Friday, May 17, 2002
Friday, May 17, 2002 |
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Andhra Pradesh
By Our Staff Reporter
Dr. Narendra of Nandyal Agriculture research station, who has been associated with the project, said the NDLR-8 was found to be tolerant to Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) disease and the duration of crop was 15 days less than the period of BPT 5204. The breadth and length ratio, which is a yardstick to measure the fineness of grain is 3.3 in the new variety as against 3 of BPT-5204. Kurnool Sona (BPT 5204) ruled the decade from 1990 and became very popular with both cultivators and consumers. Cultivators preferred the variety because of the premium price it fetched. The price of Kurnool Sona fetches Rs 100 to 150 over and above the average price of other varieties. The variety has been more popular with consumers in Hyderabad and Mysore area in Karnataka, who gave it the name of Kurnool Sona. It has become the choice of the consumers because of cooking quality and excessive oil content. However, the main drawback of the variety from the cultivators view point was its susceptibility to BPH and blast diseases. The loss was colossal where farmers neglected the incidence of BPH. Also, the longer duration of 150 days created difficulties for farmers in providing irrigation, especially during rabi season. Whether the new variety emerges as alternative to BPT 5204 or farmers keep their loyalty in the time-tested variety remains to be seen. Besides helping farmers, the new variety should also become popular with consumers to make it commercially successful. The good old BPT 5204 had never failed farmers on the price front. Despite the crisis hitting the entire state several times, the problem never touched the BPT farmers. The price of Kurnool Sona rice which started at Rs 950 a quintal during harvesting season touched even Rs 1,800 after July. BPT occupies about 95 per cent of paddy area of 80,000 hectares in Kurnool district. Last year, farmers shifted to other short duration varieties because of delay in monsoon and release of KC canal. Those who stuck to BPT suffered losses because flowering coincided with peak winter. Pollination got affected seriously if the night temperature was below 15 degrees for more than a week. Under KC canal conditions, the average yield the variety has been 35 bags (75 kg each) per acre while the intensive cultivation ensured 40 bags per acre. Besides Kurnool district, BPT 5204 is cultivated in Mahabubnagar, Cuddapah and Prakasam districts. Of late, the variety migrated even to Gangavathi and Siriguppa areas of Karnataka. Dr. G. Narasimha Rao, senior scientist of District Agriculture Advisory and Transfer of Technology Centre, who analysed the performance of the BPT 5204 variety has said excessive application of nitrogen and other complex fertilisers caused incidence of pest. By reducing the fertiliser application, the cost of the cultivation as well as pest problem could be brought down. High dosage of nitrogen is found to be triggering blast and other diseases. He felt that integrated pest management (IPM) was important for a variety like BPT 5204.
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