The Central Tuber Research Institute, headquartered in Kerala’s capital of Thiruvananthapuram, has demonstrated the capacity of new high yielding & pest-resistant variety of cassava & Chinese potato by planting these varieties in two villages.
The ‘Sree Reksha’ cassava variety was planted in ranches of five farmers from Kanakkupillaivalasai and the Chinese potato’s efficacy was proved in the fields of eight farmers of Kuththapaanjaan. Both experiments have demonstrated high yielding capacity of these two new varieties.
According to G. Byju Principal Scientist & Head Department of Crop Production, CTCRI, the new variety of cassava gives yield of 45 tons per hectare with good ‘keeping quality’. It also has a resistance to cassava mosaic disease.
G. Byju told krishijagran.com: ‘With overwhelming response from farmers, the planting material was distributed to ten farmers at Thaenpoththai on Tuesday for establishing the seeds of this high yielding variety, which will certainly increase their income’.
The Chinese potato is another commercially grown crop in the Tenkasi district with most farmers in Kadayam Union going in for the crop, for which the demand would be high round–the–year.
