Centre of Excellence for Fruits

Mulugu

Department of Horticulture, Telangana state has already established one Center of Excellence for vegetables and flowers at Jeedimetla,  Medchal – Malkajgiri district and is running successfully.

Keeping the success of the Center of Excellence for vegetables & flowers at Jeedimetla centre in view, the Department of Horticulture, Telangana state has proposed for establishment of another “Centre of Excellence” in the state for fruit crops and now it is functioning.

Govt. of Telangana has allotted an area of 53.25 acres adjacent to the Horticulture University at Mulugu, Siddipet district (erstwhile Medak District) for establishment of Centre of Excellence (Fruits) along with establishment of seedling production unit i.e. “Establishment of state-of-the-art plug type vegetable nursery unit” with state funds.

 

The project COE (Fruits) is focused on:

  • Production of high quality fruit crops planting material for distribution to farmers.
  • Establishing intensive crop cultivation site by demonstrating the latest production technologies.
  • To demonstrate production of high quality fruits & varieties aimed for both national and international markets year around.
  • To make horticulture a profitable, diversified farm activity in increasing income of the farmers by achieving potential productivity through sustained and advanced technologies.
  • To create awareness on new technologies through demonstrations on crops like Mango, Citrus, Guava and Pomegranate.
  • Introduction of New Crops and Cultivars and suggesting varieties suitable to the local conditions which will help in extending fruiting period and niche in domestic and export market, along with solving some of the problems related to root stocks.

Technology Demonstration proposed at COE (fruits)

  • Naturally Ventilated Net house

  • Demonstration and interventions of technology

  • Different spacings

  • Ridge  plantation system

  • Plastic Mulching

  • Micro Irrigation Fertigation - online drip with micro tubes having discharge 8 lph including automation

  • Good agricultural practices(GAP)

  • Organic farming

  • Farm mechanization

  • Post harvest management

 

Details of area demarcation at the site COE (Fruits), Mulugu

 

Sl. No. Components Area
(in Acres)
1 Fruit crop plantations 26.16
2 Roads & Buildings  18.09
3 Nurseries in NVPH and Net houses 4
4 Shade-net Semi Covered  Pandal  units  and Propagation   cum Hardening Chambers 2
5 Farm ponds / water harvesting structures. 2
6 Plug type nursery unit 1
Total 53.25

Quality of Water:

S. No

Characteristics

Bore1

Bore2

Bore3

Bore4

1

EC

0.61

0.71

0.79

0.93

2

Carbonates

Nil

nil

Nil

nil

3

Bi-carbonates

1.84

1.76

1.84

0.96

4

PH

7.28

7.23

7.10

7.26

5

Calcium+ Magnesium

1.28

1.2

1.28

1.2

6

Sodium Potassium

4.82

5.92

6.62

8.10

7

Residual sodium carbonate(RSC)

0.56

0.56

0.56

0.24

8

Sodium absorption ratio

6.02

7.66

8.27

10.51

Nature of Soil :

S.NO

Characteristics

Sample1

Sample2

Sample3

Sample4

1

Soil type

Medium light

Medium light

 Light

 Light

2

PH

7.3

7.2

7.1

7.5

3

EC

0.84

0.86

0.8

0.92

4

Organic carbon

Medium

Medium

Medium

Medium

5

N kg/acre

58

62

52

48

6

P Kg/acre

23.3

23.3

19.9

10

7

K Kg/acre

265

167

193

170

 

COE (fruits), Mulugu

·         Total eight nos (8) of Bore wells were dug. Average water yield of all bore wells is 1.5 inch.

·         Four form ponds were excavated. Size and capacity are as follows.

S. No.

Size of the Farm Pond

Capacity (in Lakh Litres)

1

24 x 25 x 4 m

34.28

2

14 x 14 x 4 m

13.60

3

7 x 6 x 3 m

0.60

4

7 x 6 x 2.5 m

0.60

Total

49.08

 

·         Fruit crop plantations were done in an area of 26.16 acres duly procuring plant material from various prestigious institutes of India. Details are as follows. All the major fruit crop plantations (i.e. Mango, Guava, Citrus) were done on Ultra High Density model.

