banana flowers having antioxidant activities, which display a wide variety of biological functions, mainly related to intervention in various stages of cancer development such as initiation, progression, promotion, invasion and metastasis. Studies found that bananas have curative properties both scientifically and traditionally. The extract of banana flower has antioxidant property that prevents free radicals and control cell and tissue damage.

WORLD Based on the main components of banana flower extract and its antioxidant properties, research study the anti-cancer activity of banana flower extract has been evaluated on the cervical cancer cell line HeLa. The antiproliferative effects were evaluated by MTT assay. The study conducted by Kempa, (2007) proved to be effective for cancer treatment.

We can make several dishes and beverages by using banana flower including salad, pakoda, banana flower curry, thoran, wine etc.

Banana flowers having antioxidant activities, which display a wide variety of biological functions, mainly related to intervention in various stages of cancer development such as initiation, progression, promotion, invasion and metastasis.

BANANA flower wine Ingredients required One banana flower 3 bananas without skin 250 ml grape juice concentrate Juice of 1 lime 28 g. lemon grass 800 g sugar 1 tsp yeast 1 tsp pectic enzyme 4 liters of water

Procedure Take a bowl and add lemon juice and two liters of water and boil it.

Add chopped banana flower, sliced banana without skin, and lemon grass.

Simmer it for half an hour.

Allow it to cool.

Strain the cooled mixture.

Add sugar to the cooled mixture.

Add remaining water and grape juice to it.

Add 1tsp pectic enzyme.

Keep it for 12 hours.

Check the acidity and add more sugar if needed.

Add pinch of yeast.

Allow it to ferment for 10 days.

After thirty days strain the mixture.

The wine is ready to use.

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Machineries

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K.P.Sudheer, Seema B R, Saranya S, Ranasalva N Centre of Excellence in Post-harvest Technology College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur-680656Kerala Agricultural University Ph.0487-2438331, 32, E-mail: kp.sudheer@kau.in

Spray Dryer

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anana is mainly grown in tropical, subtropical developing countries. This fruit is highly perishable in nature because of textural characteristics and high water content. While transporting, ethylene production from the bulk commodity leads over ripening of fruit, hence in all probability rotted fruit will be reach on destination. It holds only 5-10 days shelf life after harvest and is difficult for transportation.

The bulk of the banana, cooking banana and 36

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plantain are eaten either as raw, in the ripe state, or as a cooked vegetable, and only a very small proportion are processed in order to obtain a storable product. Post production loses of banana can be reduced by adopting various post harvest management practices. Banana can be processed into different value added products to enhance its shelf life and market value.

Processing is recognized as a way of preserving www.krishijagran.com

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anana can be processed into different value added products to enhance its shelf life and market value.

Banana Slicer Machine

as a snack. The pulp of ripened fruit also used as flavouring for ice cream or made into pudding, gum and beverages.

The ripened fruit is usually boiled and eaten as a snack, although in South India they are often dried and milled into flour used for dosa or confections. This gluten-free banana flour can serve as a substitute for wheat for those with specific food allergies. Leaves are used for serving and wrapping foods and the banana pseudostem is used for production of ethylene, paper production, making craft materials etc. In view of the above, it is assure that there is a good scope for setting up banana processing units in banana growing areas.

The role of technologies and mechanisation

the fruit. The ripe banana is utilized in a multitude of ways in the human diet, from simply being peeled and eaten out of hand to being sliced and served in fruit cups and salads, sandwiches, custards and gelatins, being mashed and incorporated into ice cream, bread, muffins and cream pies. Thousands of value-added products can be made from banana. In India and other parts, the raw fruit is commonly cooked into curries, soups, and stews. Vacuum dried banana are sold widely in Southeast Asia in sealed bags www.krishijagran.com

It is estimated that about 25.30% of horticultural produce are lost due to the lack of appropriate post harvest technology for handling, transport, storage and so on. In addition farmers have to sell raw products without adding value to the products. At least half of this loss could be prevented by using appropriate post-harvest technology and associated equipment. Thus, there is a great need for promoting suitable post-harvest technology and mechanisation to reduce losses, add value to the products and generate income, reducing the process time and employment in the rural sector.

The highly perishable nature of banana due to inherent composition and textural characteristics has limited its storage for a longer time which adversely affects its market potential. Considering the annual wastage of nutritionally rich fruits like banana wide variety of value added products, associated technologies and machineries were developed to uplift the banana processing industries.

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t is estimated that about 25.30% of horticultural produce are lost due to the lack of appropriate post harvest technology for handling, transport, storage and so on.

Twin Screw

Banana chips are a flagship product of south India. Traditional methods of banana chips making

loss of material (3.4%). This machine requires only one person to operate and has a capacity of 100 kg/hr.

Fruit Pulper Fruit Concentrator

involves major unit operations namely cleaning, peeling of fruits, cutting of fruits into slices, frying and packaging. Each of these unit operations are done manually especially due to the lack of appropriate mechanical system. At present the chips are made by cutting and slicing raw banana by knife and then deep frying in edible oil.

The method is unhygienic and does not produce chips of uniform thickness and may cause injury to the persons while slicing. But still the manual method of slicing is widely used due to the lack of efficient mechanical slicers. A women friendly mechanical banana slicer is used to slice the banana into uniform thickness. The mechanical slicer can be efficiently used in both small and large scale industries for slicing banana with minimum 38

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Banana pulper &Concentrator Jam is a product of intermediate moisture that is prepared using the pulp of fruits, sugar, pectin, acid and other ingredients that allow the conservation of such products for long periods of time, which allows the association of fruits to create new flavours. Pulping of ripened banana used for manufacturing mixed fruit jams and also for different shake recopies and cakes. Industrial mixer/ pulper and fruit concentrators can be used for the production of pulp extraction and jam preparation. Efficient pulping can be done by industrial pulpers and tasty jams can be prepared by using fruit concentrator that works on controlled temperature conditions. www.krishijagran.com

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Vaccum Fryer

Combo drier/ Blancher-cum-dryer

producing safe dried banana with minimum cost.

Among the many post harvest operations of agricultural products, drying is the most widespread and oldest method of preservation adopted throughout the world. Besides preserving commodities by the reduction in water activity, drying also saves storage space and reduces transportation costs (Greensmith, 1998). The dried banana can be used for the preparation of banana powder mainly used as baby food and also for the preparation of health mixes. The dried banana slices can be packed using vacuum packaging which has shelf life of more than six months. Dried banana slices were prepared by slicing the banana using banana slicer. Mechanically sliced banana can be dried by means of vacuum drier, cabinet drier, freeze drier etc.

Pre-treatment prevents the loss of colour by inactivating enzymes and reduce the drying time by yielding a good quality dried product (Kingsly et al., 2007).

Vacuum Frying Machine for Banana chips making

Blanching is one of the pre-treatment that are used to arrest the physiological processes before drying. Mechanical blanchers are available for blanching operations. Separate blanching and drying procedure is a time consuming and tedious process. It will also lead to increased production cost. To achieve efficient drying process with minimal time and operation cost is the main attraction of the blancher cum drier, which developed under Centre of Excellence in Post-harvest Technology The capacity of the blancher cum dryer unit is 18-28 kg/ batch. Efficient drying and quality dried product can be produced by this combo machine. Approximate cost of the machine is Rs. 2,00,000/-. This machine will be a boon to micro and small scale banana processing units for www.krishijagran.com

Banana chips contribute to value addition of banana to extend its shelf life. Deep fat frying of ripened banana increases the oil content and darkens the colour of chips since it contains sugar. Both

Pasta maker

browning and oil absorption during frying can be checked by novel frying technology and vacuum frying technology. Vacuum frying technology involves frying the ripened banana under reduced pressure. A vacuum frying unit with centrifuging system and the process protocol for vacuum frying of ripened were also optimised with its processing conditions like, pressure, temperature and time of frying. The advantage of vacuum frying is that the oil quality gets maintained and the oil can be reused more than 60 times. The vacuum fried banana can be stored for more than three FEBRUARY 2018

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he new trends in banana sector will not only help the farmers to utilize the perishable raw material but also generate more employment opportunities in rural areas. products are banana flour cakes, cookies, chapattis, etc. Gluten free pasta can be prepared by replacing refined wheat flour with banana flour using commercial pasta makers. The banana powder can be stored safely for six months. For commercial production of banana powder hammer mills can be used for pulverising the dried bananas and blenders will aid in mixing of flavours and other healthy components to prepare banana powder based health mixes.

Blancher cum drier

months under active modified atmosphere packaging using nitrogen flushing. The vacuum fryer is the machine which is associated with frying of ripened banana.

Introducing various tasty processed banana products in to markets is one of the good ways to utilise and value addition of banana. Osmo-vac-dried banana is an intermediate moisture food product, and is not only delicious but also conserves attractive colour and nutritional elements. This processed product has six month shelf life, which could reduce wastage of surplus ripened banana.

The peeled ripen banana were sliced and soaked in sugar syrup for osmotic dehydration and further dried using cabinet dryer/blancher cum drier.

The processing conditions like soaking time, temperature of drying were also standardised under Centre of excellence in post-harvest Technology.

Banana flour is one of the major by product of banana processing industry rich in carbohydrate and minerals. The raw bananas are sliced, blanched, dried and grinded to form powder. The powdered banana can be used in several traditional dishes and also it has wide application in bakery, baby foods and confectionary industry.

Banana flour serves as a raw material for bakery products and health drinks. Some of the major 40

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Modern consumers are trending towards healthy nutritive processed products and also ready to eat foods. Refined maida flour is the major ingredient to the pastas that are available in the market. Fibre enriched pastas can be prepared using by-product of raw banana flour industry. The banana peel powder from dried banana peel can be utilized for fibre rich pasta with an aid of a pasta maker. Fibre enriched pastas is good for weight loss, rich in anti-oxidants, reduce constipation problem. Banana flour can also be substituted instead of corn flour in ready to eat expanded products to enrich the nutritional value of the products.

A twin screw extruder is an efficient machine for the production of these healthy RTE products.

Diversified combinations of banana flour and other healthy ingredients such as Njavara rice, yarm powders, ragi flour etc can be developed at different temperature and pressure combinations by using this machine.

Banana pseudostem ,an actively growing aerial stem of plantain ,is often used as a vegetable for culinary purposes. The juice from this banana pseudostem is a well known remedy for urinary disorders. It helps in treatment for several diseases like kidney stone, obesity etc. Microencapsulation by spray drying technology is a promising technology for the production of pseudostem juice powders. Incorporating healthy components such as milk, horse gram along with pseudostem will help to enhance the nutritional value of powder and can be recommended as a healthy ready to drink mix. Spray dryer is an advanced machine used for microencapsulated powders from banana pseudostem. It will help in drying of heat sensiwww.krishijagran.com

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motes entrepreneurship development in banana processing sector in our country. This centre is organising hands on training on banana processing machineries, value added products from banana, project report preparation on banana processing units and other related professional assistance to make the enterprise successful and achieve higher growth.

Pulper

tive food components and economical production of banana pseudostem juice powder.

Various gender friendly machineries which are suitable for banana processing developed under the centre of Excellence in Post harvest Technology, Department of Agricultural Engineering, Kerala Agricultural University. The centre prowww.krishijagran.com

Many new process protocols for the production of ready to eat and ready to cook products were also standardized by the centre. These energy efficient equipment and viable technologies will be a boon to the micro and small scale processing industries to reduce the wastage of bananas. This will not only help the farmers to utilize the perishable raw material but also generate more employment opportunities in rural areas. The new trends in banana processing technology will surely improve the socio- economic security of banana growers, entrepreneurs, and processors in this sector.

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Nutrition

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Charmi Gala

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Dietitian/Nutritionist, Mumbai

hen it comes to bananas, most of us just grab them on the go; after all, as they are everyone’s favorite fruit and the perfect 100-calorie goody. So, how do you pick your banana fruit? Because, when you look at this fruit, you either think that, ‘oh, it’s too ripe’ or ‘too green’. A banana has two major stages, ripe and unripe. The nutritional value of a banana actually changes as it ripens? Different maturity stages of bananas give different health benefits to your body.

Also, a banana gradually ripens, they become sweeter in taste. But, why does this change happen? It happens because there is enzymes in the banana that breakdown into starch, which isn’t sweet in nature, into a new substance called sugar. These changes make the banana easily digestible.

Let’s determine the right stage at which the

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bananas should be consumed: Features of ripe banana Ripe bananas are yellow in color and often feature brown or black spots on their surface.

Pros of consuming ripe bananas • As compared to unripe bananas, ripe bananas are sweeter and better in taste.

• They contain around 8 percent starch and about 91 percent sugar • The resistant starch present in unripe bananas changes into simple sugar form as the bananas ripen.

• Yellow bananas are easy to digest since they have a higher glycemic index as compared to unripe bananas • When the bananas ripen fully, they produce a substance called Tumor Necrosis Factor or TNF and this compound is known for its anti-cancer qualities

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ndia is the largest producer in the world with a production of 40 million tonnes from an area of 4 lakh ha.

• Ripe bananas also have a high level of antioxidants which offer a host of benefits right from boosting your gut health to improved skin.

Cons of consuming ripe bananas • According to some studies, bananas tend to lose some of their micronutrients as they ripen.

• Since ripe bananas are sweeter than unripe ones, they are unsuitable for people affected with Type 2 diabetes.

Features of Unripe bananas Unripe bananas are waxy and green Pros of consuming unripe bananas • One of the most excellent benefits of unripe bananas is that they are rich in resistant starch content.

• Unripe bananas are ideal for people suffering from high blood sugar levels. Therefore, if you have diabetes but like bananas, then you should stick to unripe bananas.

• They are incredibly rich in probiotic bacteria, which is necessary for maintaining gut and colon health.

• Moreover, green bananas can absorb nutrients like calcium much better, and therefore they are always a good option for health-conscious people.

Cons of consuming unripe bananas • They contain around 40 percent starch.

• They are bitter and due to their low glycemic index makes them difficult to digest • The level of antioxidants increases as the fruit ages and therefore, unripe bananas are low in terms of their antioxidant content as compared to the ripe variety.

• Green bananas are also known to cause bloating and gas formation owing to higher resistant starch content.

All in all, both types of bananas come with a set of benefits. If you don’t have any existing medical condition, you should alternate between both variants to enjoy their respective health benefits. But in case you have diabetes, it is best to avoid ripe bananas.

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BANANA LEAVES AS MUSHROOM SUBSTRATE

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ike coconut, every part of banana plant can be used in some way or another.

In Mushroom farming, dried banana leaves are considered as a good substrate. First of all, gather dried banana leaves (still hanging in the plant). Soak the substrates in clean, tap water for a considerable period of time.

