‘University working on pest-resistant variety of chilli’ Not sure what to make of it, on the one hand is to temper with the plant's natural existence, on the other is to eleminate pesticides.

"D.L. Maheshwar, Vice-Chancellor, University of Horticulture Sciences, Bagalkot, has said that the university is developing an improved and pest-resistant variety of chilli at Devehosur village of Haveri district.

He was inaugurating a seminar on ‘Production of chilli and turmeric: challenges and opportunities’, here on Friday.

Mr. Maheshwar said that the research on these two was going on within the jurisdiction of the university. He said that turmeric of Mahalingpur was popular in the country.

“The university is basically focusing on developing a pest-resistant variety which will help farmers save money on pesticides,” Dr. Maheshwar said.

Cultivation

He said that chilli was cultivated on 8 lakh hectares of land in the country and the annual production was around 16 lakh tonnes. Similarly, turmeric was being cultivated on 2.32 lakh ha with the annual production reaching 11 lakh tonnes.

Narayansa Bhandge, MLC, Indian spices were gaining popularity across the world. Considering the increasing demand, the university should focus on involving more farmers and encourage them to cultivate spices.

Organic manure

He also appealed to the university to encourage farmers to use organic manure instead of chemical fertilizer, which he said, was affecting the soil fertility.

The former Vice-Chancellor, Shankar Dandin was present."