FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Drought-tolerant and high yielding aromatic grass variety
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
A HARDY and drought-tolerant variety of Cymbopogan has been developed by scientists at the Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Jammu.
This high yielding strain is named `Kalam' in honour of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the President of India and strong advocate of conserving the herbal wealth of the country.
The new and unique citral-rich strain of Cymbopogan is developed through hybridisation and rigorous screening of the F2 recombinants of Cymbopogan pendulus and Cymbopogan khasianus hybrid. Its performance was evaluated in both irrigated and rain fed tracts.
In the first year of growing, this variety will yield 18 tonnes of fresh herb containing 75 to 90 kg of oil from a hectare.
In the subsequent years, the output of fresh herb will be between 20 to 25 tonnes, yielding 100 to 125 kg of essential oil per hectare.
The perennial grass can be maintained to yield economically for up to five years, according to the scientists.
The citral content of the oil ranges from 78 to 83 per cent, and the quality of oil has been evaluated. Its superior quality is well accepted by the user industry. Cymbopogan is a well-known aromatic grass of great importance to perfumery, flavour and pharmaceutical industries.
About 70 per cent of the cultivated Cymbopogan comes under rain fed areas in the country, and these areas generally offer poor returns to the farmers who farm there. `Kalam' Cymbopogan has higher yield potential than the ordinary varieties grown in the rain fed tracts. The returns from growing the new variety are two and a half times more than those of the traditional crops grown in the drought-prone areas.
However, it gives three times higher yield under irrigated conditions and compares favourably well with the existing varieties, reckon the scientists. The high-yielding variety responds well to improved management practices and crop hygiene.
It does well in a variety of soils well endowed with good drainage. Organic nutrition with a host of bio-fertilisers and organic amendments will prove to be rewarding.
The variety is mainly propagated through vegetative means. Spraying the crop with growth promoting substances such as cow's urine and vermin-wash may contribute to increased yield of the grass.
This newly developed variety is very hardy, and it will help in arresting soil erosion of the degraded hilly ecosystem.
It will also help in improving the economic lot of the poor and marginal farmers in the drought-prone regions. Besides developing the high performing Cymbopogans, the RRL (Jammu) has contributed a lot in developing improved and high yielding varieties of Mentha, Ocimums, Ashwagandha and Hops.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Sci Tech
