ATMA collaborates with KVC to introduce high-yielding Mustard to Sikkim farms

NEW CULTIVAR DELIVERS UPTO 8 QUINTALS PER HECTARE WITHIN 90 DAYS!
GANGTOK: The Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), East Sikkim, in collaboration with Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ICAR Sikkim Centre, has launched a maiden venture to introduce a high-yielding, short-duration variety of Tori (Var. TS 46) [Mustard] which is tolerant to most critical aboitic stress of the region which suffers water scarcity during rabi [winter] season.
On Monday, a field day programme was conducted at Namrang village in the field of Ms. Kamal Sharma, where nearly 50 farmers from the villages of Radong-Chhuba, Samlik Marchak, Central Pandam and West Pandam etc.

The programme was launched through a SWOT [Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat] analysis of the constraints faced by the farmers, a release informs. The main problem is the non-availability of suitable high-yielding crops that can be fitted into the three months after the harvesting of rain-fed paddy [by the end of November-December] which is also the time when fields here are under Winter water-stress.
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ICAR Sikkim Centre, suggested the well tested technology intervention in the form of cultivation of Toria (var. TS -46) which has high tolerance to water stress and is recommended for late sown condition up to mid-December.
Timely sowing utilizes the residual soil moisture effectively after the harvesting of paddy in Sikkim, the release explains. Delay in sowing results in exposure of crop to moisture stress at reproductive stage that may lead to low yield, it adds. This toria takes about 85-90 days for maturation. A total of five demonstrations on Toria (TS-46) were conducted at Radong and Namrang busty of East Sikkim district.
At the outset, Dr. A K Mohanty, Programme Coordinator, highlighted that in order to make a threefold increase in the cropping intensity of the region, one needs to think of a crop which can be taken during the moisture stress period i.e. December to March, so that the land can be better utilised and maximum productivity generated per unit area. He suggested going for toria cultivation which has already been tested by KVK for three seasons.
The Field Day programme was also attended by C. Upreti, Deputy Director Agriculture; Mrs. Sushama Pradhan, Agriculture Inspector, ATMA along with scientists from KVK, East Sikkim viz,. Dr. Mohanty, Programme Coordinator; Dr. RC Verma, Mrs. Tasmina R. Bora, Dr. PK Pathak, and S. Kumar.
Later, the crop-cutting and threshing was done in the presence of the farmers. The farmer, Ms. Sharma, who had taken the crop, shared her experience and the gathered farmers themselves assessed the yield which was estimated to be around 7.8-8 q/ha, which was much better than the yield of local cultivars at 6 q/ha within a period of only 85-90 days. The performance of this new crop was highly appreciated by the farmers and there was large scale demand for the crop in the next rabi season, the release states.