The Regional Agricultural Research Station at Anakapalle was originally set up at Samalkota in 1906 and later it was shifted to its present location, Vice-Chancellor Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University Padmaraju said on Friday.
Addressing the delegates at the group meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Sugarcane here, he thanked the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and its officials for responding to his request to allow the Anakapalle RARS to host the meeting to mark its centenary. The meeting was scheduled to be hosted by the Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow. “The Anakapalle station has become synonymous with sugarcane research so much so that the officials are unaware of the other work that goes on in the centre,” he said.
Sugarcane farmers owned it up so much that they named landmarks in the town after scientists who made major contribution to the development of the crop in the region, he added.
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“The station has made outstanding contribution to sugarcane cultivation,” Director of Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, N. Vijayan Nair said, pointing that his institute had celebrated its centenary last year. “The institute has done lots of work on water-logging and also developed a number of commercially viable varieties,” he added.
This year, varieties for all five agro-climatic zones had been released, which was a landmark achievement, Director of Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, S. Solomon, said.
“Sugarcane is a commercial crop that is based on sound scientific footing,” Additional Director-General of ICAR N. Gopalkrishna said.
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“Hundred years is an important milestone for an agriculture research station as it has to continuously upgrade the skills and work constantly in tandem with farmers.”