12-November-2022: High-Yielding Rice, Sierra Mixe Maiz, IFFCO’s Konatsu, ICAR-CPCRI, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal

12 November 2022

• China & Uganda Farmers Switch to Cost-Saving, High-Yielding Perennial Rice

  Annual paddy rice is now available as a long-lived perennial after more than 9,000 years of cultivation. Farmers can now plant once and reap up to eight harvests without sacrificing yield, which is a significant improvement over "ratooning," or cutting back annual rice to obtain a second, weaker harvest. "Farmers are adopting the new perennial rice because it is economically beneficial to them. Farmers in China, like farmers everywhere, are getting older. Everyone is moving to the cities, and young people are leaving. Rice cultivation is a time-consuming and expensive endeavour. 

• Sierra Mixe Maize: This Unique Corn Variety from Mexico May Cut Fertilisers Use

  When researchers first saw the Sierra Mixe maize, they were amazed by its ability to grow up to 16 feet without the use of fertilizers. According to a 2018 article in The Atlantic, scientists from the University of California, Davis, spent years researching before discovering that the secret to this endemic maize's growth was its aerial roots. Nitrogen is required for the growth of almost all plants. With the help of microbes found in their roots, they convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable ammonia. 

• IFFCO’s Konatsu: A Crop-Friendly Broad-Spectrum Insecticide

  A broad-spectrum pesticide is a potent pesticide that kills whole groups or species of organisms known to be harmful to plants. A non-selective pesticide is another name for a broad-spectrum insecticide. Broad-spectrum pesticides, as opposed to narrow-spectrum pesticides, may target vast amounts of crops at the same time, which may be plagued by more than one species of pest, and are thus widely utilized by farmers who require a quick-acting, assured remedy to an unknown problem.

• Wheat Planting in India Is Gaining Traction With Area Increasing by Over 10%

  According to the most recent figures from the Agricultural Ministry released on Friday, Indian farmers have planted wheat on 4.5 million hectares since the start of the current sowing season in October, an increase of 9.7% from a year earlier. With additional data from state governments, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare will continue to update the preliminary crop sowing estimates. The Northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and the Central state of Madhya Pradesh are where wheat is mostly grown. The planting estimates are also susceptible to change based on the weather.

• ICAR-CPCRI Develops New High-Yielding Coconut Cultivar

  The new variety, designated particularly for the root (wilt) disease-prone tract and given the name Kalpa Vajra (in honour of the regional station's platinum jubilee), has an annual average output of 80.1 nuts/palm. The average annual production of 158 nuts is produced by a healthy palm tree, compared to 65 nuts by a damaged palm. The All India Coordinated Research Projects (Palms) advised that Kalpa Vajra be published in September. The Central Variety Release Committee will shortly notify the public about Kalpa Vajra's release, according to representatives of the ICAR-CPCRI, Regional Station, Kayamkulam.

• Sugarcane Price Hiked by Rs 380 per Quintal: Announces Agri Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal

  The Punjab government issued a notification regarding a Rs 380 per quintal increase in the prices of sugarcanes on Friday. In the statement issued during the financial year 2022-23, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that the government increased the price of advanced quality sugarcane to Rs 380 per quintal, medium quality at Rs 370, and late quality Rs 365 per quintal. He further informed that the state government's share of Rs 50 per quintal will be directly deposited in the accounts of sugarcane farmers and all sugar mills will start crushing sugarcane from November 20.

• Farmers Protest in Front of Tanda & Dasuya Residence of Ministers; Demand New Sugar Mills

  Farmers arriving on trailers loaded with sugarcane began staging a dharna in front of Tanda MLA Jasveer Singh Raja's house, led by Doaba Kisan Committee- Punjab chief Jangveer Singh Chouhan. A similar dharna has begun in front of Dasuya MLA Karambir Singh Ghuman's home. Protesters chanted slogans against the Punjab government, accusing it of breaking promises. However, neither MLA was present in their home as they are in Gujarat to campaign for elections.