Tissue culture proliferation and popularization in the state Tripura is yet to see the light of the day. Of course, there’s reported to be Biotechnology wing looking after the tissue culture activities in the state.
However, this noble technology is still to show its nobility in the state. This delaying tends to take a grip in the state is actually creating some kinds of bottle necks in the adoption and popularization of certain useful crops and ushering the good advantage of modern technology.
Tissue culture should have rescued the despondent scenery of banana cultivation in the state. Now, the point is; it has become very difficult to get good banana seedling in many regions of the state.
In Tripura, tissue culture has bright future to take a stronghold in the farming communities by ensuring the stagnant sector to agility. With the development and set up of tissue culture lab in the state, banana farmers could easily obtain the disease free banana seedling in affordable rate and time and, also in required quantities.
In addition, several high yielding varieties of banana like dwarf Cavendish can be popularized in the state through this tissue culture technique. At present, share of dwarf Cavendish is in minuscule level due to various intriguing factors.
Let’s forget the dwarf Cavendish; tissue culture journey may start with locally available varieties of banana. Once the tissue culture facts is established with locally available Champa and Sabri then the next stage may begin with high yielding varieties of banana.
In the given situation, plantlets of Champa and Sabri would definitely get good number of takers in the state starving for quality banana seedling.
Now, the situation in the state is like that any farmer however he / she is motivated would find it difficult to go for large scale commercial banana cultivation in the state due to want of sufficient numbers of quality banana seedlings.
In Tripura, of course, the mindset of farmers’ would be another aspect but nevertheless, a change is expected in a days to come. But fact also that there are farmers in plain area that is in the vicinity of urban areas with good communication network who can/are able to usher this tissue culture for large and commercial level banana cultivation for tapping the present market demands in the urban areas.
Tissue culture as techniques and technology has already proved its mettle in various states of the country. People of such region have been utilizing this technology for their farming endeavor for several commercial/economical crops or species.
However, in Tripura, the concept is still in dormant stage as far as proliferation and popularization is concerned. As on date, there are no promiscuous activities around tissue culture.
As mentioned, there is biotechnology lab and tissue culture lab too but on the other side, there is no private firm or no private firm is coming forward for giving this service to the farmers of the state. Whereas, in many other state of India, there is mushrooming of many private tissue culture firm looking into this aspect and providing service to the farmers.
Tissue culture lab and tissue culture produced plantlets for the benefit of the farmers is very much required at this crucial hour where fruit crop at large is struggling to take a foot hold in the state.
The department concerned may fully utilize the laboratory that exists and start trialing the concept in the field level for popularizing the tissue culture and, in the meantime, people of the state should also welcome the private player for entry into the state for the greater benefit of farming communities.
This technique of mass multiplication in useful commercial crops would surely bring hopes to the farmers and farmers in turn will be able to reap this technological benefit for good economical returns.
Agritangkol dated 09.02.2012 at 2.30 P.M