The former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, R.R. Hanchinal, has emphasised the need for the conservation of traditional crop varieties that had been preserved and cultivated by previous generations.
Inaugurating the Seed Mela organised as part of the annual Krishi Mela at the University of Agricultural Sciences in Dharwad on Friday, Prof. Hanchinal said that the traditional varieties continue to be cultivated because of the efforts of the previous generations, and these varieties could grow by absorbing the salinity in the soil and did not require the use of chemical fertilizers.
Emphasising the need to create more awareness about seeds, he said that there are more than two lakh varieties of rice. Good yields could be obtained by sowing quality seeds in fertile soil. Sowing traditional varieties could increase yields by 18% to 20%, and the yield could be enhanced further through the use of chemical and farmyard manure, he said.
Stressing that seed production with farmers’ participation would benefit everyone, he said that seeds produced here had been exported to Rajasthan, Assam, and even Indonesia.
He said that patents had also been obtained for some farmers’ varieties. He said that greater importance should be given to crop variety research and urged the farmers to adopt organic farming practices.
The Vice-Chancellor of UAS, Dharwad, N.B. Prakash, said that the university’s seed unit had completed 25 years since its establishment and added that seed production would be taken up with farmers. He also listed the achievements of the seed unit, which had received several national awards and an international award.
Earlier, the annual Krishi Mela began with the inauguration of the Seed Mela, a Fruit and Flower Exhibition, and a Fascinating World of Insects Exhibition by Prof. Prakash.
About 2.9242 lakh farmers, extension workers, and department officials participated on the first day of the Krishi Mela, and about 165 quintals of rabi seeds and 27 kg of vegetable seeds worth ₹16,28,200 were sold, the university said in a release.
source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)