J-18 rice suited for organic farming
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
J-18 is a superior variety, which does well under organic farming conditions.
J-18 IS a long duration rice variety with excellent grain and straw quality, and it is ideally suited for organic farming. The quality of the grains improved when it was raised using organic methods of cultivation, and this fine quality rice fetches a premium price in the market, especially when it is grown organically according to Mr. S. S. Nagarajan, Senior Vice President (Agricultural Research), Tractors and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE).
Developed at the `J-Farm' from the Wag-wag rice of the Philippines, J-18 has been found to be performing well in farmers' holdings in the last decade.
This tall variety responds well to organic nutrition, and endowed with thick and robust stem, it does not lodge unlike other ruling varieties. "This is an important trait, as it lends itself to mechanical harvesting especially in places of acute labour scarcity," explained Mr. Nagarajan.
One of the leading rice farmers of Pudupakkam village in Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu, Mr. T. Radhakrishnan, has reaped very rich dividends from this promising rice variety. He has been raising the variety J-18 for the last six years, and he has found that its performance was far superior to the other popular varieties grown in that particular region.
He raised this variety with organic nutrients only in kharif (samba season). He raised a green manure crop of daincha ahead of the crop, and ploughed it in-situ.
After thoroughly preparing the main field and planting the well-nurtured seedlings, he applied about 62.5 kg powdered neem cake as top dressing on the 30th day after transplanting.
There were no major pests and diseases and his crop grew well. He harvested this crop 30 days after harvesting the other ruling variety.
The crop yielded an average of 3.75 tonnes a hectare, and the cost of cultivation per hectare worked out to Rs. 11,250. The conventional rice cultivation with other popular varieties using mineral fertilizers and plant protection chemicals worked out to Rs.14,000 per hectare, and the yields from those varieties were gradually declining.
The soil health was deteriorating and the environmental degradation caused by the chemicals was reflected by the absence of beneficial insects and birds.
Cattle relished the straw of this organically grown J-18, and the farmer realized straw worth Rs. 2000 from a hectare of this crop.
Organically grown J-18 rice fetched a premium price in the market.
A 75-kg bag was sold at Rs.1100 in the local market, while the other fine-grained varieties were selling at Rs. 900. J-18 had more grains per panicle, and there was no chaffness.
There was no grain discolouration, and the rice recovery was as high as 58 per cent with virtually no breaking of grain tips, according to the farmer.
J-18 is a low-cost and low-risk variety. The farmers could raise a healthy and vibrant crop with less cost, and earn quite a good profit with a premium price in the market, according to Mr. Nagarajan.
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