Dried banana leaves require 10 to 12 hours of soaking or overnight. Then haul the materials from the soaking vessel and allow excess water to drain freely. Arrange the substrates by tiding it in the middle with plastic straw to about 4-5 inches diameter. Cut the substrate to 14 inches length.

After arranging the substrate, put it across the bed foundation until the whole length of the bed is covered to form the first layer. Repeat the process for the other layers. Put bamboo or wood sticks on each end of the bed. This will provide strength to the piled substrates and prevent from toppling down. Drill small amount of fertilizer along with the bed at about 2 inches from the size of the substrates.

Plant mushroom spawns.

Cover the entire bed with plastic sheet to ensure temperature build-up and to retain the moisture required for the mushroom mold to ramify. No watering after planting for 5 days during the dry season or 7 days or more during the cool or rainy months. Water should be applied only when the mushrooms reach the size of corn seeds and the bed has become dry. On the 5th or 7th day after the incubation period, we can loosen the plastic cover to aerate the bed. During harvest, gently hold the stem and pull out the mushrooms from the bed in a twisting motion while the other hand is holding the base with your bare hands. Any portion left behind will decay and permit bacterial soft-rot to spread in the succeeding fruit, causing drastic reduction in yield.

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Pest Management

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Dr. Gavas Ragesh Assistant Professor, Agricultural Entomology, Banana Research Station, Kerala Agricultural University, Kannara (P.O), Thrissur, Kerala- 680652, India.

Mobile: 9495756549, Email:- gavas.ragesh@kau.in

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anana and plantains are the pristine sources of food which is rich in carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. India is the largest producer in the world with a production of 40 million tonnes from an area of 4 lakh ha.

The production of banana and plantain in India is hindered by several biotic factors especially pests.

They could be grouped into weevil pests, leaf eating caterpillars, sucking pests, nematodes, mites etc.

Among them weevil pests are considered major pests of concern, closely followed by leaf eating caterpillars.

Pseudostem weevil/Banana stem weevil (Odoiporouslongicollis) This major pest of banana was discovered during 1987 from Ernakulam district in Kerala and is reckoned as a sole source of yield loss in banana cultivation. As the name indicates the start of

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pseudostem weevil infestation commences from three and a half months after planting (MAP).

Banana cultivars like Nendran, Chenkadali, Palayankodan, Poovan etc.are prone to its attack.

Grubs without legs of nearly 1.5cm length with yellowish body and redhead along with its adult beetles are deleterious to banana.

Mated female beetles lay eggs with in air pockets of leaf sheaths and grubs emerge after one week.

They bore in to the stem while feeding profusely and makes extensive galleries inside the plant stem.

These galleries are filled with their excreta and chewed materials thus weakening the stem .Once they reach the inner pseudostem their attack causes irreversible plant damage. Initial symptoms include bore holes on the stem /sheath and sticky jell like exudation as attack progresses. Damage to inner core leads to weakening of stem and its breaking. If

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anana and plantains are the pristine sources of food which is rich in carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins.

their attack progresses to base of the bunch, it leads to bunch drying and withering. After completion of the grub stage, pupation takes place inside cocoon made of banana fibre. Adult beetles emerge after a period of 2-3 weeks.

Management 1. The field should be kept clean by removing plant materials including left over pseudostem after harvest as they may harbour different stages of pest.

2. Cut and remove weevil infested and severely damaged pseudostem and shred them into small pieces. They can be used for vermicomposting.

3. Remove senile, leaf spot infected and hanging leaves that acts as refuge for adult beetles.

4. Application of entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveriabassiana @ 20g/l of waterinto leaf axil and pseudostem is found effective.

5. Adult beetles can be trapped using pseudostem trap @ 1 trap/40 plants.

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They can be prepared by taking harvested banana stem of 1 feet length and splitting them longitudinally.Swab the cut surface of longitudinal split traps with 20g Beauveriabassianaor Entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) (Heterorhabditis sp.) infected Galleria cadavers and keep the other half over it fitting correctly.

6. For prophylatic control of pseudostem weevil leaf axil application of Entomopathogenic nematode(Heterorhabditis sp.) infected cadaver @ 4 cadaver per plant at 5th,6th,7th month after plantingalong with using stem trap swabbed with Entomopathogenic Nematode @ 1x109infective juveniles(IJs)/trap 5th month after planting onwards.

7. If holes along with frass material or jelly like exudations are observed on pseudostem, inject 20ml of active infective juveniles(IJs) of EPN @1000IJs/ml in to the holes as curative measure.

8. Apply Fipronil 5% SC@ 3ml/l or carbosulfan @ 25EC @ 1.5ml/l on pseudostem and basal application at 5th,6thand 7th month after planting.

9. In severe cases, for curative management, applychlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 2.5ml/l as pseudostem spray and basal drench.

A. Rhizome weevil This weevil though looks similar to pseudostem weevil, is of half its length.

Greyish black adult beetles and legless grubs are damaging stages. Their attack is confined to below ground rhizome.

The symptoms of attack include delayed leaf emergence, untimely yellowing of leaves and its withering followed by death and drying of growing shoots and plant. Weevil infested rhizome will have numerous galleries filled with black excreta and decaying tissues.

Management 1. Use only healthy and infestation free suckers for planting 2. Pseudostem traps can be used for collecting adult beetles 3. “Cosmolure�, a rhizome weevil specific pheromone trap can be used successfully to catch adult beetles. Specific care should be taken for placing the lure along with its trap for collecting both male and FEBRUARY 2018

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female beetles. Lifespan of a cosmolure is about 60days.

4. Keep the field clean and remove any infested corms.

5. Deep ploughing along with exposing the ploughed soil to sun helps in killing various stages of pests.

6. Sucker treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens@ 20 g/l +basal application of Entomopathogenic Nematode, Heterorhabditisbacteriophora @ 4 infected wax moth larvae/ plant at planting followed by two applications, 2 and 5 months after planting is most effective biocontrol method.

7. Application of thiamethozam@ 1g/5l or Fipronil@ 10 g/plant at planting followed by two applications, 2 and 5 months after planting is most effective.

B. Leaf eating caterpillars Banana is attacked by more than 6 different leaf eating caterpillars viz., army worms (Spodopteralitura), Hairy caterpillars (Pericalliaricini, Diacrisia sp., Lymantira sp.) Slug caterpillar (Miresadecendens) and lately Banana skipper butterfly (Erionota torus) etc. Symptoms include formation of short holes, circular patches without Chlorophyll and large leaf rolls. Under severe infestation the leaves may dry and wither.

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Management Collect and destroy egg masses and gregarious young stages of the caterpillar.

Leaf rolls along with the caterpillar of banana skipper butterfly inside, can be destroyed by beating with stick.

Destroy alternate host plants of these pests, which are mostly weeds in banana field, as they act as refuge plants.

Burning dry or collected heavily infested leaves in the evening will attract adult moths and they can be killed.

Foliar application of Beauveriabassiana @20g/l orSlNPV @ 250 LE in the evening is effective. Repeat the application one week later.

Among the biological control

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methods, foliar application of Btk @ 3ml/l (1x108cfu) wasbetter.

7. Foliar application of chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @3ml/ 10l or Flubendiamide 39.35% SC @1ml/l effectively reduced pest population.

C. Sucking pests Major sucking pests of banana includes, Lacewing bug, Mirid bug, Spittle bug, Aphids, Whiteflies, Thrips, Mealybugs etc. When present in high numbers, their feeding activities leads to formation of white spots on the leaves that later turn into reddish rust like patches. In advanced cases of infestation, leaves turn yellow and wither away.

Management 1. Application of Verticilliumlecanii (=Lecanicilliumlecanii) @ 20g/l onto both surfaces of leaf.

2. Spray 0.5% neem oil.

3. Yellow sticky traps (for trapping whiteflies) or blue sticky traps (for trapping thrips) can effectively bring down pest population.

4. ApplyDimethoate@1.5ml/l or spiromesifen @1ml/l for the management of sucking pests.

D. Root mealy bugs Root mealy bugs belonging to Geococcus sp. and Dysmicoccus sp. have been found severely infest roots of banana. Severe feeding leads to depletion of nutrients, decay and sometimes death of growing roots.

Management www.krishijagran.com

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Drench plant base with Verticilliumlecanii (=Lecanicilliumlecanii) @ 20g/l.

2. Drenching with chlorpyriphos 20 EC @ 2.5ml/l can done in case of severe infestations.

Plant Parasitic Nematodes Major plant parasitic nematodes like Root knot nematode, Root Lesion Nematode, Burrowing Nematode, Spiral nematodes and cyst nematodes are most prevalent in banana growing tracts. They cause characteristic root galls, lesions or death of tissues resulting in damages and death of xylem vessels which impair the movement of water and nutrients.

The above ground symptoms include stunted growth, formation of small and chlorotic leaves etc.

Management 1. Growing cowpea ( trap crop for root knot nematodes) helps in reducing nematodes population 2. Raising Marigold (Antagonistic to nematodes) and incorporating in-situ after plucking flowers.

3. Adding well decomposed farm yard manure@20t/ha to enrich soil.

4. Application of cartaphydrochloride @ 10g/m2 and Paecilomyceslilacinus@ 25g/m2effectively reduced the nematode population, increased the plant growth and bunch weight.

Red Spider mite Mites belonging to Arachnida group cause yellowing and drying of leaves by feeding plant juice under the leaf. Their infestation

commences during the summer and progresses through the monsoon. These 8 legged pests, mostly seen as red dots underside of leaves, sometimes form silk webs.

Nanma & Menma Tapioca based biopesticides

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enma and Nanma’, the two biopesticides developed by ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram is indeed a boon to the banana farmers to keep pseudostem weevil (‘Thandu thurappan’) at a bay. While Menma proves as a curative, Nanma is used as a prophylactic measure. Appearance of exudates from the trunk of banana is the visible symptom of pseudostem weevil attack.

Injection of Menma using a hypodermal syringe is the best remedy to kill the larval stages harbouring inside the trunk. CTCRI has developed an improvised applicator for banana stem injection. Whereas Menma, if sprayed in the banana orchard @ 50 ml per litre, the plants can be ward off from the invasion by this noxious pest. Two rounds of spray have been recommended at the 4th and 5th month after planting. Biopesticide extraction Plants have been installed at CTCRI with the financial help of Government of Kerala and the technical support of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Large scale field validation across the banana growing districts has undoubtedly proved the efficacy of Nanma and Menma in the control of pseudostem weevil. Dr. C.A Jayaprakash, Principal Scientist & Head, Division of Crop Protection is the leader of this project (9447138123).

Management 1. Apply wettable Sulphur@ 4g/l 2. Spray acaricidesviz., Spiromesifen or Fenazaquin @1ml/l.

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CHENGALIKKODAN a Divine Fruit to Fame and Fortune

Suresh Muthukulam

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Editor, Krishi Jagran Malayalam, email: sureshmuthukulam1960@gmail.com

uring every Onam season the Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple in Thrissur district of Kerala is flooded with an auspicious sight ‘Kazhchakkula’, offering of huge ‘banana bunches’ that bear shapely, golden yellow bananas. Invariably these are the “Kazhchakkualas” which are the exclusively grown Chengalikkodan nendran bananas. For, the Chengalikkodan is said to be the favourite fruit of the deity Guruvayurappan. Named after its birthplace Changazhikkode, the banana requires a lot of care and attention. The delectable fruit is known for its distinct taste and golden yellow fruits with fiery red patches.

The Chengalikkodan banana is cultivated in places like Velloor, Thekkeparambu, Aallur, Manaloor, Vadakkancheri, Mullukkara, Guruvayur, Choondal, Kunnamkulam, Velluray, Desamangalam, Thayyur, Nadathara, Erumapetty, Amballur etc. Although a lot of different varieties of Nendran banana are available in Kerala market, the Chengalikkodan holds a special place due to its unique taste and aesthetic appeal. This plantain is also extensively used during the Onam festivals of Kerala. The Chengalikkodan is also used to prepare a variety of dishes and snacks.

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Unique Agronomic Practices The Chengaikkodan is planted in the month of October (Thulam) from in organic mode which gives its unusual yellow colour and texture. The crop duration is ten and a half months. The size of the sucker for planting depends on when the Onam season arrives. If it is at the beginning of Chingam, big sucker is planted and if during the latter half small sucker is planted. Suckers of four months year old are selected for planting. Selected suckers are prepared by cutting at a height of 25cm and the roots are removed. The whole base is dipped in cow dung solution and smeared with wood ash.

Then it is dried for four days in sunlight and for 15 days in shade.

The suckers are planted either in pith of 50 cubic cm size or in ridges with a spacing of 2sq.m. 500gm of lime is added as basal fertilizer. A small pit is made in the mid portion of the pit taken earlier and the sucker is placed in it and fixed with soil around it. Then 10kg of compost, cow dung manure, leaf manure is applied separately or combined. And when the sucker sprouts 1.5kg each of groundnut cake or neem cake is given in three doses. After 40 days the pit is half filled with green leaf manure, when the crop attains growth stage of two months www.krishijagran.com

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MATATHUR a Hamlet for and four months 20kg compost or cow dung, 200gm Rock phosphate, one kg wood ash are also given.

During summer irrigation at least once in three days is essential. Suckers which arise from the base of the mother plant before the emergence of the bunch have to be destroyed then and there.

Plantain should be given adequate support as to prevent itself from lodging due to the heavy height of the banana bunch. The bunch is harvested 90 – 115 days after the formation.

The bunch is completely covered with dried banana leaves after 75 days of emergence. The dried leaves are rolled and kept in between the bunch and fruits suitably. Apart from general protection this practice helps in determining the space between the fingers also. Covering of the bunch, being a highly technical job is done by expert farmers who are well trained in this practice. In some places the covering is removed after 30 days and is again done fresh. A banana bunch generally weighs 13-23 kg with 12 fruits in each hand. Farmers used to sell ‘Kazhchakkula’ at Rs.1500-3000 a bunch, whereas traders sell them for as much as Rs.5000 a bunch.

Its demand shoots up during Onam season.

Chengalikkodan accorded GI Status Chengalikkodan banana variety has been accorded Geographical Indication (GI) status by the Chennai based GI status registry. GI is an insignia on products having a unique geographical origin and evolution over centuries. These products have special quality or reputation attributable to its geographical origin. This unique banana is sweeter than other nendran varieties. www.krishijagran.com

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atathur village, situated near to the temple town of Thrissur is a village ‘devoted’ to banana farming. Since 2009, the village has been supplying around half of the kadali banana variety, the major pooja requirement of Guruvayur Sri Krishna Temple on daily basis as part of the ‘kadalivanam’ project.

