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Garlic and onion, grandma's favourite anti-biotic and cholesterol managers, will soon come to the rescue of paddy from the sucking pest, a nagging threat to paddy fields in the rice bowls of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.
Though not new to organic farmers, agriculture scientists now have identified certain molecules that stymie the reproduction cycle of brown plant hopper (BPH), the pest that sucks juices out of plants, reducing yields. When used in regular paddy seeds, these molecules will ensure that the pest cannot multiply, thereby protecting the crop.
“We have tied up with Bose Institute of Kolkata. We are incorporating this attribute in paddy and hoping to see results in the next few seasons,” Dr Usha Barwale Zehr, Chief Technology Officer of Mahyco, told Business Line .
Of the loss caused by pests to paddy, BPH occupied second rank with 25 per cent after stem borer's 40 per cent. Resurgence of BPH had been reported from many States during 2008 and later, a report prepared by the Directorate of Rice Research said.
Mahyco markets 115 products in 30 crop species, including cereals, oilseeds, fibre crops and vegetables.
The company spends 8-10 per cent of its turnover on research and development. In 2010-11, it spent Rs 55 crore on research. “We are planning to take this to 15 per cent in the next 2-3 years,” she said.
Cotton
Dr Barwale said the company expected five new traits in cotton seeds in the next five years to make the plant consume less water and tackle sucking pests, and to improve fibre quality. The list includes a trait that would help the plant to consume fertilisers more efficiently.
“As we go further, we need to produce more with less water. Molecular breeding tools will help the farmers in improving tolerance to stresses and pests, while increasing abilities to tackle pests,” she said.
“Our immediate focus would be on the seven crops – rice, wheat, cotton, brinjal, chilly, okra and cauliflower. We will introduce the tools and technologies in these crops first. We may use them in other crops, such as chickpea and soya,” she said.
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