India: Training held on organic potato cultivation in Mokokchung
MOKOKCHUNG — A one-day training programme on the "Organic Cultivation of Potato" was held in Mokokchung on Thursday.
Organised jointly by the State Agriculture Research Station (SARS), Yisemyong, and the Indian Agricultural Research Institute-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) Research Station, Shillong.
The event brought together farmers from Mokokchung, Tuensang, and Longleng districts to improve seed supply systems, innovative farming techniques, and government support to enhance sustainable potato production in Nagaland.
Dr. N Sailo, senior scientist from ICAR-CPRI Shillong, emphasised on the occasion that the unavailability of quality potato seeds remains a significant obstacle to sustainable potato production in the northeastern states.
He outlined the critical need for seed production chains to ensure a consistent supply, scientific methods to enhance cultivation techniques and timely planting schedules, and government support for sustainable potato farming.
Dr. Sailo acknowledged the unique challenges faced in hill and slope-based farming but assured that scientific solutions are available to address these issues.
Lipokonen Jamir, joint director of SARS Yisemyong, highlighted Nagaland’s diverse ecological zones, which provide a distinct advantage for producing crops across different seasons. He shared ongoing efforts by SARS Yisemyong to identify optimal sowing dates for various crops, yielding promising results for the off-season cultivation of maize and other crops.
Jamir also echoed Dr. Sailo’s concerns about the lack of quality seeds, noting that farmers in Nagaland heavily rely on seeds from outside the state, leading to delays and mismatches in seasonal planting. He stressed the importance of developing local seed production systems to address this gap.
Both experts recognised the high market potential of potato cultivation. Jamir revealed that SARS Yisemyong has been experimenting with potato varieties over the past year and is optimistic that the results will benefit farmers.
To support this, five varieties of breeder potato seeds have been distributed to grassroots farmers in Mokokchung, Tuensang, and Longleng for experimental cultivation. The feedback from these trials will help guide the scaling-up of potato farming in partnership with the ICAR-CPRI Research Station, Shillong.
During the technical sessions, farmers were introduced to natural and organic farming methods by Lipokonen Jamir, joint director of SARS Yisemyong, while experts from ICAR-CPRI Shillong, including Dr. N. Sailo, shared best practices for organic potato cultivation. This was followed by frontline demonstrations and field visits, providing hands-on experience.
Fuente: easternmirrornagaland.com
