Mandates

• To produce nucleus seed through maintenance breeding.
• To multiply breeder seeds of notified var. of jute, mesta and sunnhemp as per DAC indent.
• To supply duly packed and labeled breeder seeds to seed multiplying agencies based on quantity allotted by Ministry of Ag., DAC, Govt. of India.
• To produce quality seed of other field crops under ICAR seed project (MSP).
• To multiply seed of pipeline varieties of JAF under AINP.
• To conduct other research projects (In-house & Externally funded).

Salient Achievements

• The station has successfully maintained the genetic purity of 20 varieties of white jute, 24 varieties of tossa jute, 07 varieties of kenaf, 12 varieties of roselle, 07 varieties of sunnhemp and 01 variety of flax following the principles of maintenance breeding.
• Nucleus seeds of jute and allied fibres (71 varieties covering 4 crops) are produced as the source of breeder seed.
• Nearly 10.0 Q of Breeder seed and 5.0 Q of TL seeds of different jute varieties are produced every year.
• Nearly 1.0 Q of breeder seed and 2.0 Q of TL seed of mesta is produced every year.
• Breeder seeds of sunnhemp are produced to the tune of about 5.0Q per year.
• Nearly 1.5 Q of Breeder seeds of flax variety JRF-2 is produced every year.
• Pre-release multiplication of pipeline varieties of jute and allied fibres.
• Maintenance of reference collection of jute varieties for DUS testing (22 varieties of white jute and 28 varieties of tossa jute).
• DUS characterization of candidate varieties of jute for variety release.
• Sensitization of farmers towards quality seed and improved seed production techniques of different crops by farmers’ training/demonstration/seed day.

Mandates

• Improvement of Ramie (Boehmeria nivea Gaud) for fibre yield and quality.
• Improvement of Ramie (Boehmeria nivea Gaud) for biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Development of economically viable and sustainable production technology and cropping systems with ramie.
• Development of post-harvest technology (decortication, degumming and storage) for improving the quality of fibre.
• Transfer of technology and human resource development in relation to ramie.
• Enhancement the acreage under ramie cultivation and its diversified use in the industries and society using P (Public Private Partnership) approach.

Salient Achievements

• The variety R-1411 (Hazarika) released from this station in 2015 has an average productivity of 15 q/ha, lesser gum content and better fibre fineness of 0.64 tex (5.73 denier) and is recommended for the entire ramie growing areas of the country.
• The improved production technology of ramie has been disseminated among the selected tribal (Bodo community) and other farmers of Chirang and Barpeta districts of Assam and also in entire north-eastern states.
• This Station is actively engaged in maintenance and evaluation of ramie gene pool of all the existing collections of ramie in specific block of field gene bank at RRS, Sorbhog. In addition to that, germplasm exploration programme has been conducted frequently to the different parts of country for enriching the ramie germplasm. This station currently maintaining more than hundred ramie germplasm in field gene bank (cultivated and non-cultivated).
• Development of alternate planting materials: The traditional planting material for ramie is rhizome but the requirement is high (planting rate: 8-10 q/ha) and bulk quantity of rhizome from a given plantation is available only after every 5 years. RRS, Sorbhog (ICAR-CRIJAF) has solved this problem through development of alternate planting materials like – plantlets, waste stalk cutting and stem cuttings. About 55000 – 60000 plantlets / waste stalk cutting / stem cuttings are needed for planting one ha of land. Sprouting is completed within 15-20 days after planting. The crop raised by alternate planting materials are ready for commercial fibre harvest within 90 days and the alternate planting materials can also be generated from the later part of first year of planting without sacrificing the fibre yield and there is no waiting period like that of rhizomes.
• Ridge and furrow planting technique: Ramie is highly susceptible to water logging and water stagnation for 10 days or more can cause complete crop loss particularly in high rainfall areas like Assam, North Bengal, etc. Ridge and furrow planting technique developed by this station has resulted in 14-15% higher fibre yield and 25-41% higher water use efficiency of the crop in these areas.
• Development of ramie based intercropping system to improve socio-economic status of the farmers. Recommended intercropping systems by this station are as follows: a) Ramie + Pineapple b) Ramie + Papaya c) Ramie + Arecanut d) Ramie + Arecanut + Black pepper e) Ramie + Rubber
• This station is regularly conducting trainings, FLDs, demonstrations as well as training programme-cum-agri inputs distributions under different schemes or projects. Since March 2019, around thousand farmers were participated in different trainings and benefitted.
• Production and Supply of planting materials: This Station is also engaged in the production and supply of planting materials to different stakeholders (Farmers, NGOs, State Govt. and SAUs). In 2019-20 this station produced and supplied around 224 q ramie planting material (rhizomes) to Agriculture Development Officer, Ri-Bhoi district, Nongpho, Meghalaya and others.

Mandates

• Improvement of sisal for yield and quality.
• Improvement of sisal for biotic and a biotic stress.
• Development of economically viable and sustainable production technology and cropping system with sisal.
• Development of post-harvest technology for improving the quality of sisal fibre.
• Transfer of technology and human resource development in relation to sisal.

Mandates

• Improvement of sunnhemp and flax for yield and quality.
• Improvement of sunnhemp and flax against biotic and abiotic stresses.
• Development of economically viable and sustainable production technology and cropping system with sunnhemp and flax.
• Development of post harvest technology for improving quality of fibre.
• Transfer of technology.

Since its establishment, the station has carried out a number of notable research activities according to its mandate. The important ones include collection, evaluation and maintenance of germplasm, development of high yielding varieties. viz., K-12 Yellow, Shailesh, Swastik, Ankur etc., standardization of package of practices, development of sunnhemp based cropping systems, seed production technology, evaluation of sunnhemp as a green-manuring crop, survey and surveillance study of insect pests and diseases and their control measures. Recently the station has been given the responsibility of research work on Flax also. The works started with the collection and evaluation of germplasm. Breeding of Flax for development of better performing varieties and development of package of practices are underway.

Salient Achievements

• SH-4 (Shailesh): Selection from local types, suitable for Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, fibre yield 10-12 qha^-1.
• SUIN 053 (Swastik): Selection from local types, suitable for Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, fibre yield 12 qha^-1.
• SUIN 037 (Ankur): Selection from accession no 037, early maturing (90-100 DAS), resistant to wilt and mosaic, fibre yield 10-12 qha^-1.
• JRJ 610 (Prankur): suitable for irrigated and rainfed, fibre quality is stronger (13.19g/tex), yield 10 qha^-1.
• SUIN- 3 (Kavita): selection from accession no. SUIN011, tolerant to vascular wilt disease, suitable for U.P, Bihar, Rajastan, Maharashtra, Odisha, M.P, Chattishgarh, Jharkhand, T.N. and West Bengal, fibre yield 10.37 qha^-1.
• JRF -2 : resistant to Fusarium wilt and Alternaria blight, suitable for both irrigated and rainfed in rabi season, suitable for Himachal Pradesh, Uttrakhand, North east Himalayan region, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal, fibre yield 12.9 q.
• Agronomic practices like date of sowing, seed rate, spacing, nutritional management etc have been standardized for both fibre and seed crop of sunnhemp and flax.
• Production Truthfully labeled seeds of different varieties of sunnhemp and flax is being done.
• Maintenance of 108 germplasm and 17 wild relatives of sunnhemp are also being done every year.
• Two one day Farmer training programme have been conducted under SCSP (2019-20) and technologies have been disseminated among the farmers.