India: Patacharkuchi women script success with potato cultivation in Pathsala

The people of the village are happy to harvest the new variety of potato. The zero tillage technique is used immediately after harvest of Sali paddy without traditional soil preparation by tilling land like normal potato cultivation. The zero tillage technique is a climate-resilient technology introduced and standardized through the knowledge pattern and technical support of the International Potato Centre (CIP) and is gaining high popularity among potato farmers. Potato seeds are sown in a specific distance in the land surface after harvest of Sali paddy and the potato seeds are covered by paddy straw. This cultivation is a low cost, said Dr. Minsura Begum, District Horticulture Coordinator, Assam Agribusiness and Rural transformation project (APART). She was present along with Hirendra Nath Sarma, Block Technology Manager, Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), at Bezkuchi village during harvesting.

The farmers also cultivated Lady Rosetta potato successfully. The potato is red in colour and is specially used to make chips. “The project was World Bank funded and as a part of a demonstration, three farmers having about two bighas of land cultivated potato,” said Hirendra Nath Sarma, Block Technology Manager, Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA).

Implementing the agency of APART in the district is the district agriculture office and in State, it is the Directorate of Agriculture and Horticulture. “The entire project is being coordinated and monitored by ARIAS (Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services),” said Dr. Minsura Begum. The project will continue until 2025.

Riju Mani Deka, a successful cultivator of the village and wife of youth cultivator Sunil Deka, for the first time cultivated zero tillage potato with Kufri Surya varieties in her paddy field and the result brought a smile on her face. People of the locality visited her agriculture field and were surprised by the result.

Sunil Deka cultivated Lady Rosetta potato in about two bighas of land and he also was surprised at the result. The size of the potato is very big and the weight per potato is 200 grams to 400 grams. Chittaranjan Deka also benefited from such type of cultivation. In the demonstration, all aids, pesticides, spray machines, simple land preparation training, and seeds were supplied to the farmer free of cost. The farmers are jubilant after successfully cultivating the potato.

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