Paddy growers in Karnataka coastal belt suggested to cultivate Sahyadri Kempumukthi as a substitute to MO-4 variety

The Agriculture Department has suggested farmers in the coastal belt to cultivate the relatively new Sahyadri Kempumukthi paddy as a substitute to MO 4 variety, which is in shortage due to drought in the last kharif season.

The Agriculture Department has suggested farmers to opt for the cultivation of relatively a new variety of paddy – Sahyadri Kempumukthi – in the coastal belt as a substitute to MO 4 variety.

H. Kempe Gowda, Joint Director, Department of Agriculture, Dakshina Kannada told The Hindu that drought in the last kharif has resulted in the shortage of MO 4 variety of seeds for cultivation in this kharif.

As seeds of Sahyadri Kempumukthi are available, farmers can go for its cultivation, he said adding that the particular variety, as per farmers’ experience, yields 20 quintals to 22 quintals of paddy per acre (50-54 quintals per hectare) when compared to MO-4 variety, which yields 18 quintals to 20 quintals per acre (40-44 quintals per hectare), in the coastal belt.

According to the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, Sahyadri Kempumukthi matures in 125 days. The red rice of the variety has high protein content of 11.52%. It is resistant to blast disease, tolerant to leaf folder, stem borer and coreid bug, a UAHS publication said.

Mr. Gowda said that the Sahyadri Kempumukthi matures about 10 days before MO 4 variety, and hence can be harvested early. He said that area under paddy in Dakshina Kannada has now been reduced to 9,300 hectares.

The farmers’ kharif demand for MO-4 seeds stood between 350 quintals to 400 quintals. In addition to Sahyadri Kempumukthi, the department in the district has seeds of Jyothi and Jaya varieties, the Joint Director said, adding that the paddy cultivation activities are in initial stages in the district.

Meanwhile, according to Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), there was a 25% deficit in southwest monsoon in Dakshina Kannada this month (June 2024) till June 9. The district recorded 130 mm rainfall against the normal rainfall of 173 mm for the period.