On 15th October 2024, the ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli and ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru combinedly organized the Field Day on the Marigold Hybrid Variety Arka Bhanu in the field of Shri Lakshminarayan Reddy at Nilamannahalli, Pavagada Taluk, Tumakuru District. The event aimed to raise awareness about the benefits of cultivating the high-yielding Arka Bhanu variety among the local farming community. About 98 enthusiastic farmers from nearby villages attended the field day.
Dr. Tusar Kanti Behera, Director of ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru, graced the event and inaugurated the program. In his address, Dr. Behera emphasized the importance of using quality seeds of flower crops especially Arka Bhanu, developed by ICAR-IIHR. He highlighted the research and development efforts by ICAR-IIHR that are directed towards empowering farmers by offering better performing varieties and innovative farming technologies.
Dr. N. Loganandhan, Principal Scientist and Head of ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli, Tumakuru, spoke about the various benefits of adopting IIHR’s advanced horticultural technologies. He encouraged farmers to take advantage of these innovations to promote sustainable agriculture. Dr. Tejaswini, Principal Scientist outlined the specific advantages of cultivating Arka Bhanu in the Pavagada region. She noted that this variety, known for its robust growth, high yield, and adaptability to local agro-climatic conditions, holds tremendous promise for increasing farmers’ profits.
Dr. Naveen Kumar, Head, Division of Flower and Medicinal Crops, further elaborated on the need for farmers to diversify their crops by incorporating flowers like Marigold into their farming systems. He emphasized that flower crops can play a crucial role in stabilizing farmers’ incomes, particularly in regions like Pavagada, where traditional crops alone may not offer adequate returns. Dr. V.K. Jayaraghavendra Rao, Head (I/c), Division of Social Sciences and Training, urged the farmers to embrace IIHR varieties more broadly. He stressed that wider adoption of these scientifically-developed varieties could contribute significantly to boosting agricultural productivity and resilience in the region.
The progressive farmer Shri Lakshminarayan Reddy provided full details about cultivation of Marigold variety Arka Bhanu and briefed about the potential of Arka Bhanu to improve farmers’ livelihoods. The Field Day also provided a valuable platform for interaction between scientists and farmers. The program was effectively coordinated by Shri K.N. Jagdish, SMS (Agril. Extension), and Shri Prasanth JM, SMS (Horticulture), ICAR-KVK, Hirehalli, Tumakuru.
