Regional Horticultural and Training Station, Jachh Jachh (Nurpur), Kangra (HP)

Dr Vipan Guleria
Associate Director & Head

The Regional Horticultural Research Station, Jachh was established in 1987 after transfer of 62 acres of land from the Department of Agriculture and further strengthened with the inception of National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) during 1988-92 to undertake need based location specific research and extension programmes in sub-mountain low hill sub-tropical areas (Zone-I) of Himachal Pradesh. This zone comprises of districts Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Una and parts of district Chamba, Kangra, Solan and Sirmour. The Zone has only16.40 per cent of the total geographical area of the state but is inhabited by 36.68 per cent of the total population and represents 49.78 per cent of the total cultivated areas and 71.75 per cent of total irrigated area of the state.

Climatically, this zone is highly suitable for growing of various tropical & sub-tropical fruits like Mango, Litchi, Citrus, Aonla, low chilling Peaches, Pear, Ber, Fig etc. Further, the climate in these hills being milder than the plains offers comparative advantages of growing vegetables like Tomato, Cucurbits, Radishes, Cole crops, Onion, Okra etc. more than once in a year over plains. Station is situated on Pathankot-Mandi National Highway at an altitude of 428 m amsl. The maximum temperature goes as high as 43.5˚ C and minimum as low as -0.1˚ C.  The mean summer and winter temperatures average at 29.3˚ C and 13.6˚ C.  The mean annual rainfall received by the area is 1500 mm.

Mandate

  • To serve as research and extension centre in low hills subtropical areas for improvement of the horticultural and forestry crops
  • To develop farming systems to increase and stabilize farm produce through effective use of natural and human resources.
  • To identify socio-economic constraints for horticulture and farm forestry development and evaluate means to overcome them.

Strengths

  • Infrastructure and irrigation facilities of propagation to raise healthy planting material of sub tropical fruit plants, vegetables, flowers, forest species and medicinal plants.
  • Sufficient land availability to conduct different demonstrations to disseminate the latest production technologies of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, forest species, medicinal plants etc. to the farmer/growers.
  • Well equipped training hall and farmer’s hostel facilities are available.
  • Soil testing laboratory facilities to assess the soil samples of low hill sub-tropical areas for site specific nutrient recommendations.
  • Well connected to Pathankot-Mandi national highway.

Research

Thrust Areas

  • Collection and conservation of germplasm of different sub-tropical fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants for effective varietal improvement programme.
  • Identification and introduction of new/ high value crops for growing in sub-tropical areas.
  • Survey and surveillance of major insect, pest and diseases of fruits and vegetables and development of integrated disease and pest management technology modules.
  • Strengthening of existing infrastructure facilities to enhance mass multiplication of quality planting material so as to meet the ever increasing demand of farmers of the state.
  • Transfer of technology for farmers and extension functionaries of Govt. departments through demonstrations, trainings, awareness camps, field days, kisan mela etc.
  • Entrepreneurial skill development for production of quality planting material of subtropical horticultural, medicinal and vegetable crops for enhancing livelihood status of unemployed youths and progressive farmers funded by RKVY, RAFTAR. (51.46 Lakh 2022-23)

