Agriculture seed production under Mega Seed Project (MSP)
One notable addition to the farm activities is that the Directorate of Seed Research (DSR), Mau, ICAR has entrusted this Viswavidyalaya to conduct a Mega Seed Project on ‘Seed Production of Agricultural Crops’ in 2006-07. This Mega Seed Project (ICAR) is running on six farms like Teraching Farms, Mondouri, Balindi Research Complex (BRC), three District Seed Farms of Kalyani – DSF (AB), DSF (C ), DSF (D), and Chakdaha farm. These farms are well equipped with rice seed processing units in each farm has a large threshing floor, coved shed for production of different classes like breeder, foundation, and certified and truthfully labeled seeds of different rice varieties like IET 4786, IET 4094, MTU 7029, GB 1, Lalat, Swarna Sub-1, IR 64, Sabita, Pratiskhya and Gitanjali. With the help of the Mega Seed Project, the university has been able to reach out far and wide in the state through the distribution of seed materials.
Paddy seed production under MSP
Paddy seed production is undertaken on six farms Teaching Farm, Balindi Farm (BRC), DSF(AB), DSF(C), DSF(D), and Chakdaha covering an area of 160 acres (64 hectares) out of which Kharif season area is 147 acres and in boro, it is 13 acres (Table 4). Among the farms, Teaching Farms undertook about 50 acres area followed by BRC 33 acres and the least area was in DSF(C). Total seed production in those farms was 152.7 t during 2013-14 out of which Kharif seed production was 136.6 t and boro seed production was only 16.2 t only.
Profit in Mega Seed Project
The closing balance (2014-15) of Mega Seed Project (ICAR) has reached ₹ 65.0 lakhs and the increase in closing balance is 63.15% over last year’s balance. This was possible due to increased production, and huge demands by farmers. BCKV-MSP received an indent of “Seed Mini Kit” supply of 115 MT in 30 kg bag from Govt. of West Bengal good amount of farm –gate sale was possible in six (6) seed producer farms.
Seed production
In the year (2014-15), this Directorate produced more quality paddy seeds which were supplied to WBSSC in addition to huge gate sales than last year. Popular hybrid maize (HQPM-1) seed production and breeder to foundation and foundation to certified seed production of Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Pokhraj was successfully complemented during this period. The parental lines (HKI-193 and HKI-163) are being maintained in University Farm.
Quality seed production
After fulfilling the requirement of land for teaching and research, the Viswavidyalaya farms have now emerged in the state as one of the largest seed producers by way of undertaking the production of quality seeds of rice, oilseeds, and pulses and the generation of quality planting materials of horticultural crops. The ICAR-funded Mega Seed Project followed by the initiation of the scheme on modernization of Agricultural University Farm, however, has gradually brought about a significant improvement in the performance of the University in terms of more effectively reaching the farmers with its quality seeds and planting materials and in the process playing a more meaningful role in improving and sustaining the productive performance of the state through catalyzing the process of seed replacement rate in particular. Directorate of Farms of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya has 18 farms with a gross area of 1640 acres which are located in different agro-climate zones viz. Haringhata, Kalyani, Gayespur, Chakdaha under New Alluvial Zone; Canning and Kakdwip at Coastal Saline Zone; Jhargram, Raghunathpur, and Sekhampur under Red and Laterite Zone. All these farms provide support to facilitate research for University, carrying out seed production of rice, oilseeds, and pulses; and generation of quality planting materials for horticultural crops. Mega Seed Project (ICAR) under the directorate is running since 2006 and producing different classes like breeder, foundation, certified and truthfully labeled seeds of different rice varieties like IET 4786, IET 4094, MTU 7029, GB 1, Lalat, Swarna, IR 64, Sabita, Pratikshya and Gitanjali.
With the synergetic effect of the Mega Seed Project and the scheme for the modernization of agricultural university farms, the University has been able to reach out far and wide in the state through its seed materials. In 2012-13, the University produced 7.6 tonnes of breeder seeds to reach out to 14 district-level government authorities, 2 government undertaking organizations, 8 KVKs, 11 farmers’ co-operative societies, and 27 private seed companies located in various districts of the state. Similarly, 27.2 tonnes of foundation seeds were provided to the West Bengal State Seeds Corporation Limited and a score of private seed agencies operating in the southern districts of the state. These apart, 111.2 tonnes of certified and 99.6 tonnes of T.L. seeds of cereals, pulses, and oilseed crops were provided to more than 12740 farmers of mainly southern districts of the state through the farm outlets located therein as well as through ATIC, the single window service delivery hub of the University.
Read More: https://bckv.edu.in/index.php/en/farms-en/mega-seed-project-en
