Prayagraj: An M.Sc. student of SHUATS, Naini, Sanjay Suchiang has successfully developed a variety of banana which is grown only in Trichy, Tamil Nadu. Cultivated under the guidance of his guide and faculty member of the department of horticulture, SS Saravanan, Suchiang has grown Udhayam variety of banana under the climatic conditions of Prayagraj.
This variety was highly recommended by the board members at the National Research Council for Banana (NRCB), Trichy, due to its processing nature and high demand in the industrial sector.
“National Research Council for Banana (NRCB), Trichy, Tamil Nadu, provided me with the variety of this plant but the real challenge for me was to grow this variety under the climatic conditions that prevails at Prayagraj, wherein mercury dips to three to four degrees in winter chill and shoots up to 47 degrees in summers. As compared to this, the temperature at Trichy is tropical”, says Suchiang, who hails from a small village of Thadmuthlong Phramer, West Jaintia hills, Meghalaya.
Growing this variety here at Prayagraj bears significance as the consumption pattern of banana is increasing day by day due to its nutritional value and high economic return. It is the most consumed fruit crop in India with a production share of 32.6 per cent in cultivation in India (2018-2019).
“Banana farming is a great advantage to small and marginal farmers of the region as the plants require only one-time planting after which farmers can easily multiply their plants by detaching suckers, a lateral shoot that develops from the rhizome and emerges from the soil usually near the parent plant. My guide as well as the head of the department, Vijay Bahadur, told me that the Udhayam variety is a recently released variety by the NRCB, Trichy and that if I try growing it in the climatic conditions of Prayagraj, it has great promise for the farmers as its processing nature is in high demand in the industrial sector,” said Suchiang.
He also stated that Udhayam variety is highly suitable for making fig, sweet chutney, jam, bar, ready to serve beverages and wine, which makes it a much sought after variety.
“Over months of hard work and perseverance and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, I succeeded in growing Udhayam variety and over the course of 12-13 months, I am able to harvest my first few Udhayam variety bunches,” he added. Prior to release, this variety was evaluated under varied agro-climatic conditions and the results revealed that it performed well not only in Tamil Nadu but also in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tripura. It produced a sustained yield even under salinesodic soils. Though it produced an average yield of 37 kgs, it has the potential to yield upto 45 kgs, which is 15-30 per cent higher than local Karpuravalli. It exhibited field tolerance to nematodes and other leaf spot diseases. The cylindrical shape of the bunch makes this variety amenable for long distance transport with enhanced shelf life.
Hence, to maintain the quantity of the produce and uphold the “nutritional quality” and “soil fertility”, the experiment was conducted and the same was successful, said a happy and proud Suchiang.