At present, around 90 per cent of the landholdings in the village have kadali orchards and everyday, 4000 kadali fingers are given by the farmers.

It is Mattathur Labour Cooperative Society that has taken the whole initiative to reform a traditional farming village. There are around 800 registered farmers and farm labourers in the society who undertake kadali cultivation in each house. Now, there are around 1 lakh plantain crops in the village; each farmer engaged in the cultivation gets a price of R2.50 per plantain.

On an average, 1 kg of plantain fetches around R50 per kg for farmers. Since the cultivation is based on a buyback agreement between the Devaswom and MLCS, the fluctuation in market prices does not affect the farmers and they get a steady income from the cultivation. Now, by using excess production, society produces valueadded products like kadali halwa, rasayanam (an ayurvedic medicine), jam, kadali payasam mix, cake and perfume.

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Value Addition

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Sreeja S Nair

Associate Editor, Krishi Jagran sreeja@krishijagran.com

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anana is grown in almost 150 countries and there are more than 1000 varieties of banana. In India it is the most common fruit crop. It is very popular due to its availability throughout the year. Thus it earned the name ‘common man’s fruit’.

Banana is usually consumed in its original form without converting it into value-added products and the paradox of the most abundant fruit in the market is that, the possibilities of products that can be made out of it is not adequately explored.

The most common value-added product is mainly banana Chips and in India its production is largely confined to the southern state of Kerala.

The introduction of tissue culture has contributed tremendously to the increase in the banana yield.

The shorter shelf life and high production point out the potential and need to develop innovative products. It is also a way to tackle the issue of excess production and to avoid wastage. The possibility of taping the commercial aspects of banana extends to various byproducts of plantain.

In India only less than two percent agricultural produce is converted to Value Added Product.

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of banana: Banana juice, ripe banana powder, banana biscuits, banana cake and banana baby food, banana vinegar, banana sauce, banana puree, banana jam, banana flour. Besides edible products from banana, there are other possibilities like use of banana stems for plantain fiber, banana leaves for serving food in commercial places.

In recent years’ banana fiber is considered with due importance. As compared to other conventional fibers, banana fiber is easily available in abundance but major chunk of the fiber is wasted.

Banana fiber is the strongest natural fiber. The strength of the fiber enables it to serve a good range of purpose. The striking feature of this biodegradable fiber is its durability. Apt technology can make it the best alternative to conventional fibers.

Plantain Fiber for textile production Banana trunks are cut down after the harvest of a banana bunch. This trunk rich in fiber is the most wasted raw material. Out of this trunk many products can be made, especially fiber for textiles.

Plantain fiber is also known as the new ecologically conscious fabric. Banana fabric is preferred due to its texture and sustainability. The best features www.krishijagran.com

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WORLD enzymes found in many plants) concentrations to form free radicals and thereby, self –bonding fibers are obtained to produce fireboards.

Production of Agro-Sack from Plantain Fiber The 90 percent waste produced from the plantain

of banana fiber are it can be spun in all most all methods of spinning. It is soft, breathable and lightweight. Moreover, it is flexible and dries quickly.

Okinawan, an island in Japan has a long tradition of its rich textile weaving industry from plantain fiber. They make plantain fiber cloth.

Many countries like China, Sri Lanka and Philippines are turning towards plantain fiber available from domestic market to meet the raw materials for textiles. They are turning down the import of conventional fiber due to the huge sum of foreign exchange.

Banana Teabags Tea bags are usually made of filter paper or food grade plastic. Plantain fiber can be used to make the tea pouch. The natural Sorbent is also biodegradable. It is more safe and clean then the conventional pouch. Use of natural and clean products in lieu of conventional products extends the possibility of market to the plantain fiber products.

Currency Notes High value paper can be made from plantain fiber.

It has a long shelf life of almost 100 years and it can be folded recklessly than the conventional currency note. Plantain fiber is the most ideal for making paper required for printing currency.

In Japan, it is used to print the currency Yen. Fiberboard panels Fiberboard is used for construction and for home furnishing needs. It is used for both interior and exterior needs. For making fiber boards, fiber bundles from plantain residues are treated with different laccase (copper-containing oxidase www.krishijagran.com

after the harvest of banana bunch is agriculture waste. This biomass can be used to produce renewable and agro sacks for industries. Plantain fiber is durable, when treated properly it serves industrial purpose like sacks for cement, moreover for the packing of agro products like potato, tomato, onion etc. plantain fiber plants are more suitable than the plastic and jute sacks.

The technology to harness the potential of plantain is the only solution to bring more and more quality and different products from plantain fiber. Moreover, it should be made accessible.

Only such a technological evolution can bring a difference in the way of harnessing the potential of plantain cultivation. Plantain is a crop with immense possibility and also it contributes to an eco- friendly world. Innovation in field of technology and ideas for utilization is the only way to add more to the list of value added products from plantain.

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Vinod Kumar Kodakkat CEO, Padivayal Enterprise vinod.kumar@padivayal.com

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anana is one among the main seven diverse crops that came to be grown in plantations the others being coffee, tea, rubber, cotton, sugarcane and tobacco. While each plantation crops are unique and different, all developed on similar lines. The earliest evidence of Banana cultivation dates back to at least 8000 years and comes from the Highlands of New Guinea. Banana began as a staple food crop but was transformed in the late 1800s into an important plantation crop. Initially they were only grown by small growers, who used their produce for their own consumption and for 52

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selling locally. In addition to providing food, bananas ensured income to the farmer throughout the year and played a key role as popular and large scale revenue earning plantation crop, it provided soil surface cover, reduced soil erosion on steep slopes and served as a principal source of mulch for maintaining soil fertility and improving penetration of water into the soil. Bananas also provided feed for animals. In spite of its economic importance, the banana came under threat posed by constraints such as declining soil fertility, pests and diseases.

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n plantations, inter-cropping banana with coffee is usually more profitable and resilient than the production of either crop grown as monocrops. Banana provides the coffee with shade, reducing stress on coffee due to wide variation in temperature within the coffee leaf canopy and wind damage.

Eventually worldwide demand grew to the point that over the last five centuries, plantations that represented the best of industrialised agriculture through their agronomic productivity and global commercial success were established in distant lands to meet the requirement. A few industry leaders and businesses from the powerful countries of the time setup large plantation companies that represented and practiced the worst of industrialised agriculture. They were responsible for the colonisation and propping up of dictators and “banana” republics through their control of the governments and the large plantations and their produce and huge profits by exploiting the land and labour workforce and the socio-economic conditions of the time.

While coffee started as a drink that sustained religious ceremonies, and then became the center piece of intellectual life across the globe, banana www.krishijagran.com

became the province of a few giant personalities.

The banana industry became an example of what unchecked corporate power could unleash.

Disease was rampant in the monoculture fields and to keep it in check, the companies applied pesticides liberally by land and air, sickening both workers and the environment. Disease and pests have been a bane since then but have been kept at bay by selective use of the best suckers and cultivars while planting, following good farming practices, monitoring of soil conditions to provide all the required nutrients and through integrated pest and disease management.

Plantation Practices Bananas grow best in areas with an optimal mean monthly temperature of around 27 degree Celsius.

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any aspects of agriculture production benefit from the optimum and efficient use of resources like manpower, energy, nutrients, and water.

‘Smart Agro’ Systems help enable these steps by providing solutions for agriculture, plantation and farm automation, precision irrigation, tree tracking, pest and disease identification and resource management.

leaf scorching. They have a high water demand, with approximately 25 mm. per week being the minimum for optimum growth. An average annual rainfall of 1500 to 2500 mm, which is well distributed, is considered the most optimal. However, with good management of available water, bananas can even grow in areas with mean annual rainfall lower than 1200 mm. Bananas require a deep, well-drained loam soil with high humus content. A pH range of 5.6 to 7.5 is optimum.

Good plantation practices are key to establishing and reaping the benefits from a banana field. The land is prepared by ploughing and rid of grass and rocks to ensure that the soil is fertile. The banana seedlings, either suckers that sprout from a mother plant or cultivars grown in nurseries that are resistant to bacteria and fungus are selected, cleaned, treated and planted in holes of the recommended size and spacing. Planting is done at the beginning of a rainy season, as banana suckers need 4-6 months of growth without water stress. Weeds compete with the banana plants for nutrients and water. This may lead to stunted growth of plants.

Banana plantations must therefore always be kept weed free. Different methods exist for controlling weeds and their suitability depends on the age of the plantation and availability of labour and funds. They include weeding by hand, hoe and herbicide. Mulching is done to reduce the amount of weeds, to help water to penetrate deeper into 54

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the soil and prolong its retention and also to return nutrients to soil as it rots, thus improving soil fertility.

Cropping Systems Farmers around the world produce bananas using different cropping systems. They vary based on the farmer’s ingenuity, methods and tradition under particular soil and climatic conditions, as well as their response to market opportunities. The markets are increasingly competitive and consumers increasingly demanding. The only solution has been to switch from conventional intensive monoculture cropping and production systems that cause pollution and impoverish the environment to sustainable cropping systems with good plantation management practices.

Homestead cultivation of banana along with multiple mixed crops in the available area around a farmhouse in small holdings is a common traditional farming practice with minimum capital investment, ease of monitoring and sharing of labour.

Homestead farming is characterized by improper spacing, inadequate use of fertilizer and pesticides, high productivity and longer crop duration.

Mixed cropping is an insurance against crop failure in plantations due to abnormal adverse weather conditions. Banana is cultivated as a shade crop for coffee, contributing to income in the initial years www.krishijagran.com

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of planting. Inter-Cropping in banana plantations with annual crops improves the fertility of the soil and can also be remunerative. Farmers with limited resources have traditionally multi-cropped their lands to minimise risks associated with growing a single crop and to ensure more stable subsistence in terms of food nutrition and higher incomes. In areas where rainfall is high, bananas can be inter-cropped with coffee, beans and other green vegetables without much loss in banana production.

Farmers should aim for 60–80% of the site specific attainable yield in order to achieve efficient use of inputs and good economic returns. Yield gaps between site-specific attainable yield and actual yields can be reduced by planting carefully selected banana and coffee plants at the right spacing; use of crop residues as mulch; application of mineral fertilizers to supply nutrients; control of pests and diseases; proper agronomic management i.e. pruning, weed control and drainage of the crops.

Banana and Coffee Inter-Cropping Banana is a key staple food and an important source of income for farmers who trade in local, national or regional markets. Small-holder farmers have discovered the benefits of growing bananas and coffee inter-cropped together in the same field. By contrast, coffee is a major cash crop for export, making significant contributions to national economies. Small-holders need to find ways to increase yields by intensifying crop management of both banana and coffee in their limited land holdings.

In a banana-coffee cropping system, the banana provides shade for coffee that is beneficial www.krishijagran.com

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in reducing stresses caused by extreme temperatures and strong winds. Coffee trees grow well under moderate, less than 50% shade, which can help improve and stabilize coffee yield and quality. Shade helps to reduce the occurrence of overbearing dieback in coffee and also reduce yield losses caused by drought.

Bananas and coffee can grow well together, but optimizing conditions for both crops requires careful attention of the required weather conditions, nutrient parameters and their management in order to avoid excessive competition between the two crops for light, water and nutrients. Suitable parameters and their typical ranges for the two crops are in the table below.

Establishing the best conditions for both crops require careful management of the soil and crop leaf canopies. If the shade provided by banana is too dense and over 50%, coffee yields may be reduced. Conversely, the yield of bananas will be less if there are only a few banana mats and coffee may be insufficiently shaded leading to overbearing dieback, a disease condition causing damage to the coffee plants reducing their productivity during consecutive years. Robusta coffee may even compete with banana so aggressively that the banana population decreases until banana yields are insignificant.

Banana and coffee can be planted at the same time in a banana-coffee inter-crop system. Coffee can be introduced in existing banana plantations. The banana plants may need to be thinned to provide sufficient space for the coffee trees. Banana can be planted in an existing coffee plantation. The coffee trees may need to be pruned and thinned to create FEBRUARY 2018

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space for the banana plants.

In plantations, inter-cropping banana with coffee is usually more profitable and resilient than the production of either crop grown as monocrops.

Banana provides the coffee with shade, reducing stress on coffee due to wide variation in temperature within the coffee leaf canopy and wind damage.

Banana also provides mulch to the cropping system and the soil cover that benefits both crops. The mulch improves root development in both banana and coffee, and improves availability of potassium (K) in the topsoil, due to the large biomass turnover.

The permanent canopy and root systems of banana reduce soil losses due to erosion and surface wash by reducing the impact of rainfall on the topsoil.

Soil Nutrients and Water Conservation Soil health and water conservation practices are aided by the inter-cropping of banana and coffee.

Whilst the broad canopy of banana can reduce the impact of rain on the soil and therefore reduce soil losses, terraces are used to minimize soil erosion where banana-coffee systems are planted on land with slopes steeper than 15%. Other soil and water conservation measures that are useful include bunds, trenches and cut-off drains. In addition, mulch cover from banana residues, pseudo-stems and leaves, and coffee pruning are valuable in areas with marginal annual rainfall of less than 900 mm. whereby soil moisture deficits are major limitations leading to a reduction in size and the number of banana bunches produced.

Monitoring and delivery of the required quantities of water at the right time clubbed with its optimum usage and conservation can be achieved by deploying “Smart Agro” sensor networks with 56

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actuators and dispensers. Key ambient and soil parameters like humidity, temperature etc. are sensed to gather the information on the needs of plants and crops to provide the inputs and interventions.

Organic inputs and mineral fertilizers are very important for a good yield. To get the maximum benefit from fertilizers, the farmer should apply the right fertilizer at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place. All plants require an adequate supply of nutrients to grow and yield well and banana and coffee are no exception. For example, young plants require phosphorus for good root establishment and growth, and mature plants require potassium for effective flowering and fruit filling.

Monitoring and providing nutrition in a timely manner as the banana plant grows and takes up nutrients from soil is important for the health of the plant and quality of the produce. A large amount of the nutrients taken up from the soil by a banana plant goes into the fruits or bunch. Most of the banana fruits are sold to urban centres and they go with the nutrients especially in the peel.

The way to maintain soil fertility is by regularly or continuously monitoring the soil using the planting experience of the farmer and by deploying “Smart Agro” technology in the fields and putting back nutrients in the form of fertilisers either organic or inorganic. If fertility is not maintained in this way, even the most fertile soils will gradually get depleted and become unproductive.

