3-Nov-2021: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh says, CSIR in collaboration of UT of Ladakh will start commercial cultivation of sea buckthorn berry also known as" Leh Berry" from coming spring season in Ladakh

Lt. Governor Ladakh R.K. Mathur today met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and thanked the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under the aegis of Union Ministry of Science & Technology for promoting "Leh Berry" which is an exclusive food product of the cold desert and also a means of wide-ranging entrepreneurship as well as self-livelihood.

Dr Jitendra Singh referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ladakh in May 2018, wherein the PM had strongly advised for widespread cultivation of sea buckthorn, which is also the source of "Leh Berry".

He said, the value addition of this agriculture product has potential to revolutionize the economic scenario of the newly created Union Territory. He said that reference to its medicinal properties is also being found in the Tibetan literature of the 8th century AD. The Minister was apprised by the LG that it is also very useful for armed force personnel deployed at a very high altitude due to its antioxidant properties. 

The Minister informed the LG that CSIR, in collaboration of UT Govt of Ladakh, will start commercial cultivation of sea buckthorn berry from coming spring season in Ladakh. He said, CSIR will also develop harvesting machinery to be used by local farmers and self-help groups, as currently only 10% of berry is being extracted from the wild sea buckthorn plant. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said that local entrepreneurs will be provided gainful employment through farming, processing and marketing of about 100 odd products from sea buckthorn plant like jams, juices, herbal tea, vitamin C supplements, healthy drinks, cream, oils, and soaps in a completely organic manner. He said, this immunity boosting natural berry is getting increasingly popularized not only in India, but also in great demand in foreign countries for its medicinal value. The Minister informed that the ancient local Ladakhi amchi medicine system also places a very high premium on the sea buckthorn berry and its curative properties.

Dr Jitendra Singh told Mathur that a high level team of senior scientists from CSIR will soon visit Ladakh to evaluate the Zinc Fortification project for Pashmina Goats, Sheep and Yak as Ladakh is mainly an Animal-based economy. He said, CSIR is contemplating to start a Geo-Thermal Energy Project for warming and cooling systems in a Zero-net energy programme by linking it with Solar Power.

LG, Ladakh R.K. Mathur also thanked Dr Jitendra Singh for granting the exclusive centre for holding of Civil Service Examination at Leh for the first time since Independence. He informed that Civil Services (Preliminary) Exam were held successfully on 10th October this year. The Minister said that the Common Eligibility Test, planned through the recently constituted National Recruitment Agency, will also have one Centre each in the districts of Leh and Kargil respectively.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that a Common Eligibility Test (CET) will be conducted across the country from early 2022 to screen/shortlist candidates for jobs in Government sector for which recruitment is presently carried out through the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) and Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS). He said, this is not only a Governance reform but a huge Social reform for the job aspirant youth living in remote and far flung areas. 

25-Oct-2021: Kerala farmer’s innovative technique can save senile cashew gardens from debilitating pests & frequent cyclonic storms

A woman farmer from Kannur district of Kerala has come up with an innovative practice to develop support roots in cashew trees to protect her senile cashew garden from devastating borer attacks and frequent cyclonic storms.

The area under cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) cultivation in India is around 10.11 lakh ha, the highest amongst all the cashew growing countries, and the total annual production is approximately 7.53 lakh tonnes with several farmers dependent on it for their livelihood. However, the production of cashew is hampered by several biotic as well as abiotic factors. Stem and root borer is one of the most debilitating pests as it is capable of killing even the grown-up trees within a short period.

Besides pest infestation, cashew nut plantation in coastal India is affected by frequent intense cyclones, and each such devastation requires more than ten years to be restored.

To address these challenges, Mrs. Aniyamma Baby from Kerala has developed an innovative Cashew Multiple Rooting Propagation Method. This method generates multiple roots in a grownup cashew tree, thus improving production per unit area. It also helps eco-friendly management of stem and root borers, restores productivity, provides strong anchorage against wind damage/cyclonic storms, and extension of the plantation life without the necessity of replanting.

In 2004, while harvesting of cashew, Aniyamma observed one cashew branch, which was in constant contact with the soil, was generating adventitious roots (not tap root). She noticed that the new plant emerging from this root has fast growth compared to a normal cashew plant. Next year heavy infestation of stem borer (insect larva, or arthropod, that bores into plant stems) destroyed the mother plant, but the newly developed plant was healthy and not affected by stem borer infestation. By observing the rooting and development of new plants from mother plant, she thought of developing new plants by wrapping sac filled with potting mixture on the nodes of lower parallel branches. She guided the new root to the ground with the help of hollow areca nut stem, as well as adding weight to the branches close to the ground and covering them with soil for rooting. Both of her experiments were successful, and she has been using these two methods in her old senile cashew plantations for the last 7 years to support her family with continual supply of high cashew produce.

National Innovation Foundation, an autonomous organisation of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, has taken up the innovative technology for the necessary support and incubation activities.

The technology (Cashew Multiple Rooting for Senile plantation) has been further verified by ICAR- Directorate of Cashew Research, Puttur (Mottethadka, Darbe Dist. - Puttur, Karnataka) & Kerala Agriculture University (Vellanikkara, Dist. - Thrissur, Kerala) in 2020. It has been found that to be unique and provides anchorage against wind damage/cyclonic storms, and restores cashew trees from severe attack of cashew stem and root borers in a very eco-friendly and cost-effective way. The technology offers new hope to the cashew growers having senile cashew gardens to realize additional yield,

The two different methods used by the innovator include--- Cylindrical Shape Method, in which a sac filled with potting mixture (soil and cow dung) is tied on the lower branches of cashew growing parallel to the ground. The new roots that are former are guided through a hollow areca nut stem filled with soil and cow dung to the ground. Over a year, these roots develop and add to the root network of cashew, which acts as an additional channel for nutrient and water uptake to the plant and improves the yield.

The Low Lying Parallel Branch Method in which the innovator heaped stones around the nodes of low lying branches and covered them with soil and cow dung. Rooting occurs at these points, and then that branch grows as a new tree while remaining part of the main tree. She was successful in initiating the rooting on branches lying in rocky areas also.