Amid the global economic slowdown due to Coronavirus pandemic, the government of India has been taking every possible measure to lessen its impact over Indian commodities and industries and emphasis on boosting agriculture sector into a self-sufficient and more productive mode. While the center is making every effort to fulfill the objective of doubling farmer’s income by 2022, the farmers of Andhra Pradesh has chosen modern and scientific farming in this series.
What is Grafting Technology in Agriculture?
Grafting or graftage is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The technique is most commonly used in the asexual propagation of commercially grown plants for the horticultural and agricultural trades.
The technique of grafting is environmentally friendly, requiring less fertilizer and pesticide use. Grafting is pivotal for farmers in India since it provides an alternative to unsafe methods of cleansing the soil.
More than 400 farmers of Andhra Pradesh have used graft technique for vegetable production. Through this technique, farmers are getting higher yield with the most amazing results.
Vegetable growers have tried to double the cultivation of grafted vegetables. Moreover, farmers are using more grafted varieties than traditional varieties. According to the farmers, the cultivation of this grafted variety increases the yield by about 40% to 50%.
Farmers can increase their Earnings with Higher Yield
“It is a technique of propagation to enhance plant growth by increasing the uptake of nutrients & developing resistance to soil-borne diseases with appropriate rootstocks. Brinjal plant is highly vulnerable to pests & diseases. So, we decided to tackle this first with the preparation of rootstock of nonbitter Solanum torvum (found mostly in graveyards) with the seedling of any high yielding variety or hybrid”, said L. Pugalendhi, professor of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
The study disclosed that the root of the grafts run deep into the soil, doesn’t need as much water, is resistant to nematodes & dry root rot and most importantly the plant duration can be extended to a year. There is a three-fold increase in yield over conventional seedling.
Moreover, the usage of grafting in vegetables is very beneficial compared to fruits and trees grown in a traditional way. Commercial varieties with good production, quality, and right output are the prime reasons for choosing this modern technology of agriculture. But you need to keep in mind that if the situation is not favorable, the production may get affected. Hence, the grafting technique is very useful for Indian farmers which contributed to the center’s vision of farmer’s doubling income by 2022.