Bananas have a high demand for Nitrogen (N) and Potassium (K) to maintain high yields. Phosphorus (P), Magnesium (Mg) and Calcium (Ca) are vital but required in small quantities. These can be supplied by planting on fertile soils or applying fertilisers regularly. These nutrient elements play www.krishijagran.com

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n addition to providing food, bananas ensured income to the farmer throughout the year and played a key role as popular and large scale revenue earning plantation crop, it provided soil surface cover, reduced soil erosion on steep slopes and served as a principal source of mulch for maintaining soil fertility and improving penetration of water into the soil.

different roles. Nitrogen contributes to growth of a banana plant as a whole and keeps leaves green and healthy thus able to capture more sunlight to make more fruits or big bunches. Phosphorus helps the banana plant to have strong and healthy roots that will capture more water and nutrients in the soil. Potassium helps in moving the food and water from roots to leaves and bunches. Magnesium helps the leaves to use the sunlight captured to make food. Farmers commonly use farmyard or compost manure. Well rotted manure is placed in planting holes or on the soil surface.

If the supply of nutrients is insufficient, production decreases and coffee may be affected by die back.

Unlike legumes, which require phosphorus (P), and cereals, which require nitrogen (N) and phosphorus, both banana and coffee need large amounts of potassium (K) as well as phosphorus and nitrogen. Deficiencies of the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and also sulphur, magnesium and calcium, and the micronutrients zinc, boron and iron lead to the appearance of leaf nutrient deficiency symptoms in banana and coffee that can be detected in the field.

The leaf canopy, root system and mulch provided by banana help to minimize soil losses and improve soil moisture conservation. Inter-cropped bananas and coffee require an adequate supply of nutrients from the soil, recycled crop residues that also provide mulch and mineral fertilizers. Banana and coffee need to be carefully managed by pruning the coffee trees and de-suckering the banana plants to maintain an optimal crop leaf canopy of both plants. www.krishijagran.com

Inter-cropping banana and coffee reduces the risk faced by farmers. It is unlikely that both crops will be affected at the same time by pests, disease, or drought stress and market prices for both crops are unlikely to ‘crash’ simultaneously.

Pests and Diseases Pests and diseases can damage roots, stem and leaves of plants thereby affecting uptake of nutrients and water from the soil, movement within the plant and photosynthesis. Pests and diseases can also damage the fruits directly. The most important pests for banana are weevils, which damage the corm, and nematodes which damage the roots. For coffee, some of the most important pests are coffee berry borer, antesia bugs, twig borers, scales, stem borers and mealybugs, which can attack aerial parts of the plant or roots. The best way of controlling pests and diseases is by use of ‘integrated pest management’ (IPM), a combination of management practices together with the use of resistant varieties.

Smart Agro Solutions Many aspects of agriculture production benefit from the optimum and efficient use of resources like manpower, energy, nutrients, and water. ‘Smart Agro’ Systems help enable these steps by providing solutions for agriculture, plantation and farm automation, precision irrigation, tree tracking, pest and disease identification and resource management. Automation, monitoring and remote management using sensors, IOT devices, cloud computing and actuators provides the required data on ambient and soil parameters. The system gives all the necessary information on the health FEBRUARY 2018

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needs of plants and crops for their care and timely interventions. It takes care of adaptive optimum automatic delivery of water and nutrients to plants and crops with conservation of natural resources. ‘Smart Agro’ Apps harnesses the power of IT, the internet cloud, knowledge management systems and online expert advisory and discussion groups to aid in pest and disease identification and interventions. It provides learning and evolving smart 58

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system where an on-line community creates their own expert and peer networks and interest groups in which members collaborate with each other to identify damaging plant pests and diseases. By using mobile devices to share images of pests and disease conditions along with other related information, individuals draw on the collective knowledge of their networks to identify and take corrective actions.

The process and information are documented and www.krishijagran.com

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stored as records in a search-able database.

People working in the agricultural sector, especially in plantations need to identify plant pests and diseases every day during field work and periodic inspections in order to make decisions about how to manage them. Many pests and diseases are difficult to identify and the persons who find them in the field are often not well versed or knowledgeable enough and usually a long way from the experts who can help with identification. The longer it takes to identify a pest the more damage it is likely to cause. Delays in identification can affect our ability to eradicate or contain the pest. The same applies for disease identification and interventions to eliminate them.

Padivayal Enterprise www.padivayal.com promotes the use of innovative emerging technology based smart solutions through its “V-PAD” and “IoT-A” platform products and devices, bespoke services and support programs. ‘Smart Agro’ technologies are currently being implemented at Kusumam (J), Ketharam and Padivayal-V Estates owned by Dr. K. Janardanan, Mrs. A.K. Nalini, both octogenarians, and the author in Padivayal, Wayanad, Kerala, India. All these estates were earlier a part of the erstwhile Padivayal Plantations, established in 1929, a pioneer in growing plantation crops mainly coffee, pepper and spices with several inter-crops in Wayanad.

About: Vinod Kumar Kodakkat, CEO, Padivayal Enterprise, has a Masters Degrees in Science and Technology from BITS Pilani and IIT Madras and brings over three decades of business and technology experience with a unique blend of entrepreneurial, techno-management and marketing skills. Vinod Kumar has leadership experience in Corporates, SMEs and Startups with interests in emerging technologies and applications in the areas of Information Technology, Embedded Systems, Automation, Healthcare, Plantations and Permaculture.

References: Wairegi, L.W.I., van Asten, P.J.A., Giller, K.E. & Fairhurst, T. (2016) Banana–coffee system cropping guide. Africa Soil Health Consortium, Nairobi.

Plantation Crops, Plunder and Power: Evolution and exploitation (Earthscan Food and Agriculture) 1st Edition,

by James F. Hancock Banana Production Manual: A guide to successful banana production in. I. I. Uganda. Editors: Wilberforce K. Tushemerehe. Imelda N. Kashaija. William Tinzaara. Cadme Nankinga. Stephen New. Fit edition.

2001 Smart Agro Technology for Coffee Plantations, Vinod Kumar Kodakkat, Dr. Srinath Ramamoorthy, Agriculture World, Volume 3, Issue 11, November 2017 Pg. 38 – 43.

Surveillance based pest and disease management in crop plants, C.K. Peethambaran, P. Reghunath, Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala. www.krishijagran.com

Krishi Jagran Face book pages reaches more than one crore people Visit : https://www.facebook.com/krishi.jagran/ https://www.facebook.com/kerala.krishijagran/

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Success Story

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Harvesting Happiness FROM BANANA

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id you ever think of the vast and different varieties of banana available when you go for buying your favourite fruit? Here, a farmer from the suburbs of Trivandrum has been passionately collecting varieties of banana for the last five years. Vinod Sahadevan, a native of Parassala ventured into farming when he was just 12 years old. Now, he has owned a miscellaneous collection of 430 varieties of banana in his land.

Kadali, Kannan, Kattuchingan, Monthan, Sooryakadali, Assam malbog, Navako, Chammatti, Krishnavazha,Irachivazha,Perumpadali,Jahaji,.. the list goes on. When he starts speaking about the different varieties of banana in his collection we would wonder how much aware we are about this type of quiet revolution happening in agriculture.

“Farming is fascinating. It is sheer happiness and the experiences that I acquire from here that defines my life and not aiming any kind of profit”, says Vinod.

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One may wonder how he can do all these without expecting any kind of profit. It is his ardent passion for farming and innate ability to take up challenges is his secret code for success.

Once he approached State Banana Research Station situated in Kannara for a unique variety and that has changed his whole attitude towards the system.

He was not ready to ignore the discouraging usual responses from the authority. Vinod went places across the state and collect almost all the banana varieties available in Kerala. Now, his 2.5 acres farm is a green foliage of banana plants which includes varieties from almost all states of India including Assam, Bihar and Gujarat. Apart from these, many foreign varieties of plantain grow here surviving adverse weather conditions. He keeps adding new varieties, local and exotic to his collection. “I just love to collect new varieties and experience the journey,” he explains excitedly. www.krishijagran.com

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PLANTING IN BANANA TRUNK

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sually we use banana trunk for edible purposes. But apart from that, we can easily grow plants in these trunks. Make oval shaped cavity about halfway through the trunk with the help of knife. Remove the layers and excess material. Shred the bottom layer. And fill the cavity with soil up to the top. Then add the seeds. This method is mostly suitable for planting small shoot crops. This allows plant growth even during dry periods without irrigation. This type of planting also helps to minimize space and resources.

It is affordable since banana stems are readily available to farmers in almost all regions.

Due to their water retaining capacity, banana trunks once rotten can be used as fertilizers. We can also adopt this method for developing seedlings.

Vinod can identify any variety at first glance. A casual chat can make one realize that the man’s knowledge in the topic is quite deep rooted. Because of his craziness, interest and knowledge about banana, people call him ‘Vazhachetan’.

gressive Farmer Award by National Research Centre of Banana for his sterling work and dedication. “I am happy that I had raised different varieties and able to manage without demanding any compensation of relief from the State government or others”, he says.

Vinod doesn’t follow any kind of manuring and farming methods. “They grow the way they like”, he says. He has also made space in his courtyard for rearing chickens and is now planning to set up terrace farming. His son, Abaneesh, MTech student and father Sahadevan are the staunch supporters of his endeavors.

Sometimes this dedicated farmer’s words remind us “the ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings” Vinod S. Kodivilagam,PTRA82Parassala, Tvm - 695502, Ph: 9446400615

Limca Book of Records has recognized his strenuous efforts in 2005. He was also conferred the Best Prowww.krishijagran.com

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ant to escape from the hustle and bustle of the city or need a break from your daily activities, Mango meadows is an ideal choice. Just 34 km from Kochi, in a small village called Ayamkudy is the beautiful Mango Meadows, the world’s first agricultural theme park. Mango Meadows is the brainchild of Mr. N. K Kurian,spread over 30-acres of land ,where he has been pumping all his money just to grow trees and to fulfil his dreams. He spent almost Rs. 130 crores here .Now he is creating waves across the country and winning accolades for what he has created at Mango Meadows.

Fourteen years ago, Mango Meadows was just a barren piece of land with only a pond in it. Every summer when he flew in from Dubai, Kurian spent his time here, and one day he felt that the juvenile fish which were thrown out when paddy fields were being dried, need to be saved.

He thought of raising fish in the pond.

“When I tried to sell them in the market afterwards, I realised how the market ‘ill-treated’ a farmer”, he said.. He narrated an incident which prompted him to decide on dumping all o f

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them back in the farm.What awaits you inside the huge gates of Mango Meadows is a world of trees, birds, animals, fruits, vegetables, fish, cottages, Chinese finishing nets and what not. Spread across 30 acres of land is more than 4500 species of 40,000 plants. This majestic farm has many facilities for both adults and kids to enjoy a whole day with the family. It has lots of games and recreations for fun and relaxation. It is one of the most bio diverse pieces of land on the planet. The species of plants has sourced from different parts of the world.”I brought plants from Lebanon, which was very risky those days. The park is a storehouse of almost 700 varieties of trees from all over Kerala and around 1900 medicinal plants. One of the main attractions

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N.K. Kurian

M.D, Mango Meadows

of the park is the zodiac junction called ‘Nakshathra Vanam’ where one can find trees associated with one’s star sign. The visitors can water those trees associated with their star sign.

Here we can also found a virtual ‘Eden Garden’ about which we have read in books and religious text. One can discover a wide variety of

fruit-bearing trees from across the world here and take a stroll in the middle of exotic and rare fruit-bearing trees. Another feature is an animal farm where you will get to see foreign and local breeds of different varieties of cows, rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, bullocks etc. The farm also has four ponds, with a total area of about four-and-a-half acres. The main pond has facilities for activities such as pedal boating, water cycling, e-boats and rowing, and contains 39 varieties of fish, crabs and clams. Pearlspots, red snappers and shrimps are also raised in the pond. “Sarppakkavu’ is another major attraction of Mango Meadows. “Sarppakavu is preserved here with the intention of conveying its importance to the future generations. ‘Sarppakkavu’ is actually a gift of Kerala to the world to help protect us from the miseries of global warming and climate change.

Ropeway, bullock cart, tonga, e-rickshaw, golf cart and cycles are available to move around the park.

You can also enjoy a ride in one of the houseboats or speed boats, parked at the canal near the Valentine’s Corner ,that connects the farm with the nearby lake.

For accommodation Mango Meadows offers floating cottages, deluxe, premium and honeymoon cottages. The cottages erected within the park are carefully placed without disturbing the soft fabric of the environment. The farm also houses a cave cottage, which offers a unique experience. These facilities are priced between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 45,000 per day. It also has a dormitory which can house around 100-200 people.

In Mango Meadows, you can enjoy and experience the traditional tastes of Kerala. Since the farm has huge variety of fish available, you can choose your favourite variety of fish for cooking . The multi-cuisine Restaurant serve lip smacking dishes of your choice, be it Continental, Mughlai, North Indian or South Indian. The restaurant provides you the most stunning view outside while rel-

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before heading to the swimming pool to ishing on the delicious treats.. Guests refresh yourself till 4.45 which is the can also enjoy pool side dining.

How to allowed time for visitors.

The traditional country style tea reach: shop where you can buy the tea It is just 33.8 km from prepared using the traditional Cochin. The nearest airport Kurian is helping the farmers method of making the tea in a is Kochi International Airport, of the nearby three panchacopper vessel with firewoods.

46.7 km from the site. Alleppey yats by procuring the produces You can buy traditional Keris 27.4 km away. required for the facility from ala snacks as well. There is It can be reached via Kallarathem. He has formed a Mango an in house bakery, a Spanish Neendoor road from KotMeadows cluster for the purSnacks Bar, which offers traditayam. One can also reach pose which is sourcing the protional Spanish Coffee and an Mango Madows via duces from the farmers at market exclusive coffee shop that serves Kaduthuruthy rate. He also supports the local fresh brew. people who are working as the guides and employees of the farm.

The ‘Koottukudumbam’ is another concept which took shape in Kurian’s mind and The excess produces is being made available at the is under construction now. In this concept, an enorganic shop arranged in front of the farm.”My tire joint family can hire a mansion modelled on dream is to start Mango Meadows in all states of a traditional Kerala ‘Tharavadu’, comprising a India “,he said. spacious hall and several rooms, for their stay. A The farm is open to public and Rs. 350 is charged convention centre is also being constructed at the per head for a day’s picnic. For anyone who seeks site. The farm also has an Ayurveda hospital, spa peace and wishes to flex his mind and soul, Mango & massage centre and a gymnasium. Facilities for Meadows will never be a disappointment. horse riding, boating, fishing, swimming, ropeway, archery, shooting and badminton are also available. An exclusive toddy shop is another attraction.

