Salient Achievements

• A total of 85 high yielding JAF varieties comprising of tossa jute (23), white jute (24), kenaf (13), roselle (15), sunnhemp (6), ramie (2), flax (1) and sisal (1) have been released through AINPJAF since its inception.
• Mesta – maize cropping sequence recorded maximum system fibre equivalent yield (79.71 q/ha) , net return (Rs. 2431825/ha) and B:C ratio (2.26) followed by mesta – groundnut crop sequence at Amadalavalasa, Andhra Pradesh and is recommended for the deficit rainfall situation.
• In neutral soil, targeted yield of jute (3.2 t/ha) was achieved through soil test based fertilizer application along with FYM (@ 5 t/ha) in jute-rice cropping system at Katihar, Bihar and Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh and is recommended for the region.
• The weed diversity of the jute and mesta growing regions had been studied. In jute, the dominant weed species in different blocks of – Kalyani, West Bengal (Cyperus rotundus) and Coochbehar, West Bengal (Phyllanthus niruri); Katihar, Bihar (Cyperus rotundus); Kendrapara, Odisha (Echinochloa colonum); Nagaon, Assam (Cynodon dactylon in grass, Mimosa pudica in broad leaves and Cyperus rotundus in sedges) had been identified. Similarly in mesta, the major weeds identified were – Amadalavalasa (Cynodon dactylon), Jalumuru (Digitaria sanguinalis) and Buraj (Echinochloa sp.) among grassy weeds and Celotia argentia as dominant broad leaved weed in all blocks of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. Similarly, Amaranthus viridis and Cyperus iria were the most dominant weeds in mesta in all the farmers’ fields in all blocks of Aduthurai, Tamil Nadu.
• Survey and surveillance of insects and pest of jute and mesta had been conducted in all the AINPNF centres and their adjoining areas. In jute, yellow mite, semilooper, Bihar hairy caterpillar and stem weevil was found as the most common insect pest. Stem rot, anthracnose and mosaic diseases were most common in jute in all the jute growing areas.
• The Tribal Sub Plan programme had been conducted in 05 districts of West Bengal, Odisha and Assam covering 300 ha area and around 1400 tribal farmers participated in the programme. The improved production technologies of both fibre and seed crop of jute as well as the improved microbial retting technology developed by ICAR-CRIJAF had been demonstrated to the farmers. Technology demonstration was also done on boro paddy, mustard, rabi maize, winter vegetables, bee keeping, artificial insemination, poultry, etc.