Hybrid Safflower revolutionizes Farmers income | Fusion - WeRIndia

In order to help many farmers get better income in dry states, Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) has made various improved varieties of safflower. NARI is a research institute in rural Maharashtra. These new types can help Indian farmers in dry lands earn better income.

NARI came up with eight different hybrid varieties of safflower. All of them give better yield than regular seeds and they can be used for more reasons than just producing oil.

Safflower is a drought-resistant crop with deep taproot capabilities. It penetrates to a depth of 2-3 metres. As a result, the plant can draw moisture from deep within the subsoil. These levels cannot be reached by most other crops.

NARI’s idea was to develop different types of safflower which have better oil and better yield. They are also more tolerant to pests and diseases. The research on these seeds was done by Dr. Rajvanshi and his team.

In 2001, they came up with a variety which had no thorns and gave a seed yield of 18 to 20 q/ha under irrigation, had 35 percent oil in its seeds, and produced nearly 2 q flowers/ha. Since, they have conducted more research and decided to help farmers in dry areas.

Image Reference: Thebetterindia