Contact Number Kurian:-9072580500 There is also a separate pool for the day picnickers, email—info@mangomeadows.in where one can engage in fishing, boating or swimming,The evening breeze, chirping of birds and the cool weather are something which everyone will relish. The landscape is mesmerising especially Asha Sdasiv and when you watch across the fields from the balcony C.N.Remya .In the evening, you may enjoy the tea and snacks 64

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Dr. Narendra Singh Rathore Deputy Director General (Agril. Education) Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi

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griculture sector has given the status of priority to the Indian economy because directly or indirectly more than 52 % of the total work force is employed in this sector. Agriculture contributes about 14% in national GDP and responsible for about 12% export.

India has acquired status of first green revolution by increasing about 5 times grain production, 9 times horticultural production and about 9.5 times milk production. However, in the present context, Agriculture Technology faces new challenges of broadening scope of its operation for precision, conservation and secondary agriculture. Growth 66

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of Agriculture for sustainable development of nation and empowerment of farming community may be more important in present scenario.

The challenge of agriculture in the 21st century requires a systemic integration of the environmental, social, and economic pillars of development to meet the needs of present generations without sacrificing the livelihoods of future generations.

Natural resources are threatened, as people strive to get the most out of the land already in production or push into virgin territory. The damage is increasingly evident i.e. arable land lost to erosion, www.krishijagran.com

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WORLD ficient technologies and devices.

Most of the countries are facing the problems of rising temperature, melting of glaciers, rising of sea-level leading to inundation of the coastal areas, changes in precipitation patterns leading to increased risk of recurrent droughts and devastating floods, threats to biodiversity, an expansion of pests and a number of potential challenges for public health. There is a growing recognition of climate change as the most threatening challenge of the present era. Therefore, concerted efforts are required for mitigation and adaptation to reduce the vulnerability of Indian agriculture to the adverse impacts of climate change and making it more resilient. Furthermore, a transfer of knowledge as well as access to social, economic, institutional and technical resources need to be provided and integrated within the existing resources of farmers.

The year 2016-17 was very important and impressive for Indian Agriculture, as we have crossed the world record of production of 276 MT of grain production, 300 MT of horticulture production and 160 MT of milk production, however there is need to increase grain production to a level of 325 MT, about 210 MT of milk Production and 360 MT of horticulture production by 2022, in the year when we have targeted doubling the farmers income. However, in present changed climate scenario, we will have more vigilance and attempt for extra production.

salinity and desertification; water shortages; disappearing forests; and threats to biodiversity. We now also face the new challenge of climate change that will impact dramatically on the world’s ecosystems. Over the next 50 years, the world population is projected to increase by some 3 billion, primarily in the developing countries. Yet, even today, some 800 million people go hungry daily and more than a billion live on less than a hundred rupee a day.

There is a need to double the food production by 2025. This will call for raising more crops in a year thus limiting the turnaround time. Increased production will require more use of agricultural inputs and protection of crops from biotic and abiotic stresses. This will call for greater S&T inputs which will require development and introduction of high capacity, precision, reliable and energy efwww.krishijagran.com

World Meteorological Organization defines climate change as a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period. It is variation in temperature, rainfall, air flow rate and humidity. Climate change and its variability are emerging as the major challenges influencing the performance of Indian agriculture especially quality & quantity wise agricultural production.

Long-term changes in shifting weather patterns result changed climate, which threaten agricultural productivity through high and low temperature regimes, increased rainfall variability and rising sea levels that potentially deteriorate coastal freshwater reserves and increase risk of flooding. Climate change and global warming impact all sectors of human life including agriculture production. As a result production, productivity & profitability in Agricultural field are adversely affected.

The fourth IPCC report clearly brought out the global and regional impacts of projected climate change on agriculture, water resources, natural eco-systems and food security. Among the several highly populated regions of the world, South FEBRUARY 2018

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griculture is one of the most impacted sectors due to climate change. Presently we are having two major issues related to climate change either to mitigate it or adapt to changed climate. One of the ways adapted across the world is that of implementing Climate Smart Agriculture technologies.

Asia is categorized as one of the most vulnerable.

Although climate change impacts are being witnessed all over the world, countries like India are more vulnerable in view of the huge population dependent on agriculture, excessive pressure on natural resources and poor coping mechanisms.

Agriculture is particularly vulnerable to climate change in terms of its production, productivity and profitability. Higher temperatures tend to reduce yields of many crops and encourage proliferation of weeds and pests and also affect its quality. Thus the overall impact of climate change on agriculture is quite negative in terms of quantity and quality production. Climate change is also having a negative effect on yields of irrigated crops across regions, both due to increase in temperature and changes in availability of water. Rainfed agriculture will be primarily impacted due to rainfall variability and reduction in number of rainy days.

Climate change might result in price hike of agricultural commodities, feed supplies to livestock sector and consequently its products like meat , milk etc.

Climate Change Scenarios in Indian Agriculture Climate change is set to compound the complex challenges and constraints already being faced by agriculture. Like most other developing countries, people in India are also dependent to a large extent on its natural resources like soil, seeds, rain and water for livelihood and crop economy. Any ad68

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verse impacts on these natural resources will have repercussions on nation’s livelihood security & economy and widen the gap between the rich and the poor farmers. Adverse impact on agriculture due to climatic changes will have serious effect on national economy and livelihood. Studies have indicated a probability of 10-40 per cent loss in crop productivity by 2080-2100 in India due to increase in temperature, rainfall variability and decrease in irrigation water supplies.

It is observed that increased concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere resulted in warming of the global climate system by 0.74oC between 1906 and 2005. The mean temperature in India is projected to increase up to 1.70 C in Kharif (July to October) and up to 3.20C during Rabi (November to March) season, while the mean rainfall is expected to increase by 10 per cent by 2070.

The cases of ravaging and recurrent floods in the north-eastern states during 2002, 2003 and 2004 were quite severe i.e. a record 944 mm of rainfall in a day in Mumbai during 2005 incurred loss of Rs. 1000 crore and 1000 lives, the droughts in 2000 and www.krishijagran.com

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2002, which affected nearly 11 million people in Orissa and the drought of 2006 in north-east which left the people in peril amply indicate the climatic anomalies. During 2009, the late arrival of monsoon and erratic rainfall later affected rice cultivation in over 5.7 million hectares and 262 districts were declared as drought affected area. The western Uttar Pradesh was the worst to be affected with 68 per cent shortage in rainfall. In 2010 north India received a very good amount of monsoon rains; however the eastern part of the country (Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal) faced severe drought.

The year 2010 has also been the hottest year ever since the temperature measurement started.

The increasing temperature, change in air flow rate, relative humidity, deficit in rainfall and occurrence of droughts particularly in non-conventional pockets are evidences of weather aberrations indicating climatic risks and its associated damage.

Agriculture and horticulture, particularly in India with 2/3rd rainfed area, has been a risky venture with vagaries of monsoon and rainfall besides the interplay of other abiotic and biotic factors relatwww.krishijagran.com

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ed to changing climate. With simulation modeling studies ,it has been observed that a 20 C increase in temperature resulted in 15-17 per cent decrease in grain yield of rice and wheat in our country. The decrease in yield could be much higher beyond 20 C rise in temperature. Reduction in yield of wheat has been estimated in tune of 0.5 ton per hectare in India with 0.50 C rises in winter temperature. Similarly, with temperature rise of 20C to 3.50C the loss in farm-level net revenue is estimated in the range of 9 per cent to 25 per cent. According to World Development Report ,reductions of agricultural output by 30 per cent and about 5 per cent decrease in annual GDP are projected for India due to climate change in near future.

Impact on Agricultural Crops The major effect on crop is due to shortening of crop duration which is related to the thermal environment. Increase in temperature will hasten crop maturity which ultimately affecting quality and quantity of the crop. In annual crops, the shortening of crop duration may vary from 2-3 weeks, thus FEBRUARY 2018

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adversely impacting productivity and overall production. Another direct effect in crops such as rice, wheat, sunflower etc., is on reproduction, pollination and fertilization processes, which are highly sensitive to temperature, air flow rate and relative humidity. The indirect influences operate through changes in water availability and supply due to inadequate or excess rainfall and effect of increase in temperature on pest and disease incidence.

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potentially deteriorate coastal freshwater reserves.

Climate change may worsen these stresses including their comfort in water zone. In particular, temperature changes could lead to significant impacts for their thermal comfort. Changes in temperature and seasons can affect the timing of reproduction and migration and hence their strength. Many steps within an aquatic animal’s lifecycle can be controlled by regulating temperature, BOD/COD of water bodies and by changing of the seasons.

Impacts on Livestock Managing Adverse Impact of Climate Change Changes in climate could affect animal’s welfare both directly and indirectly, which ultimately affect milk, meat and other by-products. Heat stress can increase vulnerability to disease, reduce fertility and reduce milk and meat production. Drought may threaten pasture and feed supplies and its efficient management. Drought reduces the amount of quality forage available to grazing livestock. Climate change may increase the prevalence of parasites and diseases that affect livestock health. Good dairy practices become dream in such changed climate. Now-a-days, in the climate changed scenario, thermal comfort of animal requires more attention than feed and other welfare activities.

Impacts on Fisheries Fishery business in our country is in rising stage, however many fisheries already face multiple stresses including overfishing, water pollution and 70

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Since large areas of rain fed agriculture in our country serve mostly as a sink rather than a source of emissions. Therefore, there is urgent need to prioritize adaptation options in key sectors such as stress tolerant crops, storm warning systems, water storage & diversion, contingency planning and infrastructure strengthening and selection of appropriate technologies and devices for overcoming these problems. Alternative agricultural practices as adaptive measures should emanate from the search for indicative adaptation options with a focus on prevailing farmers’ practices in different areas with varying degrees of vulnerability (e.g. water scarcity or aridity) and other environmental constraints. Conservation Agriculture can increase the ability of small farmers to adapt to climate change by reducing vulnerability to drought and enriching the local natural resource base such as water, rain, soil and seeds. The promotion of sciwww.krishijagran.com

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limate Change Scenario in Indian Agriculture is also severe especially on account of its impact on crops, livestock and fisheries .India has made a start towards this direction, but more works need to be done in the near future.

entific agro forestry and integrated farming system forms a key component in the war against climate change. Agro forestry systems make farmers against climate variability and reduce atmospheric loads of greenhouse gases. Agro forestry can both sequester carbon and produce a range of technical, economic, environmental, and socioeconomic benefits.

Apart from the use of technological advances to overcome impacts of climate change, there is need to have a sound policy framework and strong determination on the part of the farmers & growers to solve its problems. The framework should address the issues of redesigning social sector with focus on vulnerable population, introduction of new credit instruments with deferred repayment liabilities during extreme weather events and weather insurance as a major vehicle of risk transfer. Concerned institutions at local levels (SHGs, Rural Credit Institutions, Agricultural Cooperatives and Producers’ Companies), national, state and district should be strengthened towards enhancing the overall resilience. Mainstreamed in the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, one of the eight missions set up under the Prime Minister’s National Action Plan on Climate Change, the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project of the ICAR has made an excellent beginning towards rendering Indian agriculture more resilient to climate change.

for vulnerability (climate, soil, water, seeds, crops, socio-economic, natural resources etc.).

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Establishing credible database as well as integrating techniques for efficient dissemination. This can be used as an input for macro-level policies.

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More concentration on R&D in locally-adaptable crops, management practices, input sources, decision support system (DSS), and models for analyzing the impact of climate change and mitigation strategies, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions in view of their greater vulnerability and impact.

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Develop and integrate drought, heat and submergence tolerant crop cultivers by changing planting dates to avoid terminal heat stress or cyclones at maturity stage.

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Improve techniques for different pillars of agriculture i.e. water (rainwater harvesting, micro-irrigation), nutrient (SSNM), energy (reduced tillage) conservation to adapt the crops to climatic stresses and also contribute to mitigation and educating farmers for the same.

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Adoption of location-specific conservation and management techniques (conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, cover cropping, in situ moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, locally adapted cropping systems etc.) for water efficient agriculture and demonstration of such technologies in farmers’ fields for application.

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Federating farmers’ traditional/indigenous knowledge on natural resource management and climate coping strategies with advanced indigenous and global technological interventions and finally increasing their talent for overcoming its associate problems i.e. varieties, crop management, resource con-

The Way Forward: Policy Options and Technology Intervention •

Standardize methodologies and technologies for vulnerability assessment and economical feasible climate- smart agriculture.

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Enhancement in the density of weather observatories by establishing appropriate devices such as rain gauges at block/village level and finally enable access to and efficient management of weather related information by modern tools like remote sensing and GIS.

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Institutionalize a mechanism to collect and collate micro-level information and data

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mproved implementation of Climate Smart Agriculture technologies in India is also imperative to achieve the vision of “Per drop, more crops” and “Doubling farmers” income by 2022 by “multi model interventions”

servation technologies, rainwater harvesting and storage.

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Manage climate risks through weather-based agro-advisories (forecasting of seasonal weather) and affordable weather insurance products. There is need to move from reactive (relief payments) to practice (promoting insurance) approach in dealing with climate variability and get rid of its associate problems.

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Harness non-conventional / renewable energy sources in agriculture and other allied sectors which contribute to mitigate climate change. There are number of renewable energy sources which are locally available such as Biogas, Biomass, Solar Energy and Wind Energy. These should be used on decentralized manner for enhanced use efficiency.

development such as biotic and abiotic stress tolerant varieties with higher yield potential (time saving, water saving and diseases resistance varieties), conservation of natural resources and improving agricultural inputs use efficiency. Development and institutionalization of adaptation strategy necessitate empowerment of farmers and growers besides developing competencies in acquiring knowledge, skills, ability and experience. Research priorities for climate change mitigation for the scientists are like Region specific impact assessment on soils, water, seeds, crops, fish, poultry and livestock, considering changed scenarios of climate, impact assessment on food quality and quantity, impacts on pest, diseases and weeds and their relationships with agriculture, development of climate responsive cash and horticulture crops, fish and land use systems and forecasting of seasonal weather and their applications and provide appropriate decision support systems for policy guidance and implementation.

An appropriate solution is to begin with such strategies that are needed for sustainable agricultural 72

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Quality Seed

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Dr. Murlidhar Sadawarti, SP Singh, S Roy, RK Singh and SK Chakrabarti murlidharsada@gmail.com ICAR-Central Potato Research Station, Gwalior (MP) 474006 ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, Shimla (HP) 171001

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he potato (Solanumtuberosum L.) is a major world food crop, next in production only to maize, rice and wheat. Short duration and wide flexibility in planting and harvesting time are potato’s other valuable traits that help adjusting this crop in various intensive-cropping systems without putting much pressure on scarce land and water resources.

