To boost valuable groundnut production across Telengana, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) have joined forces to conduct eighty demonstration trials across the State.
The initiative funded by the Government of Telangana aims to expand groundnut production which is presently only cultivated on 0.3 million hectares of land in Telangana.
Groundnut Value Chain Innovations to Enhance Farmer Profitability and Promote Oil, Food and Confectionery Industries in Telangana is funded by the Government of Telangana and led by PJTSAU in collaboration with ICRISAT.
PJTSAU, with support from ICRISAT, is conducting location-specific research, identification of genotypes, and multi-location trials of varieties developed by ICRISAT to deliver suitable varieties to Telangana and improve groundnut seed systems in the State.
Seed production of India’s first high oleic acid groundnut variety ‘Girnar 4’ developed by ICRISAT in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Directorate of Groundnut Research (ICAR-DGR), was undertaken on four acres of land at RARS-Palem during this year’s rainy season.
“The availability of poor quality and mixed varieties of groundnut seed is also a concern that needs to be addressed and we are working with ICRISAT to ensure that new varieties will soon be available to farmers. said Dr M Sujatha, Principal Scientist (Oilseeds), RARS-Palem
