Karnataka - Bijapur   

Research station building to be inaugurated in Bijapur

BIJAPUR: Minor Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol will inaugurate the new building of the Horticulture Research Station at Tidagundi village on August 31 to mark its fifth anniversary celebrations.

Basangouda Patil Yatnal, MP; Vittal Katakdond, MLA; and Bijapur Zilla panchayat president Afsarabegum Chapparband will be the chief guests.

J.H Kulkarni, Vice-Chancellor University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, will preside.

C.S Hunshal, associate director of research, Bijapur Regional Agriculture Research Station, told The Hindu that the Horticulture Research Station of the UAS was established at Tidagundi village in 2002 to improve research activities in the region with an initial funding of Rs 1.4 crore from the Government. The research station was also meant to develop dry-land horticulture research, strengthen post-harvest technology to minimise losses and disseminate technology through different means for the benefit of horticulture farmers, he said.

Mr. Hunshal said the research station had a packing and grading shed, a shade shed, a raisin shed, and two borewells for irrigating the farm. A multidisciplinary laboratory had been established to facilitate research, he said.

Collection and elevation of different grape and pomegranate varieties, introduction of sapota varieties and unexploited fruit crops such as custard apple, jamun and fig, and different medicinal and aromatic plants are some of the programmes taken up . Mr. Hunshal said research had also been carried out for management of anthracnose of grapevine, virulence of different pathotypes among different anthracnose pathogens, survival ability of the pathogen, weather variables that influence the pathogen structures, their release and dispersal, disease incidence and management through chemicals.

In view of the low and erratic rainfall in recent years, the station continues to face water shortage. There was a dire need for a permanent source of water to support research activities, Mr. Hunshal said. The station needed financial support from the National Horticulture Mission and the State Government.

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Research station building to be inaugurated in Bijapur

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