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SUCCESS STORIES

Cucumber snow white field day at Hiware

Crop and variety: Hybrid Cucumber Snow white
Location: Hiware village, Taluka Purander, Pune district, Maharashtra

A field day on Hybrid Cucumber Snow White was organized at Hiware in the field of Mr. Uttam Rao Bhimrao Bhintade. He is a progressive farmer and famous industrialist in Pune. His contact number is 09822033779.

Mr. Bhintade cultivated Indam Snow White by sowing 200 g of seeds in his land (1.0 acre), with a spacing of 3’x2’ and maintained a plant population of 6400 plants/acre. Sowing was done on 9th July and the first picking of cucumber fruit was on 17th August (39th day).
Total no of pickings was 31 during the life cycle of crop. The total cost of cultivation was Rs. 63,000. The total yield recorded in this field was 26,920 kg and the market rate offered was Rs.14/- per kg, which was Rs.3/- more than for other varieties, because of better fruit quality and colour.

Mr. Bhintade made a gross profit of Rs.3, 76, 880, and net profit of Rs. 3, 13,880 per acre from Cucumber Snow White. 
The field day was organised by Pune branch of Indo American Hybrid Seeds (I) Pvt. Ltd. (IAHS). More than 300 farmers participated in the event from nearby villages. Mr. Sanjay Jagtap, Chairman of District Co-operative Bank, Saswad, was the chief guest of honour. Besides, more than 40 retailers along with distributor participated in the programme.

White Hybrid Bittergourd-4625 field day at Vinjepalli

Crop and variety: Hybrid Bittergourd- 4625 (TAJ)
Location: Vinjepalli village, Koheda Taluka, Karimnagar district, A.P

Farmer’s Name: Muthyala Raji Reddy, (Mobile No: 9441733034)
Date of Sowing: 1.12.2008
Area Sown: 10 Gunthas (40 Gunthas = 1 Acre)
No of pickings as on 19.07.09: 52 pickings
Bed Size: width = 5’; plant to plant spacing = 3’
First picking: 60th day

The total market size for Hybrid Bittergourd in A.P is about 3000 kg., out of which 500 kg of white bitter gourd (17 percent) is sown mainly in the districts of Telangana region. In Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalseema region,      green variety of bittergourd is sown. In Karimnagar district alone, the potential for white bitter gourd is about 250-300 kg. In Vinjepalli village, every year, about 45-50 farmers grow IAHS hybrid bittergourd 4625 in 15-20 acres in the month of December. This year, Mr.Muthyala Raji Reddy has successfully harvested 6422 kg in 10 gunthas or 0.25 acre (25.69 tons/acre) in 52 pickings and got a net profit of Rs 65,494/- in quarter acre (Rs 2,61,976/ acre).

Farmers cultivate this crop on raised beds with dried cotton stalks spread on them. Once the vines of hybrid 4625 are developed, they are allowed to spread on cotton stalks which are 2 feet in height. This prevents the vines from coming in contact with the soil beds and quality fruits are intact. Farmers are not habituated to staking the bittergourd crop in this village. They firmly believe that yield is more in raised beds than in staked plants. When the vines are staked during the hot temperatures, flowers get affected with heat wave and fruit retention is less, but in raised beds, retention of flowers is more resulting in higher yield. Also, it is easier to spray and pest control can be done effectively. Training of vines over wire trellis or bamboo supports or long poles, is more expensive than growing in raised beds.
            
IAHS’s white colour hybrid bittergourd 4625 (TAJ) is popular because of high yield. It is gynoecious in nature and fruits are very firm with good keeping quality for a week. It is suitable for long distance transportation.

Mr. V.V.Rajasekhar, RMM, Mr. Aravind Kumar, AMM, Karimnagar Distributor Sai Vishnu Seeds & Pesticides conducted a farmers’ meeting in this village.  Farmers have shared their views about the characters mentioned above and the yield of IAHS Hybrid Bittergourd-4625 -TAJ. The fruits weighed on an average 126.75 g. and had an average length of 21 cm. Fruit colour is attractive milky white and shiny, hence the name TAJ- a name that goes very well for this variety.

Dry spell during June and July was helpful in getting quality product, as fruits usually get spoilt and white fruits get discoloured with the monsoon rains. Another 2-3 pickings are expected from the standing crop.

Economics of cultivation and cost -benefit ratio:

1. Input cost :
                  Insecticides     : Methomyl and Profenophos,
                  Fungicides            : Hexastop
                  Fertilizers             : 10:26:26 complex, MOP, 19:19:19 complex
                  Growth promoter : Spic Cytozyme, Multi K and 50 kg Neem Powder in the 5th month.

