Port Blair, Mar 31: On March 29, 2023, ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair, organized a field day on pulses in Nayagarh village of Nilambur Panchayat as part of the Cluster Front Line Demonstration (CFLD) programme, which is centrally sponsored by the NFSM scheme. The program’s main objective is to enhance pulse production and productivity in islands in a sustainable manner. Forty farmers and farm women from Nayagarh, Rajatgahr, and Abhaygahr participated and benefited from the programme. Dr N.Bommayasamy, SMS (Agro./Agrl.Extn.) discussed the importance of CLFD on pulses (black gram and green gram) in seed replacement of traditional pulse varieties with high-yielding and disease-resistant pulse varieties. He emphasized that the significance of PPFM sprays and their benefits, such as improving seed germination and seedling growth and hastening vegetative growth by producing phytohormones such as auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellic acid, which results in increased leaf area index, chlorophyll content, early flowering, pod set, maturation, and mitigation of moisture stress in pulse. Mr. Telespor Ekka, a Progressive farmer of Nayagarh villages, shared his experience with Nilambur panchayat pulse growers. As part of the programme, a foliar application of 1% Pink-Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophic bacteria (PPFM) was demonstrated at Nayagarh village. Mr. Jopin Chakaraborthy, Field Assist, proposed a vote of thanks at the end of the programme. The field day was organized under the guidance of the Director, ICAR-CIARI, Port Blair and Head ICAR-KVK PortBlair
