ICAR plans to boost cashew nut output in 12th Plan

In an attempt to double the production of raw cashew nuts, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recommended new technologies and growing practices to farmers. ICAR is also planning to introduce the snack crop in at least 50,000 hectares in non-traditional areas during the twelfth five-year plan period.

ICAR in association with its research wing, the Directorate of Cashew Research (DCR), has recommended several new high yielding varieties as well as increasing productivity concept to make India self-sufficient in production of raw cashew nuts during the next plan period.

“We have established new research centres to study on cashew production in states. With the help of state agricultural universities and All India Coordinated Research Projects (AICRP) we have developed 40 high yielding cashew varieties. Apart from that we are working on genetic improvement of cashew and using biotechnology for better quality kernel,” M Gopalakrishna Bhat, Director, DCR told Business Standard.

He said ICAR has planned to double raw cashew nut production in the country to 1.4 million tonnes during the next five years. India currently produces 700,000 tonnes of raw cashewnuts from 945,000 hectares and imports an equal quantity to meet the requirements of the processing industry. India’s export of cashew kernels is in the order of 110,000 tonnes annually.

“To achieve higher productivity, it is necessary to adopt some new high yielding varieties, and improve the growing practices. Presently, the national average yield is 700 kg per hectare and the plan is to increase it to 1,200 kg during the 12th plan period,” Bhat said.

Presently, the varieties used by large number of farmers are prone to pest attack like tea mosquito bug and cashew stem root borer. Tea mosquito bugs are causing a loss of about 35-40 per cent yield and stem root borer is causing death of five per cent of plants at different growing regions. In order to overcome these pest attacks, DCR has developed some new varieties, which are also high yielding, he said.

“At DCR we have designed new approaches to control them. By using pheromones and entomopathogenic nematodes we can effectively control cashew stem and root borer attack. We are going to give further emphasis on research during the 12th plan period and have submitted a proposal to the agriculture ministry,” Bhat said.

DCR has also suggested two new approaches. One is planting of compact and dwarf high yielding varieties and increase the number of plants per unit area. As against the present practice of planting 200 grafts per hectare, it has recommended 1,000 grafts per hectare so as to increase the output five-fold.

DCR has also recommended some location specific varieties for planting such as NRCC selection 2, Bhaskara, Vengurla 4 and 7 for traditional areas in Karnataka. For non-traditional areas of Kolar, Chintamani and Chikkaballapura, it has recommended Chintamani 1 & 2 and Dhana varieties.

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/icar-plans-to-boost-cashew-nut-output-in-12th-plan/461097/