Panaji: Variations of Hardy Rice, ‘Jaddu Batta’ from Shimoga District Karnataka with extraordinary tolerance of prolonged immersion underwater offers hope to develop excellent climate-resistant plants that can help food security.
With extreme weather events that have registered an increase and problem of salinity, floods and irregular temperature increases that have disaster effects on plants, scientists face challenges in developing the appropriate climate-resistant plant varieties.
In the Indian Agriculture Research Board (ICAR), Old Goa, agricultural scientists said they had released and developed the rice varieties of salt tolerant rice – Goa Dhan 1, Goa Dhan 2, Goa Dhan 3 – on the land affected by the salt and parts of the coast of Karnataka .
“Jaddu Batta was planted by the riverbank in Shimoga and it could rejuvenate even after 15 days underwater,” Senior Scientists (Plant Breeding) in Old Cave Icar, said KK Manohara.
“We are in the process of crossing the rice varieties of saline resistant, the Goa Dhan series – which also produces high – with Jaddu Batta for high tolerance to prolonged immersion.
This will help overcome the problem of salinity and immersion due to climate change,” Manohara said.
This year the unprecedented flood, one of the worst in 40 years, caused massive losses of agricultural crops due to puddles for days.
Stress caused by the inclusion of salinity from estuaries and tributaries about rice productivity and income.
“Plant Management Practice Package – Nutrition Management, Rice Varieties Who Tolerant of Salt and Other Aspects have been developed and shown in the field of farmers.
These practices provide higher outcomes and revenues up to 20% to 25% of farmers’ practices,” said Scientists for the soil census in Icar, said Gopal Mahajan.
Institutions in collaboration with the Progressive Directorate of Agriculture and Farmers produce quality seeds from four varieties of salt tolerant and supply to farmers in the Khazan area.
“The four varieties produced 60% to 80% more than local varieties such as Korgutt,” said Director, ICOM, Parveen Kumar.