Small Millets, ZARS, VC Farm, Mandya

AICRP Scheme/Unit : AICRP (Small millets)

Location :Zonal Agricultural Research Station,V C Farm, Mandya-571405

Year of Start : 2002

Mandates :

• To develop/identify and release the high yielding varieties fingermillet and small millets as per the requirements of Zone 6.
• To develop appropriate soil and nutrient management practices for finger millet and small millets in Cauvery command area.
• To develop. Standardise and recommended suitable water management practices for finger millet and small millets in Cauvery command area.
• To develop, standardize and recommend appropriate plant protection measures against important diseases of finger millet and small millets.
• To take up seed production of different classes of finger millet and small millets in as per national and state indent in the research station and in the farmer’s field under SFPP programme.
• To impart training on new production practices/technologies and organizing Frontline demonstrations of new crop varieties and hybrids as per ICAR/GOI/GOK programme.

Research Programmes :

• To Development of medium, long duration and high yielding Finger Millet varieties with resistance to Blast and Foot Rot Diseases
• Development of nutrient rich Finger millet varieties
• Development of high yielding and disease resistant varieties of Foxtail Millet and Little Millet
• Enhancing the small millets productivity through sustainable crop and soil management  practices under changing climate scenario; Adoption of mechanization to reduce the labour drudgery in sowing, weeding, harvesting and threshing. Biofortification of zinc, Boron and iron.
• Research focus on Finger Millet fodder quality
• Identification new fungicidal molecules, bioagents and bioproducts for the management of foot rot disease of finger millet and rust of foxtail millet.

Host resistance, yield loss assessment and management

Research Accomplishments :

(Varieties released /Technologies developed / Patents developed/ Commercialized etc…)

Crop improvement :

 As of 2023, Germplasm maintained, collected, evaluated and used in breeding

Patents:

Plant protection :

• Carbendizim +Mancozeb-2005
• Soil application of 1 kg talc formulations (500 g f+ 500 g T.v each mixed with 25-30 kg of value added compost incubated for one week and applied over an acre. (Technology  approved at both national and state level )-2015
• Spraying of Saaf @ 0.1% effectively controlled blight disease of ragi.
• Soil application of 1 kg talc formulations (500 g Pseudomonas florescence + 500 g Trichodermaviridae each mixed with 25-30 kg of value added compost incubated for one week and applied over an acre at the time of weeding/intercultivation to management of foot rot disease in finger millet.
• Seedling root dip with Trichodermaviride @ 5 g^-l of water and Pseudomonas  florescence @   5 g^-l  of water followed by  Soil application of  Trichodermaviride @ 500 g ac^-1and Pseudomonas  florescence  @ 500 g ac^-1 talc formulation mixed with 25 -30  kg of compost incubated for 15 days and apply in a row before sowing or transplanting for effective  management of foot rot disease in finger millet
• Native potential Trichoderma and Pseudomonas sp. identified molecularly by using ITS1 and ITS4 universal gene specific primers and 16S rDNA gene specific primers, identified them as Trichodermaasperellum and Pseudomonasputida. These bio-agents would be mass multiplied and utilized for effective management of the foot rot disease in finger millet.
• Since, 2015 to 2017 we are contributing 25-30 leaf, neck and finger blast disease samples to the Pathologist IIMR, Hyderabad to carryout molecular characterization/races identification in finger millet blast diseases.

Bio-management of foot rot disease in finger millet.

• Some native isolates of bio-agents like Trichodermaviride and Pseudomonas fluorescens were isolated from native soils for the effective management of foot rot. Isolates were subjected for in vitro Based on the promising results of isolates under in vitro studies, highly potential bio-agents were selected and identified morphologically and molecularly and which were utilized for the management study with different delivery methods.Among the different delivery methods tried against the foot rot disease seedling root dip with Trichodermaviride + Pseudomonas fluorescenseach 5 g/L of water for half-an hour followed by soil application of Trichodermaviride+ Pseudomonas fluorescens each 500 g along with enriched compost incubated for 15 days and applied to cover an acre. This technology was found to be the effective strategy to reduce the foot rot and enhancing the grain yield and obtained better CB ratio. (Technology is recommended for State and national level).

