This document provides information from Hemchandra Jha's visit to the Horticulture Research and Extension Station in Arsikere, Karnataka. It summarizes the station's history, mandates, research accomplishments, and crop production techniques. The station was established in 1958 and conducts research on coconut varieties, cultural practices, pest management, and integrated farming systems. Its accomplishments include releasing new coconut hybrids and developing IPM programs for coconut pests. The document also summarizes Jha's visits to other agricultural research stations where he observed trials on crops like potato, fodder varieties, and maize hybrids.

1. UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES BENGALURU
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE HASSAN
Course title – Attachment to KVKs/Research stations (SRA416)
From,
HEMCHANDRA JHA
Id no. – ALH 9037

2. VISIT TO HREC,ARSIKERE

3. Arsikere: Horticulture Research Station, University of Horticulture
Science (UHS), Bagalkot, Karnataka

4. General information
The Horticulture Research and Extension Station, Arsikere was established in the year 1958
by the Department of Agriculture as Regional Coconut Research Station
In 2009, research station was transferred to University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot
and renamed as Horticulture Research and Extension Station.
Station head – Dr. Jagadish
Soil – Red sandy loam to medium black clay soils
Soil characteristics- Alkaline soil with Ph range between (7– 8)
Average annual rainfall- 815mm (aapril to october)

5. MANDATES
Evaluation of germplasm, new hybrids and high yielding varieties of coconut.
Evolving suitable combination of cultural, manurial and irrigation
techniques in coconut.
 Evaluation of suitable coconut based cropping/ farming systems.
 Development of integrated pest and disease management in coconut.
Integrated farming system for integrating cow sheep with coconut plantation
Providing the most economical intercropping pattern for coconut

6. Wings of ARS
1. AICRP on PALMS – Mainly coconut
2. Horticultural extension education unit
3.Horticultural research and extension centre

7.  Functioning at Horticulture Research and Extension centre, Arsikere
from May 1976.
 The broad objectives of the project are
Arsikere centre of All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms
(AICRP on Palms)

8. 1. Collection, conservation, cataloguing and evaluation of germplasm, new hybrids and high yielding
varieties of coconut.

9. 2.Standardization of Agro-techniques for various agro-climatic regions and
development of appropriate farming/ cropping system compatible with the main crop
and edaphic and climatic conditions.

10. 3.Development of effective and efficient pest management strategies.

11. RESEARCH ACCOMPLISHMENTS
 Crop production
 Crop improvement
 Plant protection

12. Crop improvement
Crop varieties
 Release of coconut varieties and hybrids: One variety (Kalpatharu) and four hybrids
(Kalpashresta, Kalpaganga, Abhayaganga and Vasistaganga) of coconut have
recommended for release for cultivation in Karnataka.
Kalpaganga

13. There are about 12 crosses currently present in the A.R.S.

14. Multilocation trials for the purpose of growing newly released variety in different
agroclimatic zone

15. Crop Production
Intercrops:
Intercropping of banana, drumstick, french bean-ladies finger and redgram
in adult coconut palms is found productive and remunerative.
The crops are selected depending on the availability of irrigation water.
When there is a good source of irrigation water, high water requirement crop
like banana, drumstick, french bean and ladies finger can be grown.
Under limited source of irrigation water, redgram can be grown with need
based protective irrigation and also custard apple, avocado and dragon fruit.
COCONUT+ BANANA COCONUT+DRUMSTICK

16. COCONUT+FIELD BEAN COCONUT+READGRAM

17. Drip irrigation requirement of coconut: Drip irrigation at 100% efficiency
is ideal for coconut in maidan tract of Karnataka.

18. PLANT PROTECTION
Pests of coconut in ARS
1. Mites
2.Rhinoceros beetle
3.Redpalm weevil
4.Black headed hairy caterpillar
5.Rugose white fly
6.Root grubs
7.Termites

19. Research undertaken to manage the pests
 Release of larval parasitoids Bracon brevicornis, Goniozus nephantidis and
pupal parasitoid, Trichospilus pupivora at recommended dose at 21 days interval
for each treatment in two phases significantly reduced Coconut Blackheaded
caterpillar.
 A technology for the management of coconut black headed caterpillar involving
release of Bracon brevicornis @ 30 no./ tree or Goniozus nephantidis @ 20 no./
tree was standardized.
 Production unit for Goniozus nephantidis has been set up in entomology unit of
ARS. (Price/adult = 50 paise)
 Coconut black headed caterpillar

21. Mass multiplication and distribution of Bracon brevicornis and
Goniozus nephantidis is being taken up in the AICRP labs for management of
Black Headed Caterpillar

22. Adults of goniozus nephantidis

23. Management of Rhinoceros beetle
Setting of Rhinolure trap @ 1/ha
An IPM technology involving setting of Rhinolure trap @
1/ha, leaf axil placement of phorate granules or naphthalene
balls, release of Baculovirus infected adults @ 15/ha
 Application of Metarhizium anisopliae to manure pits has
been standardized for the management of coconut rhinoceros
beetle.

