Under the RKVY(S&T) initiative for ‘Farm based S&T Interventions for Socio-economic Development in the Aspirational District of Nabarangpur, Odisha’ novel horticulture based interventions are implemented for socio-economic development of tribal-dominated Nabarangpur district through development commercial nurseries of various capacities in SHG mode, ensuring nutritional security, supplementary income and popularization of ICAR-IIHR varieties backyard kitchen gardening through Arka kitchen garden kits and Arka urban garden kits, enhancing economic status of the rural and tribal farmers through introduction of high yielding ICAR-IIHR vegetable varieties and improved agro-technologies and improving horticulture activity based skills of the stakeholders through various training and awareness programmes. Under the aegis of the RKVY(S&T) project five focused trainings were organized in four locations blocks of Nabarangpur in small batches during 2-6 March 2021 to impart basic skills of nursery management to the SHG members and educate them about the economic feasibility of the intervention. Four training programs on development of commercial nurseries were organised for selected SHGs at Block level training and extension Centre, Raighar block; Dangriguda at Kosagumuda block, SabujDunia and Gobindalaya at Saruguda, Nandahandi block.All these SHGs have been provided with polyshednet houses of different capacities. Basic training on seedling raising using soilless media in potrays, grafting and air-layering for fruit crop propagation, and on Nursery management, was imparted at all the above nursery sites. The SHG beneficiaries have been provided with basic inputs, tools and training for initiating nursery activities in forthcoming season.The participants were given hands-on training and demonstrations on techniques like soil media preparation, filling of poly bags and potrays, root and stem cuttings of cucurbitaceous crops, grafting for fruit crops, etc.
One training programme on commercial vegetable cultivation focused primarily on integrated pest and disease management in in Okra, Tomato and Chilli, was organized in Pujariguda, Nabarangpur block.For promotion of commercial vegetable cultivation in Nabarangpur district around 1000 tribal women have been provided with ICAR-IIHR varieties of tomato F1 hybrids- ArkaRakshak and ArkaSamrat, French Bean - Arka Arjun, Dolichus Bean(Bush type - ArkaAmogh and pole type- ArkaVistar), Chilli F1 hybrids (ArkaMeghana, ArkaHarita, Arka Shweta, ArkaKhyati), Chilli OP- Lohit, Okra hybrid- Arka Nikita, Palak- ArkaAnupamaAnupama in four blocks (Papdahandi, Nabarangpur, Kosagumuda and Jharigaon) of Nabarangpur District.
Layout for mother blocks for fruit crops has been finalized near the high tech nursery developed by Central horticultural Experiment Station (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar, at Soruguda village of Dangarbheja Panchayat in Nandahandi Block. Horizontal linkages for the sustainability of the nursery facilities in the district have taken place with National and International institutions for the supply of quality planting material of the fruit, vegetables and flower crops in the region. DDH Dr Pradosh Kumar Panda, ADH Sri Swain, and AHO Sri Nayak paid a joint visit to the Hitech Nursery area and assessed its potential for its use for the development of horticulture in the region in near future. During the aforesaid period the functionaries of ICRISAT, WorldVeg, NBRI, local NGOs, FPOs, NABARD, and progressive farmers expressed to dovetail their programs and activities with Commercial Nurseries being developed by CHES (ICAR-IIHR) in the district, with active support and guidance of Horticulture Directorate and other Stakeholders from State Government.
The monitoring and training programmes during 2-6 March 2021 were organised bya team led by Dr. P. Srinivas, Principal Scientist and Principal investigator of RKVY (S&T) project activities operational at CHES (ICAR-IIHR), Bhubaneswar.
