Evaluating the Performance of Turmeric Varieties for Southern Dry Zone-VI of Karnataka, India

Abstract

Station trials were conducted at ICAR KVK, Chamarajanagara to assess the suitability of IISR Pratibha during 2019–2024. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications and a plot size of 3.20 m × 1.80 m, following standard turmeric production practices (45 × 30 cm spacing and 150:125:250 kg NPK ha⁻¹ along with FYM @10 t ha⁻¹). Multi-location trials (2022–23) were conducted at Chamarajanagara, Mandya, and Konehalli and farm trials (2023–24) were carried out in farmers’ fields across Chamarajanagara, Mysore, and Hassan districts to validate field performance under varied agro-climatic conditions. It was found that IISR Pratibha was a high-yielding (36 t ha⁻¹) and good quality (>20% curing, >5% curcumin) variety, recording 34.51% higher rhizome yield than the existing local check Salem local variety. IISR Pratibha showed 31.15% and 30.05% higher fresh rhizome yield in multi-location and farm trials, respectively, confirming its adaptability to Southern Dry Zone-VI of Karnataka. With respect to biotic stress tolerance, IISR Pratibha was recorded as moderately resistant to leaf spot (4.99%) and leaf blotch (4.50%) and moderately susceptible to rhizome rot (8.75%). It also exhibited high tolerance to pseudostem borer (4.18%) and sucking pests (4.65%), recording significantly lower pest incidence compared to local varieties. This makes it a more resilient option under field conditions. To disseminate the variety, frontline demonstrations (2020–25) were conducted and were well accepted by farmers, with a consistent 30% higher rhizome yield across seasons. Large-scale seed production under PPP mode yielded 10,87,581 kg of IISR Pratibha, which was distributed among farmers through different agencies, covering an estimated area of 1350–1500 acres. IISR Pratibha is therefore highly suitable for the “doubling farmers’ income” concept. The varietal infusion at farmer level is evident through increased district productivity of turmeric (4.1 t ha⁻¹ in 2023–24). Overall, IISR Pratibha has significantly altered the marketing and production dynamics of turmeric in the district.