S. No

Crop

Total No. of  plants

Total No. of Varieties

Spacing

Total Area in (Ac)

1

Mango

7130

17

3m x 2m

11.00

2

Citrus

2272

8

5m x 5m
4m x 3m

8 .00

3

Guava

5572

5

2m x 1m
3m x 2m

3.50

4

Pomegranate

680

3

4.5m x 3m

2.30

5

Custard apple 

173

1

3m x 2m

0.26

6

Date Palm

68

5

8m x 8m

1.10

 

Total

15,895

39

 

26.16

 

Sources of plant material for COE (Fruits), Mulugu

Sl. No

State

Name of the institution

Names of the fruit crop varieties procured

1

Telangana

 

FRS Sangareddy

Mango (Jalal, Amini, Royal special, Kesar, Dasheri-35, Suvarna rekha, Dasheri, Baneshan, Himayath, Mahamuda Vikarabad, Hydersahab, Totapuri), Guava (Lucknow-49, Allahabad safeda) and Custard apple (Balanagar)

2

HRS- Kondamallepally, Nalgonda Dist.

Sathgudi, Balaji Lime, Petlur Sel-1 Lime &   Rangapur  Lime

3

Maharastra

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (Dr. BSKKV), Dapoli

Mango (Alphonso, Sindhu, Amrapali, Suvarna Rekha, Ratna, Kesar, Totapuri, Dasheri)  & Konkan lemon

4

NRCC- Nagpur

Citrus (NRCC-7), Nagpur Mandarin

5

NRCP, Sholapur

Pomegranate (Bhagwa)

6

Jain Irrigation Systems Ltd., Jalgaon

Brazilian Orange

7

Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth (MPKV),  Ganeshkhind, Pune

Pomegranate (Super Bhagwa, Mridula)

8

Madhuban Farm & Nursery, Barshi, Mamdapur.

Custard apple (NMK-1)

9

Karnataka

IIHR, Banglore

Guavar (Arka Rashmi, Arka kiran)

10

Chhattisgarh

VNR-Nursery-Raipur

Guava (VNR Bihi)

11

Gujarath

Atul Bio Space Ltd., Valsad, Ahmedabad

Date Palm

 

·         In addition to the above, Coconut, Jack fruit, Casuarina, Bamboo and Teak plants were planted along the roads.

·         Total fruits crops plantation was facilitated with micro irrigation.

·         Shade-net Semi Covered Pandals (4 units each unit @ 2000 Sq.m ) were also established at COE, Mulugu for demonstration purpose.

 

 

Expected Out Comes by Establishing Centre of Excellence for Fruits.

  1. Awareness will be created among farmers through regular training cum demonstration of new technologies

  2. Availability of quality plant materials to the farmers in the region, disease free grafts / plant material will be supplied as per the demand.

  3. Extension functionaries will be trained adequately to disseminate the technologies adopted or developed.

  4. Income will be generated through sale of plant material 

 

 

Establishment of Plug Type Nursery Unit at COE, Mulugu.

 

Advantages of Plug Type Nurseries:

  1. Production of disease free healthy and uniform growth seedlings.

  2. More efficient use of expensive hybrid seed which reduces the cost of cultivation.

  3. Fast establishment in main field with minimum transplantation shock.

  4. Extended the growing season increases the yield by 30%.

  5. More accurate prediction of harvest date.

Major components are:

a.    Automation unit: Diffuser & mixer, level control mechanism, tray dispenser machine, auto seeder (drum/cylinder seed), roto fill machine / auto tray filling machine, auto switch system, topping machine, watering station, conveyer –TRB, H- support conveyer.

 

b.    Sterilized Soil-less Medium (Coco Peat, Vermiculite, & Perlite) with Chemicals / Fertilizers - In Insulated Tray will be used.

 

c.    Green house: Seed germination chamber with computerized micro-climate control system to sense, control and monitor temperature, light, and Relative humidity.

 

d.    Primary Hardening Chamber: It is a facility with automation fertigation system and post hardening house (shadenet house).

 

e.    Other structures are: Packing room, store room, raw material processing  and trays washing station, power back-up unit, erection of solar panels for alternate energy source, equipment & tools, working station with training hall, residential quarters and transportation of vehicle.

             Production capacity: of 80.00 lakh seedlings per annum