Technologies /Process developed

  • Rejuvenation technology for senile and unproductive mango orchards has been standardized. In this technology the mango trees are headed back up to 12 feet above ground level in the month of December leaving only 3-4 primary branches. The multiple sprouts will emerge just below the cut ends. In these branches, three to five outward growing sprouts are allowed to develop into shoots to form the plant canopy.
  • A technology to restore the production potential of senile/unproductive guava trees is developed. Such exhausted trees in the orchard are headed back up to the height of 1.0-1.5m above ground level depending on point of primary branching during January/February. Pasting of cut ends with Bordeaux paint is done immediately as soon as the pruning is done.
  • Dwarf and early bearing mango cultivar “Amrapali” with excellent fruit and keeping quality is most suitable for high density mango orcharding. It accommodates 444 plants / acre area at a spacing of 3.0 x3.0 m and gave fruit yield of 36-40 Kg/tree.
  • Ultra high density in guava at a spacing of 2x2m accommodating 1000 plants/acre and giving a yield of 15-16 kg/tree in third year of their fruiting.
  • Under INM module in the Dashehari cultivar of mango, the treatment 75% NPK and FYM (75 kg) + Biofertilizers (Azotobacter , PSB and VAM @ 100g each/tree) was found to be the best for improving the tree growth, fruit yield and was also economical with more benefit cost ratio.
  • Con-joint application of 70% recommended doses of inorganic fertilizers (560gN:350gP:420gK), organic manures (FYM @ 42 kg and Vermicopost @9kg) and biofertilizers (Azotobacter, VAM and PSB) @ 200g each/tree was found to have significant effect in improving the tree growth, fruit yield, fruit quality of kinnow mandarin and it was also observed to be the most economical.
  • Five Litchi cultivars (China, Shahi, Bedana, Purbi and Dehrarose) introduced from NRC on Litchi Muzzafarpur (Bihar) at the research centre were evaluated for growth, yield and fruit quality parameters during the reporting period. The findings of the studies during the reporting period revealed that cultivar Shahi was the most vigorous with highest yield (22.5 kg/plant) and maximum (22.0 BO) TSS.
  • Six superior cultivas have been developed of Cordia myxa at RHRTS,Jachh and standardized the technology for mass multiplication. Metabolite Fingerprinting of Underutilized Cordia myxa Fruits and Leaves was conducted in collaboration with the IHBT, Palampur. Fruit extracts exhibited a promising amount of ascorbic acid and macroelements and microelements, whereas a total of 44 unknown compounds were identified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight ion mobility separation (UHPLC-Q-TOF-IMS) based on a non targeted approach.
  • Poplar clones tested for their productivity and suitability for various agro-ecological sites. The clone UHFP-24 recorded the maximum plant height of 15.02 m and diameter of 26.4 cm and volume of 0 .549 cft per tree followed by T-4 clone with plant height of 11.73 m and diameter of 14.75 cm with tree volume of 0.463 cft per tree (using single entry equation of HAU Hissar).
  • Dalbergia sissoo is being affected by the dying back disease in natural plantations around the roads and fields. The soil along with root parts of the dying trees of three different species was taken for further study the contagious effect of the pathogen on the seeds germination and plant growth of Dalbergia sissoo Dalbegia sissoo plants grown in the soil from the dying Terminalia chebula root zone has recorded the highest germination of 37 per cent and lowest of 20 percent in Dalbergia sissoo root zone soil.
  • Studied the effect of different spacing of Amarpali (Mango) on Marigold production in summer. Various growth parameters i.e. plant height; number of branches and plant spread of Marigold were studied. Marigold was noticed in spacing (S3) within the system Mangifera indica planted at a spacing of (S3) 3×3 m2 recorded superiority over the other two spacing.
  • Four promising strains (JH-1, JH-2, JH-3 and JH-4) of Harar have been selected from wild populations.
  • Harar seed germination is very difficult due to hard seed coat and intrinsic dormancy. A technique called Heat stratification has been standardized and the germination up to 80 percent has been registered.
  • Integrated use of inorganic manures in conjunction with organic manures and bio-fertilizers in Pea (75% RDF+V.C @ 2.5 t/ha + bio-fertilizer) was economically best option as it also saves 25% fertilizers.
  • 50 number of mustard genotypes were evaluated for various parameters viz. leaf length and width, Leaf area index, No. of primary/secondary branches, Plant height, yield, Ascorbic acid and chlorophyll content. Genotype JD-6 was observed to be best in most of the parameters observed viz. leaf length, No. of primary branches/plant, Plant height,  Yield/plot and  Chlorophyll content with values of  13cm, 6.88, 128.6cm,  2.09kg and 26.14mg/100g, respectively.
  • Evaluation of 21 different genotypes of chilli was conducted at RHR&TS Jachh. Genotype Chilli LC-3 (8.02 g) weighed the highest among all genotypes.
  • An investigation on characterization and genome wide association studies for insect resistance and yield in potato is being carried out at the Litchi and Mango Research Station, Nagrota Bagwan, District-Kangra. Maximum yield was recorded for the genotype CP 3502 (610.5 grams) followed by Kufri Sadabhar (606 grams) and CP 1706 (525 grams).

Technologies selected in Package of Practices of Horticultural Crops: 4

Patents Filed/ Published/Granted: nil

Technologies commercialized: 6

Extension

  • Organized fifty nine on-campus training programms for 1537 farmers of Kangra District and adjoining areas.
  • Organized seven field days at different locations during the period.
  • Organized one Kisan Mela at RHRTS, Jachh in which more than 200 farmers participated.
  • The scientists have delivered more than 50 lectures and 7 Radio/Television talks.
  • Organized forty one exposure visits for farmers/students (921 beneficiaries) and 50 diagnostic/field visits.

Awards/Recognitions

  • Vipan Guleria received Life Time Achievement Award-2022 for contribution in the field of lesser known fruit from “Avishlkar foundation” a Sholapur (Maharashtra) based NGO.
  • Dharminder received Best Oral Presentation Award-2022 in 2nd International Conference on Climate change and Impacting, Emerging Frontiers in Biological Sciences organized by Pioneer College of Education, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir w.e.f. 15-17 July, 2022.
  • Dharminder received Best Oral Presentation Award-2022 in International Conference on Existing Climate Change Scenario and its Arising Risks organized by SKUAST, Jammu w.e.f. 21-22 October, 2022.

Facilities

  • Hi-tech horticulture and forest nursery (polyhouses, shade houses, mist chamber vermin compost unit etc.)
  • Carbon analysis laboratory equipped with TOC analyzer.
  • Tree measurement and volume estimation laboratory.
  • Soil testing laboratory equipped with pH meter, EC meter, Nitrogen Kjeldhal, Flame Photometer, Spectrophotometer, Oven cum incubator etc.
  • Farmer’s Hostel, well equipped training hall and demonstration units for providing trainings to the farmers.

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