Potato is the most important tuber crop, ranking first in volume produced among root and tuber crops, with an annual production of 381 million

tons grown on about 19.10 million hectares (FAO, 2014). The world average potato productivity is 19.98 t ha-1. Total potato production in India was 48.08 million tons from an area of 2.08 million hectare with an average productivity of 22.76 t/ha in 2014-15.

Rising number of working couples, rapid rate of urbanization, enhanced tendency of eating out of home, higher disposable income levels of people and important place of potato in fast food items,

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create an ideal situation for enormous expansion of potato consumption in the near and distant future. Estimated domestic demand of potatoes in India is 55 million t during 2025 and 122 million t during 2050. Demand for processing quality potatoes will increase from current level of 2.7 million t to 6 and 25 million t in the year 2025 and 2050, respectively. On similar lines, the food demand for fresh potatoes will increase from the current 24 million t to 38 and 78 million t during 2025 and 2050. Although, the demand for potato seed will grow nearly 2.1 time yet, concerted efforts needs to be directed towards providing desirable quality seed potatoes to all farmers at remunerative prices being the most important input of potato production

Importance of quality seed in potato Quality seed is one of the most important ingredients in successful potato cultivation. Shortage

WORLD of good quality seed is recognized as the most important factor inhibiting potato production throughout the world with special reference to developing countries due to warm climate.

The availability of quality planting material of improved potato varieties in adequate quantities, therefore, is the major issue that needs to be attended by respective national agricultural research systems. In potato cultivation, potato seed is the most expensive input accounting for 40 to 50% of the production cost. The potato productivity in India is low in comparison to developed countries due to non-availability of quality seed to small and marginal farmers.The average yield increase from the use of good quality seed is 30 to 50 % compared to farmers’ seeds. In most of the developing countries, the vast majority of smallholder farmers use farm-saved seed potato obtained from non-specialized seed growers, owing to the lack of commercial seed production systems or where they exist, to the high price of certified seed.

Farmer-based informal seed systems are generally unable to maintain seed quality or eliminate diseases such as bacterial wilt or viruses.

Quality seed demand: India requires at least 6 million metric tonnes of good quality seed potato for planting in 2 million ha area. ICAR-CPRI supplies about 2,500 metric tonnes of Breeder seed to different states and other organizations that can be multiplied to 1.6 million tonnes after two cycles of foundation seed and two cycles of certified seed, which comes to about 26% of the total requirement. It is, therefore, necessary to encourage both private and public participation for quality seed production to bridge this gap. Emphasis is being given to the following areas to expand quality potato seed production: (i) development & standardization of low cost and efficient mass propagation methods - aeroponics, bio-reactor technology, (ii) involvement of KVK/SAU for seed production, (iii) identification of seed village/progressive farmers

Table1 Year wise total seed production and supply at ICAR CPRS-Gwalior Year 2011-12

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Total seed supply (t)

598

445

2012-13

717

558

2013-14

543

392

2014-15

477

334

2015-16

583

440

2016-17

488

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for certified seed production. Formal system meets about 20% seed requirement of the country.

The remaining seed requirement is met by the seed produced by informal system.

Seed potato distribution in India In many states, the government has a policy of distributing certified seeds at subsidized rates to potato farmers and is, therefore, one of the factors affecting the area and annual production of potatoes. Usually state departments of horticulture/ agriculture have the responsibility of providing

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good quality planting material to the farmers. For the potato crop, the department purchases basic (breeder) seed from the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla. The foundation seeds are supplied to progressive farmers to produce certified seed. The department of horticulture buys back the certified seed to distribute among the farmers’ seed demand.

Major seed producing zone is northwest, states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and to some extent West Bengal. The seed produced through the formal system is not able to meet the demand of

Figure 1 to 4

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stimated domestic demand of potatoes in India is 55 million t during 2025 and 122 million t during 2050.

Demand for processing quality potatoes will increase from current level of 2.7 million t to 6 and 25 million t in the year 2025 and 2050, respectively

farmers in main potato producing areas as well as areas away from seed producing zones; specially north eastern India and southern part of India.

About 20% of the national seed requirement is produced through the official seed system. This implies about 97% of the seed planted by potato growers are of more or less substandard degenerated stock. In viable states very small quantities of seed are retained out of own farms or obtained from other local farmers. Small and medium farmers have higher dependence on produced ware potato however medium and large farmers purchases more seed from private seed companies / potato seed producers. Therefore crop health in some regions is satisfactory rather in other depending on seed quality. Poor farmers also tend to grow the varieties which have a lower rate of degeneration than faster degenerating varieties. In far eastern states and non-seed producing states, the resourceful farmers are able to obtain breeder seeds. This seed is used for 4 and 5 generations and is replaced with the new seeds when there is substantial decrease in the production. However, small and marginal farmer in these places do not replace their seeds some times as many as 20 years.

Role of ICAR CPRI, Shimla: In India during the last five decades, seed production has shown spectacular progress in technology development and production strategies. The improvement in seed quality and quantity is commendable. The Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) is the backbone of the formal seed production of India and develops the breeder seed by conventional (tuber indexing and clonal selection) and hi-tech seed production system (micro-propagation). CPRI is collaborating with other state agricultural universities and private seed companies to augment the production of breeder seed of important varieties to meet out increasing seed demand in the country. Presently 94% of the total quantity of seed is produced in sub-tropical plains and remaining 6% in hilly areas. India is the only leading country in Asia which has developed scientific seed production technology for sub-tropics by taking advantage of low aphid period and www.krishijagran.com

absence of soil borne diseases and insect-pest.Majority of the seed growers are producing and marketing potato seed informally following seed chain adopting partially or properly seed plot technique developed by CPRI. Five major stations of CPRI namely, CPRIC, Modipuram, CPRS, Jalandhar, CPRS, Gwalior CPRS, Patna and CPRS, Kufriare producing the breeder seed of potato.

Other important sources of seed are seed companies, market traders (again supplying seed from Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh). A few leading seed producers companies/cooperative societies in India are: a. Sangha group: Sangha Seeds has R&D tie ups with three European Potato Seed companies and has a number of visiting scientists and consultants from Europe and the US.

ICAR-Central potato Research station, Gwalior After development of the Seed plot techniques in late seventies for potato seed production, ICAR-Central Potato Research Station was established in October, 1978 at Morena and later shifted to Gwalior, MP in 1981 as one of the centre of breeder seed production by CPRI, Shimla. Since its establishment station has substantially contributed for the growth and development of potato in the region as well as the country. Initially productivity of MP was very low (140-150q/ha) which has increased during last three years parallel to national average of India. Present productivity of MP is 21.1 t/ha. The mandate of the Station is to produce breeder seed of potato to cater to the need of Madhya Pradesh in particular and other States like Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh in general which are the major potato producing states.

The station produces 500-700t of nucleus and breeder seed every year and supplies approx. 400500 t to different government agencies and seed producing farmers.

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hortage of good quality seed is recognized as the most important factor inhibiting potato production throughout the world with special reference to developing countries due to warm climate

region of MP during March and April every year.

Farmers further multiply the seed in Foundation-I, Foundation-II and certified seed. Punjab has become the major seed producing hub in the country and supplies seed to every part of the country. Agra and Farrukabad area of UP are other seed producing regions in the country. Farmers of the nearby region of UP and MP purchase the seed potato from the cold store owners every year hence quality assurance is at stake. About 80% of the seed planted by potato growers is more or less degenerated stock. Famers of Gwalior Chambal region can grow their own quality seed by adopting seed plot techniques developed by CPRI, Shimla as the region is most suitable for seed production in the country. The region can be developed seed potato producing hub in India as better quality seed can be produced in this region and increase their earning and standard of living from seed business. Only a few farmers have taken initiative for seed production business. But there is need to encourage the famers for taking this initiative.

Pre- condition for seed potato production and Climatic conditions of the Gwalior Chambal region Seed production area should be free from 78

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soil-borne pathogens like wart, cyst nematode, bacterial wilt, black scurf ,common scab and have a low aphid or aphid-free period of 75 days after planting the crop. The minimum and maximum temperature remains within the suitable range 8 to 28 0C during the growing season.

Gwalior- Chambal region is very much suitable for seed potato production due to its ideal climatic conditions for seed potato production. The soil of the region is silty clay loam to silt loam in texture.

The mean maximum and minimum temperature ranges from 18-340C and 5-200C respectively which is most suitable for seed potato production.

Mean maximum and minimum relative humidity 68-90% and 35-70% respectively. The intermittent rainfall in recent times during crop season also proved to be an added advantage during crop season resulting in very low aphid population. Fig 1-4 depicted the climatic conditions of the region.

Moreover Gwalior-Chambal region is free from major soil and tuber borne diseases like black scurf, common scab and also from late blight which is most devastating fungal disease of potato

Seed Plot Technique Central Potato Research Institute developed seed plot technique during late seventies which has revwww.krishijagran.com

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olutionized seed potato production in sub-tropical plains of India. The principle of seed plot technique is growing seed potato crop using healthy seed during low aphid period from October to first week of January coupled with integrated pest management, rouging and dehaulming the seed crop during the last week of January before aphids reach the critical limit.

Fagu in Shimla hills, the CPRI could produce breeders’ seed in new areas i.e. at Modipuram (Uttar Pradesh), Jalandhar (Punjab), Patna (Bihar) and Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). This seed is supplied to the State Departments of Agriculture/ Horticulture for further multiplication in three stages: foundation I, foundation II, and certified seed.

The development of the “Seed Plot Technique” opened up new avenues for potato seed production in Indian subtropics. In addition to Kufri and

Characteristic features of seed plot techniques  There should be a low aphid or aphid free

Table 2. Component wise breakup of cost of production (Rs/ha) of foundation-I, II and certified seed Component

Foundation-I

Foundation-II

Certified

Seed

98000

73500

59500

Farm Machinery

6500

6500

6500

Hired human labour

25800

25800

25800

Irrigation charges

6000

6000

6000

Plant protection

11888

11888

11888

Manures and fertilizers

21455

21455

21455

Certification and Miscellaneous charges

2000

2000

2000

171643

147143

133143

8582

7357

6657 139800

Total working cost Interest on working cost

180225

154500

Yield (t/ha)

20.0

20.0

20.0

Cost (Rs/t)

9010

7730

6990

Total cost

Transportation cost to cold store (Rs/t)

200

200

200

Cost of Gunny bag (Rs/t)

1000

1000

1000

Storage cost (Rs/t)

2000

2000

2000

Total cost of production (Rs/t)

12210

10930

10190

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Quality Seed

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I

t is necessary to encourage both private and public participation for quality seed production to bridge the demand- supply gap

period of 75 days after the planting of crop.  Adopt 2-3 years crop rotation to take care of soil borne pathogens.  Seed crop should be grown in isolation of 25 meters from ware crop.  Seed should be procured from reliable sources and must be free from viruses and soil borne pathogens. Cold stored seed of right physiological age should be used.  Crop should be planted by 10th October in Punjab, 25th October in Haryana, Rajasthan, Western Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and 5th November in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa.  Systemic insecticide such as Thimet 10G to be applied in split doses of 10kg/ ha at the time of planting and earthing up against sucking insects.  Pre-sprouted seed with multiple sprouts may be used, which ensures quick, uniform and early germination.  Inspect the seed crop thrice at 45, 60 & 75 days during growing season to remove off type of diseased plants.  Spray the crop with mancozeb @ 2.5 kg/ ha at 10 days intervals from 3rd week of November and spray Curzate M-8 @ 3.0 kg/ha as and when late blight is observed.  Spray the crop with Rogor (1.25 L/ha) or Imidacloprid 17.8%SL (0.4L/ha) alternatively at 15 days interval from 1st week of December to control the insect vectors.  Irrigation should be withhold in 3rd week of December i.e. 7-10 days before haulms killing in north-western plains and 1st week of January in north-eastern plains.  Haulms killing to be done in the end of December in Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh; by 10th January in Central Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and by 15th January in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa.  Harvest the crop, 15-20 days after haulms killing when the fields are in workable condition and tuber skin is hard80

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ened. Cure the crop in heaps in a cool shady place for about 15-20 days.  Treat the produce with commercial www.krishijagran.com

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I

n India during the last five decades, seed production has shown spectacular progress in technology development and production strategies. The improvement in seed quality and quantity is commendable

Seed plot technique for seed potato production The use of quality seed involves two aspects: whether seed of good quality and in large enough quantities can be supplied and whether growers are willing to use quality seed considering the cost—benefit ratio. Both aspects are related to market conditions. The only factor motivating growers to grow potatoes is competitive returns compared to other crops. If higher profits can be achieved, growers would be eager to get quality seed, and then seed producers could have a market for their product. Farmers of the region can form the group/ society and can do registration with seed certification agency for certification of their seed crop. By adopting standard seed plot techniques developed by CPRI and after certification for different stages of the seed by seed certification agency, seed growers of the region can increase their farm income by supplying the seed to famers of different regions of India. The component wise breakup of cost of production of foundation-I, II and certified seed is given in table 2

grade Boric Acid 3% solution for 20 minutes to prevent surface borne pathogens. Dry in shade and fill in bags, sealed and labelled properly and cold store. www.krishijagran.com

As there is increase in demand of quality seed of potato day by day all over the country, famers of Gwalior-Chambal region can grow their own quality seed by adopting seed plot techniques developed by CPRI, Shimla as the region is most suitable for seed production in the country due to its ideal climatic conditions for seed potato production. Hence,region can be developed as seed potato producing hub in India and farmers can increase their earning and standard of living from seed potato business.

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Interview

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Dr.Kalyan B.Goswami Director General, NSAI email :kalyan.goswami@nsai.co.in.

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ational Seed Association of India (NSAI) is the apex body of the Indian Seed Industry. The vision of NSAI is to create “A dynamic, innovative, internationally competitive, research based industry producing high performance, high quality seeds and planting materials which would benefit farmers and would significantly contribute to the sustainable growth of Indian Agriculture. NSAI is continuously working for voicing issues of prime concern of the Seed Industry & Policy makers of the country.

NSAI works towards globalizing the seed industry, harmonization of regulatory environment, promoting export of seed and investment in seed industry.

Apart from the above, NSAI is engaged in promoting international collaborations with stakeholders and industries. NSAI also does a lot of knowledge and skill enhancement of Human Resources through training & capacity building of agri-entrepreneurship, training & capacity building of Government officials and collaborative trainings with various institutes, organizations & universities. NSAI actively engages with all stakeholders for taking up issues of National interest pertaining to Indian Seed Industry. Excerpts of the Interview held with Dr.Kalyan B Goswami, DG,NSAI 82

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What is the current situation of Indian Seed industry?

The Indian seed industry is doing well. In fact, the present Government is very serious about the agriculture sector.The Indian seed industry is quite serious about upholding the quality standards at the point of time.

What are your expectations in the coming budget ?

