Need to introduce HQPM in NE underscored
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 28 2018: A one-day regional workshop on "Maize for North East: Emerging Trends and Technology" was inaugurated by Dr N Prakash, Director, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Meghalaya; Dr C A Srinivasamurthy, Director Research, CAU, Imphal; Dr I Meghachandra Singh, Joint Director and Dr MA Ansari, Scientist, ICAR Manipur Centre as chief guest, guest of honour, president and organising secretary respectively.

The workshop was jointly organised by ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Lamphelpat and ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, PAU Campus, Ludhiana.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Prakash underscored the need to introduce the suitable high yielding varieties of High Quality Protein Maize (HQPM) in the region.

He said that the high yielding varieties (HYV) of maize is widely adopted in other parts of country but in the NEH region, most of the farmers are growing low yielding local varieties and they are affected by fluctuation in climatic trends.

Dr Srinivasamurthy said that maize grains are not only important for human consumption but it also provides integral feed for major feed resources in the North East and other parts of the country for poultry and other livestocks.

Dr Meghachandra gave emphasis on HQPM having opaque-2 mutant gene, which is particularly responsible for enhancing lysine and tryptophan content of maize endosperm protein.

Quality protein maize looks and tastes like normal maize with same or higher yield potential, but it contains nearly twice the quantity of essential amino acids, lysine and tryptophan, which makes it rich in quality proteins.

Other than QPM; traditional cultivars have fewer amounts of these amino acids, he explained.

The dignitaries also highlighted the introduction of baby corn and sweet corn which have high potential in North East States.

During the occasion, the dignitaries released a publication on baby corn cultivation, sweet corn cultivation, HQPM cultivation and maize fodder production under hydroponics.

A total 120 participants including progressive farmers, representative from various farmers' clubs and NGOs, officers from ICAR KVKs of Chandel, Churachandpur, Imphal West, Tamenglong and Ukhrul and scientists of ICAR participated in the workshop.

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