Participatory Rural Development Foundation

A blessing from Lord Buddha some 3,000 years ago, and now a heritage rice of Uttar Pradesh, India is valued for its aroma, taste and nutritive quality. Its cultivation declined from 50,000 ha to less than 2,000 ha and was at the verge of extinction. No attention was paid for improving Kalanamak and it survived as landrace due to the mercy of the farmers. PRDF collected, catalogued and conserved 250 accessions of Kalanamak, and the best one, through Pureline selection, was released in 2007 and notified in 2010 as KN 3. Mutation breeding using gamma rays and EMS gave many academically interesting mutants but no high yielding dwarfs. Hybridization of KN 3 with Swarna Sub1 and Improved Sambha Mahsuri yielded varieties like Bauna Kalanamak 101, Bauna Kalanamak 102 and Kalanamak with shorter duration and 50% higher yield, released and notified in years 2016, 2017 and 2019 respectively. Protocol for organic production with higher yield was developed and certification under PGS arranged. Kalanamak is sugar-free with 49 to 52% Glycemic Index, 11% protein, 3 times higher Iron and 4 times higher Zinc. It is unique rice to have Vitamin A in form of Beta Carotene. Kalanamak is backed by Geographical Indication and PPV and FRA, and selling at five times higher price of common rice tripling farmers’ income. Now exported to Singapore, Nepal and Dubai has opened door to prosperity and added diversity to Basmati for export. This success story can be repeated for other land rices of speciality status.

India is among top few countries for Vitamin A deficiency as 60,000 children go blind annually. Other than blindness, a number of eye diseases like night blindness, bitot spot, xerothalmia and others are caused by vitamin A deficiency. More than 6% children in Uttar Pradesh suffer from clinical vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency among poor children in Gorakhpur average to 42% (as high as 65% in 3 year age group). Government of India, supported by CIDA, Helen Keller International, Micro-nutrient Initiative, UNICEF, USAID and the World Bank distributed free vitamin A capsule. Results were positive and dramatic but met failure due costs involved, problem in distribution, and corruption. Sustainable solution with no costs to government is popularization of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) varieties, which have yellow or orange flesh due to very high level of â-carotene (precursor of Vitamin A). OFSP also supply required quantity of Potassium, dietary fibre, and energy. OFSP produces more edible energy per unit and people can grow, store and consume throughout the year. Supported by Tata Trusts since last 3 years, PRDF tested more than 50 OFSP varieties and identified ST-14, CIP-440127 and VA-43 adapted to the region now popularizing its growing and consumption enjoining hundreds of farmers and thousands of school children. A cycle of multiplying healthy vines has been perfected and being practiced. A number of products of leaf and tuber like Pakora, chips, juice etc have been developed. More needs to be done on research and awareness fronts.

SummaryA greenhouse experiment was conducted to compare root system development of two upland rice cultivars, IRAT 13 and Senshou, during recovery from drought stress and to identify the plant traits that confer drought resistance. From 62 days after sowing (62 DAS), drought stress was given for 6 d followed by rewatering for 14 d. Root length density (RLD) and root diameter (thickness) were measured at the end of the stress and rewatering periods. Control plants were well-watered throughout the study. Gultivar IRAT 13 had thicker roots and higher relative RLD (ratio of RLD in drought-stressed plants to that in control plants) than under drought stress, and significantly higher root growth recovery after rewatering cultivar Senshou. Related plant traits such as evapotranspiration (ET), leaf and stem dry weights and weight of senescent leaves (dead leaves) in IRAT 13 were significantly more favorable for drought resistance compared to Senshou.