Training on sunflower oilseed farming held at Agrinova

Dimapur, November 6 (MExN): A training and field demonstration on sunflower oilseed cultivation was conducted at AgriNova Organic Farmers, Chungtor village, Longkhim, under the initiative of Dr Bongliba Sangtam, coordinator of AgriNova Oorganic Farmers, on Thursday.

In a press release received here, it read that the project was aimed to improve the livelihood of rural communities in the region through sustainable oilseed cultivation and value addition and that the program was supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Medziphema, Nagaland and the Indian Institute of Oil Research (IIOR), Hyderabad.

It stated that Dr Harendra Verma, scientist, ICAR-Medziphema, explained the importance of sunflower oilseed farming and multi-cropping to enhance rural income and encouraged farmers to cultivate sunflower oilseeds immediately after the harvest of rice, instead of leaving fields empty.

At the same time, it stated that Verma advised the farmers to sow in ‘row-wise’ patterns, maintaining about one-foot spacing between rows for better yield and easier maintenance and further explained that well-decomposed pig or cow manure (one to two years old) can be used as an excellent organic fertilizer to enrich the soil and support healthy sunflower crop growth.

Likewise, it stated that the joint director of ICAR-Medziphema, Dr. H Kalita, highlighted the importance of cultivating sunflowers between November and March, avoiding the monsoon period for optimal results.

Dr. Sangtam expressed sincere gratitude to Dr. H Kalita, Joint Director, and Dr. Harendra Verma, Scientist, ICAR-Medziphema, along with other colleagues, for visiting the farmers and providing hands-on guidance to the farmers.

He also thanked Prof. Mathur, Director, Indian Institute of Oil Research (IIOR), Hyderabad, and Dr. Qureshi, Principal Scientist, for providing sunflower oilseeds and for their continued support and guidance in making the project possible.