                  Total input cost    :                                                      Rs.7905.00

2.    Labour Cost :                                                                             Rs 1800.00 
3.    Seed Cost    :                                                                             Rs 1200.00
4.    Miscellaneous expenses :                                                            Rs 500.00
5.    Transport Cost :                                                                         Rs. 5740.00

Total Cost of cultivation (10 Gunthas or Quarter Acre) :              Rs 17,145.00 (A)
a) Total yield (for quarter acre) :                                                        6422 kg (in 52 pickings)
b) Gross income for quarter acre :                                                      Rs. 82,639.00          

Net Profit for quarter acre( b-A):                                                 Rs. 65,494.00

c) Cost of Cultivation (per acre):                                                         Rs 68,580.00
d) Gross income (per acre) :                                                              Rs 3,30,556.00

Net Profit (per acre ) (d-c) :                                                         Rs 2,61,976.00
Cost-Benefit Ratio :                                                                       1: 3.8
                                          

Marigold Garland Orange Field Day in Kanher

Crop and Variety: Marigold Garland Orange of Indo-American Hybrid Seeds (IAHS)
Location: Kanher, Satara district, Maharashtra

Name of the farmer:  Mr. Santosh Waghmale (Tel. No: 975187660)

Mr. Santosh Waghmale purchased 6 packets of Marigold Garland Orange on trial basis. He was cultivating Marigold of IAHS for the first time. There was good germination and stand, excellent flowering and results were good. The grower was very happy with the performance and yield. The size of the flower is medium and very attractive; also the keeping quality is very good. The flower petals are tight and dense.

Each plant yielded 1.75 to 2 kg of flowers and the total yield obtained was 11,600 kg of flowers from 5800 plants. First picking yielded 7000 kg and the grower realized Rs.30- 35 per kg. In the second picking, the yield was 4600 kg and the rate was Rs. 20- 25 per kg.

The total expenditure incurred was Rs. 18,000 and his total income was Rs. 2, 75,000 to
Rs. 3, 00,000. The market rate offered was always Rs.5 higher than other varieties. Mr.Santosh Wagmale is a very happy and satisfied grower of this variety, who said that he would suggest all the farmers to try this variety once and see the wonder. This variety offers very good potential for marigold markets of Maharashtra, as the results have been excellent.
    
A field day was organized in Kanhar in the grower’s field. IAHS distributors Messrs. Aditya Sales Corporation, Narayangaon, Saikrupa, Alephata, Sheti Udyog Bhandar, Saswad, Krishi Bhushan, Satara, besides 25 sub dealers, 16 nursery owners and brokers from Pune and New Mumbai (Vashi), attended the field day. The visitors appreciated the variety because of the following reasons:

i) strong stem and petals
ii) thick petals and medium size flowers
iii) good keeping quality and suitability for long distant markets

Field of Marigold Garland Orange in Kanher, Satara district, Maharashtra

Close-up of bunch of Marigold Indam Garland Orange

Close-up of single flower of Marigold Indam Garland Orange

Hybrid Chili Indam-5 Field Day at Bobbepalli


Crop and Variety: Hybrid Chilli Indam- 5
Location: Bobbepalli (Village), Martur (Mandal), Guntur (District), AP


Name of the Farmer: Shri Danda Srinivas Rao S/o Shri Ramaswamy
Area: 18 Acres. (Under Drip Irrigation), Date of Sowing: 20.9.2009 & Transplanting: 25.10.2009

Chilli crop in Guntur and Prakasam districts suffered the onslaught of pests and diseases during the crop season. The crop was affected by Gemini Virus due to attack of white fly. The prolonged dry spell during the period November ‘08 and January ’09, favoured pest incidence, which resulted in abnormal fruits and reduction in the size of fruits. Also there was reduction in the yield of chilli crop. Since Indam -5 is grown over a large area in these two districts, there was urgent need to educate the farmers on these issues. The progressive farmer Shri.Danda Srinivas Rao is also a successful nurseryman, who owns M/s Veeranjaneya Chilli and Vegetable Nursery, and supplies chilli and vegetable seedlings to the farmers. The nursery comprises of 6 acres of shade nets, with future plans for 5 more acres next year.

