17 October, 2024, Bikaner
Innovative efforts are being made by the ICAR-National Research Centre on Camel, Bikaner to use camel urine as a seed priming agent in various Kharif crops. So far, the initial results have been positive. This effort is being taken forward at the ICAR-NRCC under the research topic “Developing suitable food-fodder production system to increase the productivity and quality of fodder for better animal husbandry in arid conditions”.
The Director of the Center, Dr. R.K. Sawal said that the camel species has been used in the western desert region of India for centuries. In view of the scientific importance of camel manure-urine etc., in addition to its medicinal milk and tourism works, the Center has made a unique effort to prove its usefulness. Camel breeders and farmers will be able to benefit from this effort. He said that camel urine is a good option for the problem of low germination in crops of western Rajasthan region. Dr. Sawal said that research work is being done on this option in view of the need of locally available, economical and accessible seed priming agents to the farmers.
The Principal Investigator of this scientific scheme of the Center, Dr. Priyanka Gautam said that research work is being done to explore the use of camel urine as a seed priming agent in various Kharif crops, which is a biological method of seed priming. The high germination of seeds primed with camel urine indicates that the seeds get immediate nutrition. In this method, dry seeds complete the germination process very fast. Dr. Gautam said that during limited rainfall in desert agriculture, camel urine will prove helpful in increasing the yield by germinating the seeds before the soil hardens.
(Source: ICAR-National Camel Research Center, Bikaner)
