Comments
The Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI), which is working along with a Tamil Nadu-based agri company, is likely to come up with YLD-resistant (Yellow Leaf Disease) arecanut plants by 2019, according to DV Sadananda Gowda, Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
Inaugurating a ‘kisan mela’, organised by the CPCRI at Kidu (around 100 km from Mangaluru) in Dakshina Kannada district on Saturday, he said that CPCRI, along with the Tamil Nadu-based company, has initiated multiplication of YLD-free tolerant arecanut palms through tissue culture and will finish the project by 2019.
Terming the growing menace of YLD in arecanut as an area of concern, he said it is seen in places such as Koppa, Sringeri, Narasimharajapura and Mudigere in Chikkamagalur district; Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district; and Sampaje in Kodagu district.
The severity of the disease aggravates with poor or imbalanced supply of nutrients and improper drainage without proper aeration.
Gowda said that the CPCRI has developed an effective management package for improving the soil aeration and root growth which reduces the severity of the disease. The YLD management trial was initiated in affected gardens in Sringeri and subsequently at Markanja and Kalmakar villages of Sullia.
Stating that there has been a vociferous campaign against arecanut, he said some people are branding it as carcinogenic, though based on limited human epidemiological studies, animal carcinogenicity and mutagenicity studies. This has caused lot of anxiety among arecanut growers, traders, consumers and other stakeholders in the commodity value chain.
In such a situation, there is a need for concerted effort to unequivocally dispel the prevailing negative notions on arecanut.
It also warrants systematic clinical research studies to understand the effects of arecanut products on human health and to explore alternative uses of arecanut and its by-products. He congratulated the CPCRI for initiating measures in this regard.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.