Dense fog boosts Toria yield prospects for rapeseed farmers in Kamrup

Amingaon, Jan 3: The dense fog that has covered many areas has come in handy for the Toria seed (rapeseed) farmers in the Kamrup district, who are optimistic of reaping a handsome harvest.

Bimal Medhi of Hajo Bagata who cultivated 150 bighas of land last year with certified rapeseed (Toria variety TS-38), earned Rs 5 lakh. “This year we expect more return as the weather is friendly for rapeseed farming and dense fog has become a blessing for the parched plot,” Bimal Medhi said, adding that besides seed they also got technical support from KVK, Kamrup.

The Toria variety TS-38 has been cultivated by the Bhaillabari Fishery Farmers Producers Company as well. A 43-member group of farmers of Kulhati who cultivated this variety in a 100-bigha plot of land are hopeful of better output. The dense fog does wonders as it helps attain growth and prevents the plant from withering. “Mustard cultivation does not need much water, so the dense fog prevailing for the past few days helped our crops a lot; keeping the plant healthy,” Jiten Das, a farmer said.

Echoing the farmers, Sonmoina Bhuyan, a senior scientist and head of the KVK, Kamrup said, “The more the fog falls the better for the plant.” Speaking on the certified rapeseed (Toria variety TS-38), Dr Bhuyan stated, “This variety is suitable for prevailing rain fed fields of Assam. Generally, in rain fed condition toria has a productivity of around 5 quintal per acre,” Dr Bhuyan added.

The Toria variety TS-38 variety was developed by the Assam Agriculture University during 2018-19 and is a late-sown, high yielding, short duration variety. “Owing to its short maturity period, it is highly suitable for double and triple cropping systems and can successfully be grown after sali rice under the agro-climatic condition of Assam,” Dr Sonmoina Bhuyan said.

“Due to its superior performance, TS-38 has gained widespread foothold among farmers beyond Assam. In recent years, apart from the Northeastern states like Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, this variety has also been procured by states like Odisha, Bihar, and Rajasthan, reflecting its adaptability and productivity across diverse agro-ecological regions,” Bhuyan further added.

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kamrup and the Assam Agriculture University has been making consistent and dedicated efforts towards enhancing oilseed production in the State through continuous production of certified rapeseed, Toria variety TS-38.

Over the last five years, KVK has produced substantial quantities of certified Toria seed.