07-08-2013, 01:00 PM
Transfer of integrated disease management technologies for successful cultivation of saffron in Kishtwar district of J&K
ABSTRACT
Jammu and Kashmir State of India enjoys the monopoly in commercial cultivation of saffron crop in India. Kishtwar District of J&K contributes about 3 % of the total saffron production in India with average productivity of 1.5 q ha-1. Among various factors responsible for low productivity of saffron is corm rot which is one of the major constraints in stabilizing its production. The disease is caused by more than one pathogens viz., Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. gladioli, Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia spp. Macrophomina sp., Penicillium sp. and Sclerotium rolfsii. The disease incidence ranging from 42-75% has been observed and it is prevalent in all the localities of Kishtwar district wherever saffron is cultivated. Poor cultivation technologies along with inadequate technical know-how about the management of the disease is fast making saffron an extinction crop of these area. Due to the sustained research and extension activities of Division of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, since 2005, saffron cultivation has re-gained the momentum due to the dissemination of effective integrated management practices of corm rot of saffron. Regular training programme were carried out in the region to make the growers aware of the scientific cultivation of saffron, which emerges as one of the greatest tools that paved way for the success in dissemination of integrated disease management technology for the management of corm rot of saffron. So far, 40 one-day training programmes have been conducted in which more 1500 were growers benefited. One 5-day and four 3-day training programmes on the “Human Resource Development of Saffron Growers in J&K” have also been organized in which 650 growers participated. About ten demonstration on IDM technology were also conducted in farmers participatory approach (FPP), in which the scientific guidance along with chemicals were provided to the beneficiaries from sowing to harvest. Solar dryers were also installed in villages, which growers could used on community basis for the proper drying of the saffron. Due to technologies adoption, the productivity of saffron increased upto 2.5q ha-1.