24. Use of natural predators like Encarsia guadeloupae
Spray of neem oil – only under severe condition.
Yellow sticky traps can also be used.
This disease is major in dwarf varities.
Management for sooty mould

25. VISIT TO HREC, Somanahallikaval (Hassan)

26. General information about hres, hassan-
 Year of establishment – 2013
 Soil Type – Red Sandy Loam
 Area of the farm – 50 Acres
 Zone – Southern Dry Zone ( No-6)
 Mandate Crops Of Station – Potato, Vegetables and Fruit Crops
 The institute is currently a centre for AICRP on potato.
 The station is currently producing apical root cutting(ARC).

27. ACHIEVEMENT
 POTATO
Spraying of Femaxidone 16.6 % + Cymoxynil 22.1 % @ 1 ml/l to control late
blight in potato
 Foliar application of potato specific nutrient formulation (UHS-B) at 3 g/l at 15
days interval from 30 days after potato planting for three times during cropping
period
Potato seed production under net house to produce quality seed tubers
 Treatment with Neem cake leachates @ 2 % + Mancozeb 75 % WP @ 0.3%is
best suited for integrated late blight disease management in potato and organic
potato growing farmers

28. Kufri surya Kufri himalini

29. APICAL ROOTED CUTTINGS-
 Taught by Ms. Sandya (Technical Assistant)
 An apical cutting is a rooted transplant produced from tissue culture plants.

30. STEPS IN PRODUCTION OF ARC-
 Production of Tissue culture potato.
 Selection of Mother plant (X-Plant), procured from CPRI, Shimla.
 Make the cuttings of mother plant with minimum 1 node and transfer to MS
Media.

31.  Transfer of rooted cuttings to motherbed after rooting (takes 10-15 days) with spacing of
7.5 cm x 7.5 cm.
 After 15 days, transfer of ARC at Three leaf stage to pro trays.
 Harvest after 20 days and then sold to the farmers for G0 production at a cost of Rs.1 per
seedling.
 After G0 production, tubers are transferred to cold storage to break dormancy and then
used for G1 tuber production.

32. Polyhouse for potato seedlings

33. ADVANTAGES OF ARC OVER SEED TUBERS-
 Transportation charges will be reduced.
 Production of virus free planting material.
 Yield is very high around 10-12 tons/acre compared to seed tubers which is
4-5 tons/acres.
 Any variety of our choice can be used as ARC.
 ARC produce a crop within 3-4 months in contrast mini tubers take minimum of 9
months.

34. VISIT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION,
GUNJEVU,HOLENARASIPURA

35. Established in 1994-95
Area under A.R.S.- 352.5 acres
Farm supritendent – Dr. Nagaraj
LOCATION DETAILS
 SOIL: Gravely sandy loam, Shallow, alkaline soil in undulation terrain
with long dry spell.
GENERAL INFORMATION

36. OBJECTIVES OF FARM:
 To carry out seed production activities of Cereals, Pulses, Oilseeds etc..
a. Ragi
b. Paddy
c. Redgram
d. Cowpea
e. Groundnut
f. Horsegram
g. Multi-cutsorghum(COFS-29) and Fodder slips
 To conduct Research experiments on various field and horticulture crops.
a.Multilocation trials b.Farm trials c.Station trials d.Testing trials
 Promotion of Agriculture-Horticulture-Silviculture cropping system
A.Establishment of model ie.Mango-mahagoni-horsegram
B.Establishment of model ie.Cashewnut-Rosewood-Ragi/Redgram.
 To establish ARS Gunjevu as a model dry land horticulture Ecosystem.
a.Establishment of model ie. Mango(Mallika,Alphanso,Ratna,Sindoora etc.) 25Ac
b.Establishment of model ie. Cashew (Ullal-1,4,5&CMY-1) 25Ac
c. Establishment of model ie. Tamarind(GKVK-17) 3Ac
d. Establishment of model ie. Sapota(Cricket ball) 2Ac
e. Establishment of model ie. Roseapple 32 plants