We hope the Government announces concrete steps to boost seed exports from India. Also announce packages for promotion of seed sector in terms of setting up of new enterprises and seed centres for making quality seeds available to farmers at affordable rates. There has to be a organised micro and macro setup to ensure our farmers receive the best quality seeds.

What is the Progress in new seed Act ?

Matter is pending. We appeal to Government to take concrete steps in this regard.

How is the Seed industry growth in last few years?

The growth of Seed Industry has been appreciable over the past few years. The Indian Seed Industry, www.krishijagran.com

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at present, is estimated to be doing annual turnover of about Rs. 20,000 Crores vis-à-vis the global seed business estimated to be at Rs. Three Lakh Crores and is growing at a CAGR of 12%, which is an encouraging sign.

Which are the key regulatory bodies involved in seed import and export?

Directorate General of Foreign Trade(DGFT), APEDA(Agriculture&Processed food products Export Development Authority) & DPPQ(Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and storage) are the main regulatory bodies involved in seed import & export.

Is there any comment on Genetically Modified Organism?

NSAI is pro technology organization, however we strongly believe that any technology should come through proper channel and procedure. We believe that our farmers should have adequate awareness about the technology they are using. There should be no harm to biosafety norms. India’s Biodiversity cannot be compromised at any cost. Science and Technology should strengthen local ecosystems without causing harm to what exits.

Do you fell more investment needed in R&D and infrastructure for the growth of Indian Seed industry?

Definitely, I feel there is an urgent need to promote more investment in R & D and infrastructure. With the challenge of climate change staring at our face the role of seed becomes more critical. R&D in seed sector is the only way we can live up to the expectawww.krishijagran.com

WORLD tion of farmers. The stress should be on tailor made seeds to meet the uncertain challenges which are thrown at the farmers by everchanging climate and monsoons.

What are the agendas and objectives of Indian Seed Congress 2018?

The Indian Seed Congress, the annual forum organized by NSAI, has emerged as a much-awaited event to project the latest trends and views of the Seed Industry sector; voice their concerns; deliberate on the newtechnological advances and the barriers to technology development and introduction; showcase new product ranges and services and network for better business development. The Indian Seed Congress provides a platform for the Seed Industry to interact closely with technology developers, sector

development officials and policy makers.

This time the agenda of Indian Seed Congress is centered around ‘Seeds Beyond Boundaries’ for securing the life and livelihood of Farmers across the world; seeds which would guarantee high productivity and greater returns to the farmer.

As a part of World Seed Industry, the Indian Seed Industry is readier than ever to play a constructive and productive role for bringing Seed Community across world closer. The need of the hour is to give seed its rightful place as true ambassador of life beyond boundaries.

Interview by Imran Khan Special Correspondent, KJ, New Delhi

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Cassava

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Cassava Post Harvest Physiological Deterioration (PPD)

a Major Abiotic Stress

Sanket J. More, V. Ravi, Suresh Kumar J., Namrata Giri and Arutselvan R.

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ICAR – Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram - 695017 sanketmore1818@gmail.com

assava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), also known as tapioca, yuca and manioc, is a dicotyledonous, diploid (2n=36), perennial shrub belonging to the Euphorbiaceae, a group that includes agronomically important species such as rubber (Hevea braziliensis) and castor bean (Ricinus communis). The Euphorbiaceae group is distinguished by the ability to produce latex, although cassava is not widely grown for this purpose. Cassava is globally important food and energy source. Cassava production is constrained by many biotic, abiotic and physiological factors from planting to harvesting. Cassava is said to be achieving 15% of its production potential. Cassava storage roots, unlike all other crop tubers, suffer from a remarkably short shelf-life due to a post 84

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harvest physiological deterioration (PPD) that renders them unpalatable and unmarketable within 3 days. Storage capacity of cassava roots notably depend upon varietal characters, maturity stage, post harvest injury and handling, harvest practices and storage conditions. Cassava is a storage organ and it continues to respire and metabolise. Cassava undergoes considerable changes during storage.

Cassava deteriorates much faster than other tuber and tuberous root crops such as yam and sweet potato. Hence it is mandatory to provide suitable storage conditions. If not done so, roots of cassava exhibit discoloration in xylem vessels. Losses due to PPD are unpredictable and highly depend upon variety, climate and distance between producer and consumer. PPD mediated losses could be as high www.krishijagran.com

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Figure 1: Transverse section of a cassava storage root. 1 = bark/periderm, 2 = sclerenchyma, 3 = cortical parenchyma, 4 = phloem, 2-4 = peel, 5 = cambium, 6 = storage parenchyma, 7 = xylem vessel, 8 = xylem vessels and fibres, 5-8 edible parenchyma.

assava is globally important food and energy source. Its production is constrained by many biotic, abiotic and physiological factors from planting to harvesting. It is said to be achieving 15% of its production potential.

as 30%. Ultimately PPD encourages consumers to choose alternative supplies of carbohydrates.

Cassava Storage Root Physiology The edible cassava storage root is derived entirely from root tissue and therefore cannot be considered a true tuber as these are derived from stem tissue. Indeed, the secondary thickening of fibrous roots that leads to storage root formation may be an abnormal but advantageous phenotype selected for by man since domestication of the species. The cassava storage root is comprised of three distinct tissues: bark (periderm), peel and the edible parenchyma (Figure 1). The periderm (3% of the total weight) is a thin layer and is partially sloughed off during storage root growth. The peel constitutes 11-20% of the root (fresh weight) with the remainder (77-86%) accounted for by the edible parenchyma. The parenchyma colour varies greatly between cultivar and is positively correlated with the total www.krishijagran.com

carotenoid content of peeled storage roots. Cassava storage roots are primarily cultivated for their high carbohydrate content, which may lie between 85-91% of the total dry weight. However, as well as providing a small amount of protein (1.76-2.68% fresh weight basis), cassava storage roots are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Indeed, a daily consumption of just 125 g would provide 100% of the dietary intake of ascorbate (vitamin C) for an adult male.

PPD – a Major Constraint for Cassava Production Cassava is said to be achieving 15% of its production potential. Cassava storage roots, unlike all other crop tubers, suffer from a remarkably short shelf-life due to a physiological deterioration that renders them unpalatable and unmarketable within three days. Postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD), is visible as a blue-black discolouration FEBRUARY 2018

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Cassava

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WORLD Figure 2: Discolouration of the vascular tissue in cassava storage roots (a) on harvesting and (b) 48 hours later.

of the vascular tissue and an associated increase in fluorescence under UV light. It is temporally distinct from microbial decay, occurring before bacterial or fungal attack. There is a necessity to transport storage roots from the field to the market place, increasing the time between producer and consumer. As a result, PPD is evolving into a major constraint on global cassava production. Estimates of cassava losses due to PPD are rarely accurate and depend highly on variety, climate and distance between producer and consumer. That said, postharvest losses of cassava could be as high as 30% where PPD is the major cause. PPD also results in market price reductions on old roots and price mark-ups on fresh roots. Ultimately this encourages consumers to choose alternative supplies of carbohydrates, increasing dependency on imported food.

The enhancement of the shelf-life of cassava storage roots from a few days to two weeks could resolve 90% of the deterioration constraints associated with the crop and enhance its potential as an economic commodity.

and “vascular discoloration” for the commencement of PPD. PPD is a result of rapid oxidative reaction which commences 24-48 hours after harvesting, causing vascular discoloration. PPD significantly hampers roots quality. It was thought that enzymatic activity may be responsible for this. Preliminary investigation revealed the appearance of dark blue veins radial black streaks blue spots and bitter taste in cassava roots within 48 hours of harvest as a mark of initiation of post harvest physiological deterioration followed by microbial infection 3 to 5 days after that. Hence, PPD is hampering the export potential of cassava roots to abroad and prohibits foreign exchange income.

Figure 3: Discolouration of the vascular tissue in cassava storage roots (a) on harvesting and (b) 24 hours and (c) 96 hours post harvest.

Symptoms Blue to black streaking, black-brown discoloration, enzymatic reactions, disintegration of parenchyma storage tissues, bitter taste of roots, unpleasant odour and flavour followed by microbial infections are few symptoms of post harvest physiological deterioration (Figure 2 & 3). Root decay due to PPD is temporarily different than microbial decay which occurs before bacterial and fungal attack. PPD initiated with the development of blue black discoloration in parenchyma cells within 24 hours of harvest and gradually spreading to entire root. Root becomes unfit for consumption within 2-3 days. Two types of deterioration are observed in cassava: primary deterioration causing vascular discoloration which is the main reason for unpalatability and secondary deterioration due to microbial spoilage making it unmarketable. Many researchers have described discoloration of cassava roots as “vascular streaking” 86

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Mechanisms Responsible for PPD 1.

Role of Biochemical compounds: Cassava roots www.krishijagran.com

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exhibited increment in carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanins, phenolics, reactive scavenging species and enzymes (superoxide dismutase family, hydrogen peroxide, and catalase) when subjected to metabolic analyses 3-5 days after storage. PPD correlated negatively with phenolics and carotenoids and positively with anthocyanins and flavonoids.

High levels of ascorbic acid (ASA), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), dry matter, and proteins are correlated with overall lower rates of deterioration while at the other hand increment in the content of glucose, fructose and succinic acid at the time of deterioration suggested their role in deterioration of cassava roots. Given its use in visually diagnosing PPD, it is understandable that blue-black vascular streaking received much of the focus concerning research on the nature of PPD. Vascular streaking in cassava is characterised by the presence of an occluding compound and tyloses in the xylem channel. PPD was first identified as enzymatic after the inhibition of the process by heating to 53°C for 45 minutes. It is now generally accepted that streaking is caused by peroxidase-mediated oxidation of the coumarin scopoletin in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which gives a dark blue product of unknown structure. Additionally, scopoletin is synthesised via the phenylpropanoid pathway and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), a key enzyme in this pathway, is up-regulated after harvesting in cassava storage roots 2.

Role of phytohormones: Various phytohormones play pivotal role in triggering PPD. Salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) with its derivatives (collectively called jasmonates) are recognized as major defense hormones to control PPD. However, the hormones ethylene (ET), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellins (GAs), auxins, cytokinins (CKs), brassinosteroids, and nitric oxide (NO) function as modulators of the plant immune signalling network for PPD. In a microarray study aimed at identifying genes expressed during cassava PPD, the ACC oxidase was found to be upregulated in cassava.

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production of the highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH-) via the iron-catalysed Haber-Weiss reaction. ROS have long been regarded as unwanted by-products of both aerobic metabolism and stress metabolism since they are able to cause widespread damage in vivo via the oxidation of cellular components. ROS are normal products of metabolism and may be generated at various sites within the cell, although they are most frequently produced where there is a high rate of electron flow, such as chloroplasts and mitochondria. Based on these evidences ROS are seemed to be actively involved in PPD of cassava.

Methods to delay PPD in Cassava 1.

Harvesting causes severe mechanical damage to cassava storage roots, some of which could be avoided. Selecting varieties with compact, short roots rather than long can reduce mechanical damage triggered by both digging and removal of roots from the ground, thereby delaying woundinduced deterioration.

2.

Pruning of the foliage 2-3 weeks prior to harvest delays deterioration storage roots stored for 20 days exhibited 96% deterioration without pruning but only 4% deterioration when pruned three weeks before harvest.

3.

The simplest method for delaying post-harvest deterioration is to avoid harvesting altogether. By leaving the roots in the ground until needed, the mechanical damage caused by harvesting that instigates the oxidative burst does not occur.

4.

Storage in boxes filled with sawdust or coconut husk is also effective for longer shelf life. Packaging should be carried out as soon as possible, as a delay of more than 4 hours between harvesting and packaging sometimes may cause the complete loss of the entire produce.

5.

The most favourable conditions for storing fresh cassava is 2-3°C and 85-95% relative humidity, which delays PPD. Alternatively, roots, or pieces of root, can be stored at freezing temperature (< 0oC).

6.

Paraffin wax coating is the most common practice used for cassava roots, extending shelf life up to 2 months. Roots are dipped in ordinary paraffin wax for 45 seconds at 90-95°C.

7.

Breeding for PPD tolerant cultivars.

8.

The roots can be dried producing chips, flours and starch, or alternatively soaked or fermented to overcome the problem of PPD.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) Given that the exclusion of oxygen from storage root wound sites delayed PPD and that there is an ingress of oxygen into the root after harvesting, it was hypothesised that reactive forms of oxygen (reactive oxygen species, ROS) could play a crucial role in mediating PPD. ROS are derived from molecular oxygen via a series of reduction reactions that alter its electron structure. The superoxide radical (O2–) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are formed by subsequent one-electron reductions of dioxygen. While neither O2– nor H2O2 are highly reactive at steady-state levels, they act as substrates for the www.krishijagran.com

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87

Milkman

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THE MILKMAN

OF INDIA Hitha.S Dairy Extension officer, Panthalayani Block, kozhikode Dairy Development Department, Govt. of Kerala hithasanthosh@ymail.com There is always a purpose for every person born in the world. Some achieve this purpose in the life time successfully and their signature remain in the world forever.

A remarkable engineer, born in an ordinary family,lived an extra ordinary life,completed the purpose, or putting it exactly,the mission, successfully and is remembered with gratitude, by millions of people in the world ,is Dr Verghese Kurien â&#x20AC;&#x153;the milkman of India .â&#x20AC;?

Dr. Verghese Kurien, born on 26th November 1921, to a Syrian christian family at Kozhikode, Kerala, has taken a splendid step towards the upliftment of millions of Dairy farmers at Anand in Gujarat first and later at other parts of the country.

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His vision and mission regarding the milk procurement, processing and marketing has created a close network of the producers and consumers.

The milk that was produced by the farmers and that went through the hands of a few distributors had to reach the hands of millions of the needy consumers.These consumers were ready to pay for the milk and the farmers were in need of money for their produce. But there was no connection between the two.

With the launch of the Operational Flood programme, in the year 1970, an excellent networking was carried out between the producers and the consumers.This networking ,due to the Operational Flood and the cooperative movement in the Dairy sector was pionneered by Dr Verghese Kurien when he www.krishijagran.com

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remarkable engineer, born in an ordinary family,lived an extra ordinary life,completed the purpose, or putting it exactly,the mission, successfully and is remembered with gratitude, by millions of people in the world, is Dr Verghese Kurien “the milkman of India”

was working at Amul.This helped in directing the milk to the right hands and the right persons recieved the right amount of price.Thus,Everything started to get right in the dairy sector of India. This made our country self sufficient in dairy production.The production and the marketing of milk increased to a very high extent that it created a revolution in the history of dairy sector and this revolution is termed as the white revolution which is the result of the famous “Operation Flood programme”.

