Selection of improved varieties in vegetable cultivation
Krishnaiah, who is cultivating vegetables, once used to sell butter, know which advanced varieties of vegetables he chose
Generally, the youth are less interested in farming, because they feel that it is more laborious and less profitable, but if farming is done with the right management and new technology, success is assured. Krishnaiah, a 25-year-old youth from Sangpura Golarhatti village in Tumkur district of Karnataka, has proved this point. He once sold butter, but has now become a successful vegetable farmer. In the cultivation of vegetables, he is successfully growing many improved varieties.
Started vegetable farming
Krishnaiah used to earn about 3 thousand rupees a month by selling butter. He had 5 acres of cultivable land. In 2009, he was selected by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Hirehalli under Arya Project (Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture).
The objective of this project is to empower the youth through various trainings and lead them towards self-reliance, so that unemployment decreases and they start their own business and become capable of providing employment to people.
Earlier Krishnaiah used to grow crops like Ragi, Jowar and Mustard, but the profits were very less. Then he started cultivating vegetables. Start growing French beans, tomatoes, peas, radishes, eggplant, peppers, and green leafy vegetables.
Selection of improved varieties of French beans
He is mainly cultivating advanced varieties of French beans Arka Suvidha, Arka Komal and Arka Anoop. These varieties have been developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore. He gets a yield of 14.5-16.5 tonnes of French beans per hectare, which is the highest in the surrounding village.
The Arka Suvidha variety fetches the highest price in the market as it does not contain fibers. Not only this, even if the crop is harvested at an interval of 5 days due to labor problem, its quality does not deteriorate.
Arka Anoop variety is the best in terms of yield potential. From this, up to 16.2 tonnes of crop is obtained per hectare. It is resistant to rust and bacterial blight. Krishnaiah prefers to grow Arka Anoop and Arka Suvidha variety of French beans.
Benefits of keeping in touch with scientists
In 2010, the seeds of improved varieties of French beans were made available by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) of the district as a field demonstration. After knowing the specialty of these varieties, Krishnaiah met the scientists of KVK and procured the seeds of improved varieties of French beans.
Since 2010, he is choosing only improved varieties in vegetable cultivation. He benefited from being in contact with scientists. Subject matter experts and other employees of KVK visit their area regularly. He gives all necessary technical advice related to proper use of fertilizers, pest management.
Use of ‘vegetable special’ in vegetable cultivation
The use of ‘vegetable special’ has been considered effective in the cultivation of vegetables. ‘Vegetable Special’ is a special micro nutrient mixture to improve the quality of vegetables and protect them from pests. It has been created by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) Bengaluru. Krishnaiah came to know about Vegetable Special through KVK. Tomatoes, beans and other vegetables can be saved from pests and diseases by its use.
For tomato crop, it is recommended to use 75 grams of vegetable mixture dissolved in 15 litres of water, adding 1 shampoo sachet and 2 medium sized lemons. Also, for French beans, 2 grams of the mixture per litre of water was asked to be added. Krishnaiah regularly uses Vegetable Special which has improved the quality of his crop. The disease resistance of the crops also increased and the yield also started increasing.
Krishnaiah is also growing Banana variety Elaki as an intercrop in Arecanut plantation. For this they get technical support from KVK. With the success of Krishnaiah, other youths of the area are also getting inspired to come in the field of agriculture.
Contact us: If farmers want to share information or experiences related to farming with us, then they can do this by calling us on the phone number 9599273766 or by writing an email to kisanofindia.mail@gmail.com or by sending your recording. Through Kisan of India, we will convey your message to the people, because we believe that if the farmers are advanced then the country is happy.