Arunachal: Finger millet Field Days & Farmer-Scientist Interactions
The programmes were attended by 65 farmers, that included 50 female farmers.
TAWANG- For enhancing awareness about improved finger millet cultivation, Finger Millet Field Days & Farmer-Scientist Interactions were organized on 08 August 24 at Phomang and Kheleteng village under Lungla sub division in district Tawang.
Finger millet is an important crop of Tawang district and is cultivated in substantial area in the district. The productivity of finger millet in the district, however, is low, but ample scope exists for increasing productivity of finger millet in the district.
For the last 5 years, Almora (Uttarakhand)-based ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan (ICAR-VPKAS) is working in close collaboration with KVK Tawang for enhancing productivity of finger millet in the district through introduction of various technological interventions such as high yielding finger millet variety VL Mandua 376, VL Millet Thresher, and farmer participatory finger millet seed production under NEH Programme of Indian Council of Agricultura Research (ICAR).
Like previous years, frontline demonstrations and farmer participatory seed production of VL Mandua 376 were organized by ICAR-VPKAS and KVK Tawang in different village clusters of district Tawang during kharif 2024 as well.
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The programmes were attended by 65 farmers, that included 50 female farmers. The village heads acknowledged the efforts of ICAR-VPKAS and KVK Tawang towards making finger millet cultivation more profitable for the farmers.
Farmers of the village expressed their happiness with the performance of VL Mandua 376. According to them, the grain yield of VL Mandua 376 is 1.5 to 2 times compared to the local cultivar.
Besides giving higher yield, VL Mandua 376 matures almost a month earlier than the local cultivar.
Interacting with the farmers, Dr RK Khulbe, Principal Scientist, ICAR-VPKAS informed the farmers about the activities being undertaken by the institute in district Tawang in collaboration with KVK Tawang. He appreciated the farmers for conducting good frontline demonstrations and sharing the seed of VL Mandua 376 produced last year with farmers of the adjoining villages, as a result of which VL Mandua 376 is being cultivated in over a dozen villages this year.
Millets Breeder Dr Mahendra Bhinda highlighted the role of early maturing and high yielding finger millet varieties in boosting finger millet production in the district with special reference to VL Mandua 376. Millet agronomist Dr RP Meena shared the improved finger millet production techniques with the farmers, and farm machinery expert Dr Manoj Kumar explained how VL Millet Thresher saves time and cost, and reduces the drudgery involved in post-harvest processing of finger millet.
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Dr CK Singh, SMS Agronomy, KVK Tawang, who has played an important role in dissemination of the variety in the district, informed that there is growing demand for VL Mandua 376 seed and VL Millet Threshers from the farmers, and highlighted the need for ensuring their adequate and timely availability for upscaling finger millet cultivation in the district.
The team of scientists inspected the seed production fields of VL Mandua 376, and explained to the farmers the precautions required for producing quality seed. The farmers were urged to extensively share the seed VL Mandua 376 seed with the farmers of other villages of the district to enable them harvest the benefit of its high yield and early maturity.