Dr Verghese Kurien made dairy farming, India’s largest self sustaining sector and the largest rural employment provider through the Operation flood programme. This is the world’s largest dairy development programme. The white revolution made India the largest producer of milk and milk products in the world. His contributions are so tremendous that he still lives in the hearts of millions of Indians .

The most important moment in the history of the Indian dairy sector started on 13th May www.krishijagran.com

WORLD 1949,when Dr Verghese Kurien came to Anand to serve his bond period and without the enthusiasm of doing it.No body knew ,not even Dr Verghese Kurien ,that this was going to be a drastic change in the history of dairy development in the world.He half heartedly joined the Government creamery on a salary of Rs 600 per month.Initially he just wanted to serve the bond and get away.But this did not happen ,what happened at that time revolutionized Idia’s dairy sector.

While working at Anand he found that the poor and illiterate farmers were being exploited by the distributors of milk.Polson Dairy ,that was established in 1930 was the only dairy in Anand district and Gujarath.Though their products were of superior qualiity, Indian dairy farmers were being exploited. Firstly they were not paid well for the milk.Secondly,they were not allowed to sell milk directly to the vendors.While working, Kurien got inspired by the leader,Thribhuvandas Patel who was working on the co-operative movement against this exploitation.

Kurien along with Patel started to work on co-operatives in the Khaira district.This led to the establishment of Amul on 14th December 1949.

Dr Kurien wanted a simple and easy to pronounce name for the Milk co-operative movement which was named as Kaira Disrict Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd (KDCMPUL)when started.A name that should include and help in the growth of the union.

Suggestions regarding the name were asked from the employees and farmers.Amulya was then reccommended by the Quality Control supervisor .a sanskrit word meaning “priceless”.The name was later changed to Amul ,to incorporate Union in the same.From there the brand AMUL-Anand Milk Union Ltd, came into existence. Dr Verghese Kurien owes the entire credit of making a small city Anand ,a world known city and the milk capital of India by starting Amul there and making it a brand.

The Anand Pattern eleminated the middlemen in the dairy sector completely, so that the milk producers recieved a fair share of the market price. This system terminated the exploitation of farmers and they started recieving the price they deserved.This resulted in an extraordinary improvement in both financial and social status of the farmer and his family.Thus the APCOS system of co-operative societies lent a helping hand to the overall upliftment of the dairy farmers.The organized procurement and marketing of milk,resulted in the increased production,procurement and sale of milk.

More than milk production, Dr Kurien had a deep understanding of the rural areas and his focus was on how to remove poverty.That is why FEBRUARY 2018

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Milkman

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WORLD • Order of Agricultural Merit (1997) • Padma Vibhushan (1999) Manthan (The churning) is a hindi movie made by the film maker Shyam Benegal with the story written by Dr Verghese Kurien and Vijay Tendulkar,in the year 1976 regarding the milk co operative movement,.It is set amidst the White Revolution of India.It demonstrated the power of ‘collective might’ as it was entirely funded by five lakh farmers who donated Rs 2 each.The film won the 1977 National Film Award for Best Feature Film in hindi and National Film Award for Best Screen play for Vijay Tendulkar.

Because of his valuable contributions to the Dairy Industry, his birthday, the 26th of November is now celebrated as the “National Milk Day”.

He has also inspired and motivated people through his books. His autobiography” I too had a dream”,is about the empowerment of farmers and the development of milk co operatives in India. “true development is not the development of land or of cows, it is the development of men and women” were the words of dr verghese kurien. he also said that”life is a previlege and to waste it,would be wrong.in living this previleged ‘life’, you must accept responsibility for yourself, always use your talents to the best of your ability and contribute somehow to the common good”.

He himself is an example for this.

he set up the co operatives with the farmers at the centre of the structure. He also did not tolerate any corruption.

Besides the Operation Flood,Dr Verghese Kurien has made many other contributions to the dairy Industry.

•

He experimented with ways to produce milk powder from buffalo milk.This was the beginning of the establishment of India”s first ever milk powder plant at Anand,Gujarath.

• He established the ‘Mother Dairy’ in the capital city, New Delhi.

• He also established under his leadership,GCMMF(Gujarath Co operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd),NDDB(National Dairy Development Board)and IRMA(Institute of Rural Management,Anand).

He was honoured by prestigious awards like: • • • • 90

Ramon Magsaysay Award (1963) Padma Bhushan (1966) Padma Shri (1968) World food prize (1989) FEBRUARY 2018

Dr Varghese Kurien had his last breath at Nadddiad hospital near Anand on 9th Sep 2012 at the age of 90. His wife Mrs Molly Kurien expired a few months later in Mumbai. She used to say that he worked hard but never brought work back home. he had a disciplined life and used to follow the principle of eight,“eight hours for dairy,eight hours for the family and eight hours for sleep”.

He was a person who lived for the farmers,who was touched by the poor and exploited life of the dairy farmers . He wished to change the life style of these farmers and was very succesful in achieving this.He could bring about both social and economic development in their lives.

India is obviously fortunate to have witnessed and experienced the revolution in the country,that changed the lives of millions of poor men and women farmers , in the sector of dairying.This is the most successful revolution of all times,that shines bright in the history of the world like no other of its kind-the white revolution and we salute the man behind this mission,who will be remembered forever – Dr. Verghese Kurien-the father of white revolution. www.krishijagran.com

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earls are considered as one of the most beautiful natural gems or jewels and which are produced from oyster. The biggest advantage in pearl farming is that it gets high prices in its market. In addition, its finished goods are light weighted and are not destroyed. If the matter of grafting is to be abandoned, pearl farming or business is relatively easy fishery business, in which artificial seeds are not needed (especially as it happens in marine crops).

The natural pearls are found in marine organisms, on the other hand, the formation of artificial or cultured pearls occurs when surgery is performed in the mammal (a type of cowries), making the nucleus, which starts the process of forming pearls.

Usually any shelled oyster can produce pearls, but in the oyster in which there are pearl lines or shell, i.e. the shell can cause shiny pearls on the surface of the inner chamber.

Basically 3 types of pearls that are available: Natural, cultured and imitation.Natural Pearls form when an irritant - usually a parasite works its way into an oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defence mechanism, a fluid is used to coat the irritant.

Layer upon layer of this coating, called ‘nacre’, is deposited until a lustrous pearl is formed.

A cultured pearl undergoes the same process. The only difference is that the irritant is a surgically implanted bead or piece of shell called Mother of Pearl. These ‘seeds’ or ‘nuclei’ are most often formed from mussel shells. Quality cultured pearls require a sufficient amount of time - generally at least 3 years - for a thick layer of nacre to be deposited, resulting in a beautiful, gem-quality pearl.

Lower-quality pearls have often been ‘rushed’ out of the oyster too quickly (sometimes a year or less)

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and have a too-thin coat of nacre.

Pearls can come from either salt or freshwater sources. Historically, saltwater pearls were rounder and had a better nacre than freshwater pearls, while freshwater pearls tended to be very irregular in shape, with a puffed rice appearance the most prevalent. However, improvements in freshwater pearl farming techniques have narrowed that gap, with freshwater pearls now exhibiting great roundness and deep luster.

The culturing process usually takes several years.

Mussels must reach a mature age, which can take up to 3 years, and only then can be implanted or naturally receive an irritant. Once the irritant is in place, it can take up to another 3 years for the pearl to reach its full size and nacre thickness. Of the pearls produced, only approximately 5% are of sufficient true gem-quality for top jewellery makers, yet a pearl farmer can figure on spending over $100 for every oyster that is farmed, whether a gem-quality pearl is produced or not.

Imitation pearls have a different story altogether.

In most cases, a glass bead is dipped into a solution made from fish scales. This coating is thin and may eventually wear off. One can usually tell an imitation by rubbing it across the teeth: Fake pearls glide across your teeth, while the layers of nacre on real pearls feel gritty. The Island of Mallorca is known for its imitation pearl industry, and the term “Mallorca Pearls” or “Majorica Pearls” is frequently used to describe these pearl stimulants.

Countries like China, Japan, Australia, South Sea, Vietnam, India, UAE, USA, Mexico, Fiji, Philippines, France, Myanmar and Indonesia are the major pearl producing nations.

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Technology

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NEW CROP PROTECTION SOLUTIONS ADAMA, a leading global crop protection company, and ALRISE Biosystems, a drugdelivery company focused on advanced microencapsulation of active ingredients, recently announced the signing of an R&D agreement to develop new innovative and sustainable crop protection products with ALRISE’s proprietary ImSus encapsulation technology.

Through this partnership, ADAMA and ALRISE aim to deliver new, highly effective crop protection products to farmers with a lower dose of active ingredients. ALRISE has been active in the field of pharmaceuti-

cals for more than 16 years. The collaboration with ADAMA opens a whole new range of applications”, stated Dr. VolkerRindler, ALRISE’s Managing Director.

Dr. Elad Shabtai, VP Innovation, Development and Research, and Regulatory Affairs, at ADAMA said that “the microencapsulation technology can bring significant benefits to the agrochemical sector, as it allows an increase of water solubility and bioavailability as well as a reduction of dosing frequency.

The partnership with ALRISE taps into ADAMA’s promise to deliver highly effective and sustainable solutions to farmers.”

BETTER IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT The management of the fields is done by the app which creates an interactive website just for you to enroll and manage your fields. You can give it the precise field location coordinates, or do it with a push pin in Google maps to trace the location and status of your agricultural land.The beauty of the program is that, once it knows the field location, it automatically taps into pertinent data relating to your irrigation schedule. For instance, the app pulls in rainfall estimates for fields from the National Weather Service (NWS) rainfall grid.

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roper irrigation of the farms is the most important element for a better farming. And now with the advancements in technology and with the pace with which agriculture is convolving with mobile technology, the world is coming up with new and innovative solutions.

One of them is a new approach for better irrigation management, comes from University of Missouri (MU) smartphone app. It’s called the Crop Water Use App, and it estimates for Missouri farmers (and maybe others soon) the best times to irrigate.One can visit the cropwater.org and create an account, download the app for free to find the farming solutions for their farms.

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It estimates evapo-transpiration based on solar radiation, wind, temperature and humidity readings from the MU weather station network. The app uses soil texture or soil mapping from the NRCS database to estimate water-holding capacity.Currently the program and the app works only in Missouri, but the management looks forward to take the application to the other states and eventually at the global level.

It also gives a chart showing water-capacity history of fields over the last four weeks and a summary table that projects a dryness index for each day in the coming week without rainfall.

Source : agriculture.com

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knowledge

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HONEY BEES world’s key pollinator

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n unprecedented study integrating data from around the globe has shown that honey bees are the world’s most important single species of pollinator in natural ecosystems and a key contributor to natural ecosystem functions. The report weaves together information from 80 plant-pollinator interaction networks. The results clearly identify the honey bee (Apis mellifera) as the single most frequent visitor to flowers of naturally occurring (non-crop) plants worldwide. Bees pollinate a third of everything we eat and play a vital role in sustaining the planet’s ecosystems. Some 84% of the crops grown for human consumption – around 400 different types of plants – need bees and other insects to pollinate them to increase their yields and quality. These include most fruits and vegetables, many nuts, and plants such as rapeseed and sunflowers that are turned into oil, as well as cocoa beans, coffee and tea.

Honey bees were recorded in 89 percent of the pollination networks in the honey bee’s native range and in 61 percent in regions where honey bees have been introduced by humans.

One out of eight interactions between a nonagricultural plant and a pollinator is carried out by the honey bee, the study revealed. The honey bee’s global importance is further underscored when considering that it is but one of tens of thousands of pollinating species in the world, including wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies, moths

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and other bee species.

Honey bees have become naturalized in ecosystems around the world as a result of intentional transport by humans. While feral honey bee populations may be healthy in many parts of the world, the researchers note that the health of managed honey bee colonies is threatened by a host of factors including habitat loss, pesticides, pathogens, parasites and climate change.

In San Diego, where honey bees are not native, they are responsible for 75 percent of pollinator visits to native plants, the highest honey bee dominance in the set of networks examined for any continental site in the introduced range of the honey bee. This is despite the fact that there are more than 650 species of native bees in San Diego County as well as many other native pollinating insects.

The study also nicely confirms something that pollination biologists have known for a long time: even in the presence of a highly abundant species that pollinates many plant species, we still need healthy populations of other pollinators for entire plant communities to receive adequate pollination services.

The reason for this, is that in habitats where honey bees are present, they nevertheless fail to visit nearly half of all animal-pollinated plant species, on average.

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ronounced as ‘keen-wa’ quinoa, an amazing cereal is a great wheat-free alternative to starchy grains. It contains about 65 grams of carbohydrate in 100 grams of grain.

There are two types: red and creamy white. It is grown in South America (Peru, Chile and Bolivia) for thousands of years. Quinoa is the staple diet of the Incas and their descendants.

In recent years, foodies have heralded it as a superior alternative to bulgur wheat, couscous and rice. Quinoa is actually a seed from the same family as beets, chard and spinach.

The UN named 2013 ‘International Quinoa Year’ in recognition of the crop’s high nutrient content. With twice the protein content of rice or barley, quinoa is also a very good source of calcium, magnesium and manganese. It also contributes useful levels of several B vitamins, vitamin E and dietary fibre. Cooked quinoa seeds become fluffy and creamy, yet maintains a slight crunch. It has a delicate and subtly nutty flavour, versatile for breakfast (as a cereal), lunch (as a salad) or dinner (as a side).Quinoa is among the least allergenic of all the ‘grains’, making it a fantastic wheat-free choice. Quinoa has an excellent amino acid profile, as it contains all nine essential amino acids making it a complete protein source.

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Quinoa is therefore an excellent choice for vegans. Quinoa is nutritious for children, as it provides protein and carbohydrate, and stabilizes amino acid content in their body. Compared to other grains, quinoa contains more protein, fibres, manganese, riboflavin, carbohydrate, sodium and energy. Besides, lack of gluten also makes quinoa a better choice.

As it contains low fat, bad cholesterol level is reduced, which in turn protects our heart.

Quinoa is high in anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, which make it potentially beneficial for human health in the prevention and treatment of disease. Quinoa contains small amounts of the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. As a complete protein, quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids – including the elusive lysine and isoleucine acids, which most other grains lack. Naturally high in dietary fibre, quinoa is a slowly digested carbohydrate, making it a good low-GI option.

Quinoa does not require as much water as other crops like paddy would do. Compared to paddy and wheat, quinoa plant need only 1/5 water. So, the plant can survive severe drought and unstable climate. Quinoa can be cultivated during both summer and monsoon seasons.

Normally, quinoa is not affected by pest.

QUINOA an Amazing Cereal

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