A workshop on “Advances in Banana cultivation and integrated management on Fusarium wilt in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh” was organized by ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana (ICAR-NRCB), Tiruchirappalli jointly with ICAR-KVK, Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Kushinagar at the KVK, Kushinagar on 27.09.2023.
Dr. R. Selvarajan, Director, ICAR-NRCB while giving inaugural address, he gave glimpses of “Present status and future perspectives of banana in UP”. He said that the state has witnessed tremendous increase in banana production of 0.1113 mt in 2013 to 3.3391 mt in 2023. He informed to the growers that national centre has come out with a Panama wilt resistant Grand Naine varient. On the other hand, ICAR-NRCB has an excellent banana export technology and witnessed successful shipments of the same to Middle East, Europe etc., which in turn fetched income of all time high Rs 1188 crores to the nation and the technology shall be used to enhance the export market of banana from UP. The state grows majorly the popular commercial Cavendish cultivar Grand Naine in all the banana growing areas and Foc infecting Cavendish (Foc TR4) was in fact identified for the first time in India from Faizabad district of UP besides Katihar (Bihar) during 2015. ICAR-NRCB has come out with excellent integrated management practices including biocontrol consortium (NO2Wilt), resistance source (Cavendish type, Grand Naine variants, mutant lines), cultural practices etc., and these technologies can be utilized in managing the dreadful Foc wilt disease in banana in UP. The need of Scarring beetle management was also stressed for UP state.
Dr. Subhash Singh, Joint Director, Genda Singh Sugarcane Breeding & Research Institute (an institute under UP Council of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow), in his guest of Honour speech, made a mention that sugarcane and banana are the major crops in their cropping sequences and the sugarcane plays a major role in reducing soil borne inoculums of the later crop if it is grown first. He said banana is more profitable to the growers of this district.
In this workshop, a team of scientists including Dr K. Jeyabaskaran, Dr. R. Thangavelu and Dr M. Loganathan had made deliberations on recent banana cultivation techniques including soil nutrient management, IDM for Fusarium wilt in Kushinagar and other biotic stress managements respectively. Practical way of identifying the wilt disease and precautions to be taken to avoid the spread were explained.
Ms Anitha Roy, Shree Mythili Enterprises, Kushinagar, an entrepreneur who has got trained by ICAR NRCB spoke on “Banana value addition and fibre production”. She said it is an untapped venture in UP. She informed that more than six value products are being prepared and marketed.Besides, an exhibition consisting of banana value added products and handicraft was also arranged for the benefits of farmers’. Dr. Ashok Rai,in charge Programme coordinator of KVK and Dr Vikash Singh, SMS, Plant Pathology formally welcomed the gathering and proposed vote of thanks respectively. Around 180 farmers of the district had benefitted from the workshop.