Management of nursery blast in finger millet

• Nursery blast is another important production constraint in finger millet, for the management of nursery blast and to get the healthy, disease free and good transplantable seedlings, Seed treatment with Tricyclazole 75 WP @ 3g/kg or Tebuconazole 50% + Trifloxystrobin 25% WG @ 0.5g/kg of seed was found to be the effective strategy.(Technology is recommended for State level).

Ecofriendly approach for the management of blast disease in finger millet.

• Blast is the important seed and air borne disease in southern Karnataka.Chemical management is not that much cost effective, to reduce the cost of production and to achive the higher grain and fodder yield Seed treatment with Chitoson (Biopolymer) @2g/kg followed by spraying of Pseudomonas flourescens talc based formulation 10g /L at flowering as well as the grain filling stage found to be the best approach for the management of blast disease in finger millet (This technology isrecommended forState and National level).

Management of blast disease in finger millet

• Neck and finger blast are the most economical yield loss diseases in finger millet, for effective management an integrated strategy, Seed treatment with Pseudomonas flouresens@10g/L followed by spraying of Tryclazole+ Mancozeb @0.5g/L at the time of flowering, second spray 10-15 days laterfor the management of neck and the finger blast disease in finger millet. (Recommended for State and National level).

Management of leaf blight in browntop millet

• Management of leaf blight in browntop millet, Spraying of Propiconazole 25% EC@ 1 ml/L 35-40 DAS when leaf blight symptoms noticed was effective in reducing leaf blight incidence as evidenced by 65.43% disease reduction and 191.10 % increased grain yield with better CB ratio of 2.28:1.(Recommended for State and National level)

Management of foxtail millet rust

• Seed treatment with Pseudomonas flourescens@10g/kg followed by Azoxystrobin 23%SC @ 1ml/L 40-45DAS followed by Pseudomonas flourescens talc based formulation spray at the rate of 10 g/L after 50-55 DAS was found to be the effective practice for the management of foxtail millet rust disease(Accepted for State and National level).

 Crop production

• Oxyflurofen@ 0.1 kg a.i/ha as pre-emergence herbicide for irrigated ragi recorded excellent weed control efficiency, especially in the initial stages of crop growth.-2006
• Application of poultry manure or press mud to supply 150 kg N per ha are more remunerative in organic finger millet production practices to sustain higher productivity under irrigated conditions.
• Transplanting 15 days old one seedling per hill of finger millet was found to be a better option for enhancing the productivity of finger millet under irrigated conditions.
• Under saline soil conditions, performance of both barnyard millet and finger millet were found to be superior.
• Incorporation of sun hemp as green manure crop in rice fallows followed by finger millet cultivation with 75per cent recommended dose of fertilizers enhanced the productivity of finger millet under irrigated conditions.
• Pre-emergence application herbicide of bensulfuron methyl + pretilalchlor 6.6% G@ 0.198 kg a.i. /ha as is found to be effective in managing the weeds under transplanted situations.

Awards / Recognitions :

• Best poster presentation award -“FOOT ROT DISEASE MANAGEMENT IN FINGER MILLET– AN INTEGRATED APPROACH” in the National symposium on Plant diseases: New perspectives and Innovative Management Strategies, held at UAS, Dharwad on 11-12^th December 2014.
• Best Small Millets stall exhibitor award in at Krushimela-2017-18 GKVK, Bangalore

Facilities Available :

• Latest machineries and power drawn equipments/implements required to carry out research work (field and lab).
• We have own seed-processing unit built under RKVY project for processing Nucleus, Breeder, Foundation, Certified and other classes of seeds produced at the station and in farmers field under Scientists Farmers Participatory Seed Production Programme (SFPP).
• Greenhouse facility at the center for artificial screening of Small Millet diseases.
• Sufficient storage structure/godowns for keeping harvested/threshed Small Millet material
• The station has Vermi-compost unit, which provides vermin-compost for organic farming and organic based research work also.

Other Activities :

• FLDs were conducted in ——ha in different districts of Karnataka from 2002-2023. (2005to2012-101ha) (2013-17-800acres-323.749ha)(2018-2023-181ha)
• Tribal Sub-Plan program is being conducted every year.

Staff Profile