CTCRI - CENTRAL TUBER CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Significant Achievements

• 1270 germplasm accessions are being maintained in the field gene bank.
• Regional station has released 20 varieties of different tuber crops viz., Sweet Potato (11), Taro (7) and Greater Yam (2).
• Regional Station, ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI), Bhubaneswar, Odisha has developed a new short duration variety SreeTelia which, can be harvested within 120 days after planting. This variety release though SVRC during 2023.
• Sustainable and profitable inter cropping system in greater yam (greater yam + maize), elephant foot yam (elephant foot yam+green gram), taro [taro + maize (5:1) or/and taro + pigeonpea (5:1) (replacement series) and taro+veg. cowpea (1:1) (additive series) were developed.
• Weed control ground cover and manual weeding at 30 and 60 days after planting (DAP)+glyphosate application at90 DAP proved to be an effective alternative to conventional four manual weedings at 30, 60, 90 and 120 days afterplanting in elephant foot yam.
• In taro, through cultural methods i.e. planting density of 74000 plants ha-1 along with paddy straw mulching (5 t ha-1) can be recommended for effective weed management under rainfed conditions.
• Water and fertilizer use efficient drip irrigation and fertigation method was developed for greater yam, elephant foot yam and greater yam+maize intercropping system.
• Conjunctive use of [email protected] Mg ha-1 + FYM@ 4 Mg ha-1+ 75-22-63 kg NPK ha-1 + MgSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1 not only produces sustainable crop yields of sweet potato but also improve soil fertility, nutrient use efficiency and apparent nutrient recovery in acid Alfisols.
• INM strategies for sustainable production of elephant foot yam – black gram cropping system in Alfisolswere developed. Integrated application of 40, 15 & 40 kg ha-1 NPK along with FYM @ 10 t ha-1sustain the soil quality and produced significantly highest corm yield of elephant foot yam.
• INM strategies for enhancing the productivity of colocasia and to maintain soil health in Alfisols of eastern India. Incorporation of FYM @ 10 Mg ha-1 + 40-15-40 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O enhances the efficiency of applied chemical fertilizers, sustainable productivity and proximate composition of colocasia in acid Alfisols. Application of soil test based 80-30-80 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O was found equally effective in obtaining higher crop yields, nutrient use efficiency, and residual fertility of the soils.
• INM strategies for sustainable production of greater yam in Alfisols of eastern India. Application of FYM @ 16 Mg ha-1 combined with ½ NPK (40-30-50 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O) and MgSO4 (25 kg ha-1)/ ZnSO4 (10 kg ha-1) not only helps to augment the productivity and proximate composition of greater yam but also sustain the soil fertility in Alfisols.
• Identified nutrient efficient genotypes/ varieties (SreeBhadra, Kishan, Samrat, Kanjangad, Sankar, 912, Megh-II) of sweet potato based on physiological efficiency, agro-physiological efficiency, apparent nutrient recovery efficiency and utilization efficiency.
• Integrated application of FYM + Azospirillum + 25 kg N ha-1 found equally effective for sustainable production of sweet potato.
• Standardized fertilizer doses and land configuration in biofortified sweet potato. Integrated application of FYM @ 5 Mg ha-1 + NPK @ 75:25:75 kg ha-1 found optimum doses for sustainable production of biofortified sweet potato (cv BhuSona) and to maintain the soil quality.
• Popularized biofortified tuber crops and its value addition to improve the livelihood and nutritional security of tribal communities of Odisha.
• Release of Trichogrammachilonis or T. japonicum @ 60,000/ha at 45 days after planting will reduce the infestation of both the weevil and vine borer.
• This Centre had conducted farmers participatory on farm trials (2000-2005) through three NATP programmes (NATP Jai Vigyan: Horticulture and vegetable gardening for food and nutritional security in tribal, hilly and backward areas, NATP – Management of coastal agroecosystem affected by super cyclone and NATP – ITK: Studies on efficacy of cowdung slurry in inducing sprouting of yam) to identify suitable varieties, production and protection technologies and published forty extension materials in four languages.
• Tuber crops technologies were demonstrated through NAIP project-‘Sustainable rural livelihood and food security to rainfed farmers of Oriss’a (2008-2014). Adopted 3794 farm families in 44 villages in 6 clusters.Under RKVY sponsored project ‘Popularization of climate resilient and nutritionally rich variety of tuber crops for economic development and nutritional security of farmers of Odisha’ (2017-2022), 371.25 ha were covered with nutritional rich climate resilient tuber crops varieties through front line demonstrations and were benefitted by a total of 2616 farmers.
• Under Tribal Sub Plan (2012-2024), 2590 tribal farmers were adopted and demonstrated tuber crops technologies. 

Varieties/Technologies/Machineries/Products/Process/Tools/Methodologies/Softwares/Digital tools etc. developed

Varieties/Technologies/packages ready for transfer to AICRP TC/KAU/KVKs/Line departments         

•  Sweet potato hybrid (SPH-31) for SVRC in Odisha.    

• Yam bean hybrid (YBH-3x8) for SVRC in Odisha