ICAR-NRCB releases two new banana varieties after 15 years of research
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research's National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR-NRCB) in Tiruchi has released two new banana varieties — Kaveri Thangam and Kaveri Nadan — on the occasion of its Foundation Day celebrations held on Friday. The release comes after 15 years of research and extensive field trials across the country to assess their quality, according to R. Selvarajan, Director, ICAR-NRCB.
Kaveri Thangam is a premium quality variety that is rich in Provitamin A, with a unique aroma and yellow pulp. The variety has nearly 10 times higher vitamin A content than conventional varieties. "Given the fruit's golden yellow hue, we named it as Kaveri Thangam (gold). I expect it to become popular very soon," said Dr. Selvarajan. He added that the fruit is firm and has a shelf life of 15 days from the day of harvest, and is resistant to weevils.
Kaveri Nadan is a high-yielding variety that provides almost double the yield of the regular variety. "The variety can give a yield of up to 75 tonnes per hectare," he said, highlighting its potential to boost farmers' incomes.
The Foundation Day celebrations this year had the theme 'Super El Nino', and the meet discussed ways to mitigate the impact of the phenomenon not only on banana but also on other crops such as paddy. The area under banana in Tiruchi district has come down by 2,000 hectares to 4,000 hectares this year due to poor monsoon and water availability. If the situation continues next year, the area could shrink further.
Dr. Selvarajan emphasised the need for improved water management. "We have developed an AI and sensor-based irrigation system which helps conserve water even more than drip irrigation. Banana farmers can use such systems to protect standing crops. Technologies such as mulching and removal of leaves older than eight days can also help," he explained.
The NRCB will be extending technical support for exporting nendran banana to the Middle East. "The district Collector had convened a meeting recently to discuss the scope for banana exports from here. We suggested that the nendran variety can be exported as Tiruchi is known for it. He has identified four clusters and is planning to promote farmer producer organisations exclusively for exporting nendran banana via Cochin port. We will provide training to farmers on producing nendran bananas of export quality," said Dr. Selvarajan.
K.B. Hebbar, Director, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Kasargod, who was the chief guest, said the Super El Nino had caused concern among the people due to the deficit in rainfall. "For one or two years, the situation may not be very congenial for crops. The effect of the phenomenon on perennial crops may be felt for two to three years. We need to be cautious and adopt available technologies to minimise the impact of adverse conditions," he said. He also underlined the importance of using quality planting material and guarding against neglecting soil health to mitigate the impact.
Scientists and experts from various agencies participated in the event.
