This annual program is an initiative as part of the Food Security program of the Government of India to enhance the nutritional security index of the country with the collective efforts of the Directorate of Wheat Development, the Government of India's Department of Farmers Welfare and the Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare.
Coimbatore: The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) in collaboration with the ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) Wellington organized a two-day training program for the farmers of Coimbatore on Natural Farming in Dicoccum (Samba) Wheat.
This annual program is an initiative as part of the Food Security program of the Government of India to enhance the nutritional security index of the country with the collective efforts of the Directorate of Wheat Development, the Government of India's Department of Farmers Welfare and the Department of Agriculture Farmers Welfare.
The two-day training was instituted to bring awareness among farmers regarding high-yielding crop varieties, specifically to Samba Wheat HW 1098 cultivation which is the best alternative and nutritive crop.
The training session was presided over by the Coimbatore District Collector, Kranthi Kumar Pati accompanied by Dr. V Geethalakshmi, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU.
While addressing the gathered farmers at the program, the District Collector mentioned that the training program is a key step in reducing the dependency on wheat products in the state and district. "The mentioned variety, Samba Wheat is capable of adapting to low water supply conditions which makes its cultivation possible in Tamil Nadu. Hence measures will be taken to boost its regional cultivation and market supply to its best."
It was reported that in the previous year, Tamil Nadu and Kerala collectively reported consumption of 12 million tons of wheat. On the contrary, its production in these regions is low.
Wheat is an essential crop in India and holds a significant role in the country's history and development of varied civilizations. Though major cultivation prevails in the northern region of India, historic pieces of evidence prove the existence of wheat cultivation in the regions of the Western Ghats.
Following this, the Vice-Chancellor stated that the switch over of climate change and diet habits of people has increased the need for a high-yielding nutritive crop, which is fulfilled by Samba Wheat. She added, "TNAU in collaboration with ICAR has taken measures to conduct research to produce high-yielding seeds as an initiative to boost the revenue of farmers along with meeting the demands of production." She also insisted the farmers take up trial cultivation with their seeds to witness its output.
Dr M Sivasamy, Principal Scientist, IARI, RS Wellington has so far worked on various projects and has succeeded in producing about 20 varieties of seeds. His latest research outcome of HW 1098 Samba Wheat is claimed to be the top-most of the types with the highest yielding capacity, with one-third of water requirement than the conventional type of seed and other crops.
Commenting on the HW 1098 variety, Dr. M Sivasamy stated that it is genetically resistant to pests and diseases. Its capacity to grow pest-free is likely high in comparison to others. He specified that HW 1098 is a consistent result of a decade's research and examination. The previous CoW 1 is categorized under the Bio-fortified variety and then the CoW3 is proven to be rust-resistant.
In addition, it was announced that Dr. M Sivasamy is presently working on a project to produce India's first edible oats which again is a milestone in agricultural research.
Briefing on the nutritive nature, Dr. S Panneer Selvam, Head, Department of Agronomy, TNAU stated, "Samba Wheat holds about 12-13 percent of protein content higher than the usual wheat grain with dietary fibre and the lowest glycemic index. It holds a therapeutic value which is highly prescribed by physicians for diabetic patients. Moving on to the irrigation features it requires less labour and is capable of producing a maximum within a limited area which makes it the most promising crop."
This research has revived wheat cultivation in the southern regions wherein the identified 16 districts including parts of Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur, Nilgiris and Vellore have shown a favourable outcome approving the possibility of its cultivation.
By 2023, the Government of India envisions doubling the current production rate of wheat in the country. In this regard, they have identified the least cultivated areas and taken measures to provide seeds owing to their geographical and climatic conditions.
Dr.Vikrant Singh, Joint Director, DWD, Gurugram, Haryana, Dr. P.Jayaprakash, Principal Scientist, IARI, RS Wellington, Dr.M.K.Kalarani, Director of Crop Management, TNAU, Coimbatore, Dr.M.Raveendran, Director of Research and K.Mutthulakshmi M.Sc (Ag), Joint Director of Agriculture, Coimbatore were part of the training program.