World Vegetable Center, situated at ICRISAT, Hyderabad, hosted a group of farmers interested in adopting newer and advanced farming techniques.
Published Aug 17, 2023 | 7:55 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 17, 2023 | 10:34 PM
The programme was conducted by The World Vegetable Center at ICRISAT, who took farmers on a tour of the fields in the Center. (Supplied)
The World Vegetable Center, situated at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, came to the rescue of a group of about 50 Telangana farmers who came armed with queries about various aspects of organic farming, on Thursday, 17 August.
The participating farmers, who were from Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Sangareddy, and other districts, were interested in adopting newer techniques to cultivate vegetables for better business purposes.
The programme was conducted by the World Vegetable Centre at ICRISAT, which took farmers on a tour of its fields as it celebrated its 50th anniversary on Thursday.
A research assistant with the farmers at the World Vegetable Center. (Supplied)
A majority of farmers, who came with an intent to learn new and advanced methods of growing vegetables and fruits, were seeking an opportunity to learn grafting and staking techniques for their crops.
Ravi Kumar, a research assistant at The World Vegetable Center, told South First that the participating farmers were shown how a small 6×6 m home garden can be enough for a family, instead of them preserving the produce in the refrigerator.
During the tour, the farmers were also advised about minimising the use of pesticides on their crops. They were additionally informed about plant species unknown to them, including a brinjal variety from Assam and a perennial chili variety, that could yield them year-round revenue.
Farmers also posed questions regarding the handling of wild pigs, which eat their corn and peanut crops. The researchers have assured the farmers that they will update them soon regarding organic remedies to their concerns.
“A majority of farmers had doubts about the process of grafting, a process that involves joining two plants together. The top graft (the scion) becomes the shoot system of the plant and the bottom graft (the understock) becomes the root system of the part. Grafting usually refers to joining two plants so that one strong, root-based plant can support a weak plant that yields produce,” said Kumar.
He added, “They also asked about the staking technique, where vegetables are protected from damage by raising the height at which they grow.”
Fresh green vegetables ready to be plucked. (Supplied)
Tirupati Reddy (31), a farmer with 12 years of experience, told South First, “I have almost 14 acres of land in my village of Mucharlapally and it is been three years since I began organic farming. Earlier, I was using pesticides while producing my food grains. I observed the difference when my brother adopted organic farming. It needs patience because we work with natural resources and it takes almost a week or two to clean the small insects, but it is worth it.”
Talking about his experience at The World Vegetable Center, he said, “Today was a great opportunity. I did not want to miss it as I could learn about the staking process from researchers at the institute. There is nobody travelling to our villages to explain to us how we can save our crops according to the seasons. I learnt that if a plant is supported by a stick, then the vegetables can be grown without loss even if it rains.”
Another farmer, Venkanna, who travelled from Warangal to experience grafting, told South First, “There is no place in Telangana where a farmer can learn about this technique, but it is very essential for us because farmers face losses in every season. Grafting can help us continue our business and not incur losses. After researching many places, I was told that there is an institution in Uppal. However, nobody responded. So, with my last hope, I came here.”
Farmers Parvathi, Komaramma, and Sattayya were the seniors of the group. They walked through all the fields and inquired about the treatment of a particular infection seen in their vegetable plants.
The World Vegetable Center was first established in the Shanhua district of Taiwan on 17 October, 1973. It established its own office in India in 2006 within ICRISAT. The organisation has regional offices in Thailand, Tanzania, Mali, and Benin.
The Center’s mission is to help farmers increase vegetable harvests, raise incomes in poor rural and urban households, create jobs, and provide healthier, more nutritious diets for families and communities.
According to The World Vegetable Center, the per capita consumption of vegetables in India is only about 86 grams per day, which is quite low compared to the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s recommendation of 200 grams per day.
To improve the nutrition of rural families, vegetable production must be increased and better integrated into the region’s predominantly cereal-based (rice, wheat, barley, millets, ragi) farming systems.
Regional Director Ramakrishnan M Nair said that in Telangana, they have just finished a project with the farmers where they were taught how to diversify their crop production.
“Now, we are also looking at collaborating with the Government of Telangana on a pilot basis to start home gardens in gated communities located across Hyderabad,” Nair told South First.