37. CONCEPT OF AGRI TOURISM
Aim: Mainly to encourage Agriculture.

38. VISIT TO AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH STATION,
SRIRANGASWAMY GUDDA KAVAL,KUNIGAL

39.  Established in 2014
 Station head – Dr. Srinivas sir
 Area – 120 acre
 Mainly concentrated on fodder research funded by RKVY .
 ARS belongs to Zone-6(Southern dry zone)
 Centre for maize double haploid facility established by collaboration
between CIMMYT and UAS BANGLORE
General information

40. Demonstration of fodder varieties
Conservation , multiplication, production of fodder varieties
Seed production of ragi, redgram, blackgram, field bean, soyabean, groundnut.
IFS which includes components like dairy, sheep rearing, vermicompost, azolla,
forestry, nursery along with crop production.
Conducting multilocation trials, farm trials, station trials.
Reflective mulching (tying ropes between the plots) to control wild boar and
peacock)
Activities done

41. Fodder crops under research
Napier (NB -21 , CO -1,2,3,4,5 , Suguna )
Guinea grass( Mutant variety)
Multi cut jowar(COFS 29,30)
Para grass
Anjan grass
Fodder Cowpea(MAC 09-1)
Thornless cactus

43. Maize double haploid
 The International Maize and Wheat Improvement
Centre (CIMMYT) and the University of Agricultural
Sciences-Bangalore (UAS-Bangalore) signed a
collaboration agreement for establishing a maize
doubled haploid (DH) facility at the (ARS-Kunigal).
 The maize DH facility, funded by the CGIAR Research
Program on Maize (MAIZE).
The benefits of doubled haploid technology
 DH maize lines are highly uniform, genetically pure
and stable, and enable significant saving of time and
resources in deriving parental lines, which are building
blocks of improved maize hybrids.

45. Sorting of haploid seeds
from diploid and
contaminated seeds
Planting haploid
seeds in nursery
Colchicine treatment
(Doubling the haploid)

46. Colchicine treatment
Transplanting in field

47. VISIT TO ARS MADENURU

48. General information
 ARS Madenur established at 1972
 Station head – Dr. Nagana desai
 Total acreage 60 Acres
 Cultivable land 30 Acres
 Horticultural crop acreage :- 5 acres
 4 farm pond for fishery (common carp)
 Total number of coconut palms 480
 Mango 160
 Fodder grass cultivation
 Allied activities like dairy, sheepery,
 Forest spicies like Hebbevu, sliver oak, eucalyptus, acacia, butea monosperma
 Research activity on maize.

49. Objectives of ARS
 To Carry out Seed production Activities of ragi, maize, sunflower, soyabean, field
bean, Cowpea etc
 To Conduct Research experiments on Various Field and Horticultural crops ie
Multilocation Trails, station trails
 Identification of Location specific problems related to plant protection aspects of
crops
 Promotion of Various Cropping systems in field and Horticultural crops
 Promotion on Growing biodiesel and forest tree species in unfertile lands and it’s
replenishment

50. Crops grown in this station
 Ragi – MR 1,MR 6,GPU 28,ML 365,KMR 301
 Maize- MAH14-5,MAH-14-138, MAH-21-527, African tall.
 Sunflower-KBSH 44, KBSH 52 AND KBSH 78.
 Soya bean –JS 335.
 NAPIER
 Fodder maize
 Coconut
 Horticultural crops
 Forest Species

51.  Research Activity is carryout in Maize with regard to the
performance of Maize variety in the location and it’s
resistance to Turscicum leaf blight
 There are 623 Inbreds Lines in Maize
 Evaluation of this lines and it’s adaptability and
resistance to pest and disease is evaluated and selected
for Crop breeding activity
 There are 2 Polyhouses where Nursery is maintained of
Coconut and Arecanut ,Cardamom saplings and
Floricultural Crops like Hibiscus, Rose.

52. • Fishery in Farm Pond
• Common Carp Fish is reared
• 6000 Fingerlings are released and harvested at 1 year
interval
• Cows Species like HF, Jersey,Hallikar,Amritmahal
• Sheep :- Bandur-35 , Rabbit-6

53. Major objectives of biofuel park
It acts as an information centre for biofuel .
Extraction of fuel from biofuel palnts like Pongamia, Jatropa etc.
Setting up of nursery for Honge, Jatropa, Simarooba , Neem, Pongamia etc.

54. Oil extraction unit
1 litre of biofuel is produced by using 4 kg of seeds and remaining 3 kg is cake.
Price of biofuel and cake is 90Rs, 30-35 rs respectively.

55. Crude oil Crushing of seeds to obtain oil cakes
and crude oil