255 farmers visited this field from Ravella, Bandarpalli, Bejatpuram, Ganapavaram, Thupadu, Chandavaram, Appapuram, Katrapadu, Raavipadu, G.G.Palem, Carchola,
Kopparru from Guntur district and Nuzillapalli and Bobbepalli from Prakasam district. Two Dealers from Guntur district and one Distributor from Chilakaluripet participated. They were impressed with the farmer’s field which was well managed with the adoption of new techniques aimed at reducing the cost of cultivation, as well as increasing the yield. Shri Danda Srinivas Rao has been a role model for cultivating red chilli crop under drip irrigation, that too in large area of 18 acres. Messrs Hanumanth Rao, Sales Promotion Officer, Kurnool and V.V.Rajasekhar, Regional Marketing Manager, Hyderabad, besides other field staffs organized the field visit for the farmers.

The farmer has so far harvested 26 Quintals per acre in 3 pickings and expects 4 Quintals more in the 4th picking, totaling 30 Quintals per acre, despite unfavourable weather conditions this year. The average yield of other farmers in the district has been only 25-28 Quintals per acre. 70% of the cost of Jain Drip system was provided by the Government under subsidy scheme and 30% by farmer.  The total cost of drip was Rs. 65000, including the cost of laterals and PVC pipes. This drip system is a one time investment cost for 5 year period of cultivation.
                             
Cultivating the Dry/Red chilli crop by Drip irrigation for 8-9 months is totally a new practice and is not followed normally by Chilli growing farmers in Guntur area or anywhere in A.P. Under the drip system, the cost of cultivation was Rs. 75000 per acre, as against Rs. 90000 to Rs. 95000 per acre, without drip irrigation, followed by other farmers; a saving of Rs.15000 to Rs. 20000 per acre. As per this farmer’s opinion, the cost of cultivation in drip irrigated field was less because of low fertilizer consumption, where 10-15 bags per acre of fertilizer cost was saved, besides reduction in the number of labour for irrigation. Fungicide and weeding costs were also reduced due to lesser incidence of weeds and fungal infection on the crop, besides considerable saving of irrigation water. IPM practices were followed, with the installation of Pheromone traps and application of Neem oil @ 1500 ppm concentration, as per the suggestions of the Agriculture Department.
           
Overall the farmer is happy with the yield and fruit quality of Indam -5 cultivated through drip irrigation. The produce is now held in cold storage and will be sold only when market price is favourable.

                                                             
Onion Synth-3 Field Day at Palakurthy


Crop & Variety: Onion Synth-3
Location: Palakurthy (Village), Kodumur (Mandal), Kurnool (District), AP

Name of the Farmer: Mr G.Khaza Hussain.
Area: 1.8 acres; Date of Nursery: 06.12.2008; Date of Transplanting: 08.01.2009
Date of Harvesting: 09.4.2009 (90 days from Date of transplanting)

Mr Hanumanth Rao, SPO, Kurnool, our Distributor Mr Jayaram, M/s Annapurna Seeds, Kurnool, Dealer Mr Surya Prakash of M/s Kalyani Seeds, Kurnool and Field Assistant
Mr. Ramanjaneyulu, Kurnool conducted the field day/harvest day of our Onion Synth-3 variety on 09.04.2009. About 120 farmers from 4 villages visited this field and evaluated the performance. They were satisfied with the performance of our Synth-3 Variety in terms of bulb size; which was 90-100 g, though it was summer sown and closely planted i.e. 8 cm x 6 cm.

With 10 cm x 10 cm spacing the bulb size would have been bigger resulting in still higher yield. Another positive aspect is that no split onion was observed and bulbs were single and uniform. Also, the green stalk at the calyx portion of Synth-3 onion is thin which is  advantageous for getting size and yield. The thick stalk at the calyx is normally not preferred. Red Colour of Synth-3 onion was also well accepted by the farmers.
 
Since the Onion was uniform in size, buyers from Kurnool have purchased the entire lot at  a uniform price of Rs. 450/Quintal without any grading. Normally onion crop is grown in about 1000 acres in and around Palakurthy village. Farmers are habituated to sowing local onion seed as well as Bejo Sheetal’s Orient variety. Farmers are convinced with the performance of our onion Synth-3 variety and during the ensuing Rabi season, in October, large area is to be sown under this variety.
The farmer got a net profit of Rs. 1, 08,250 from 1.8 acres.

Total Yield            : 330 Quintals /1.8 acre (Avg Yield 183 Quintals /acre)
Selling Price         : Rs 450/Qtl
Gross Income       : Rs 1, 48,500
Cost of Cultivation : Rs 40,250
Net Income           : Rs 1, 08,250