By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 9 Dec: The Forest Research Institute signed a non-exclusive licence agreement today with various firms to commercially multiply released varieties of Melia dubia (Malabar neem) and Neem. The licence agreement was signed by Dr Renu Singh, Director, Forest Research Institute, and representatives of three multiplication firms including Sanjay Tandon, M/s Eco Harvest Carbon Alliance, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, i Manish Kumar, M/s Brinda Agro, Shamli, Uttar Pradesh, and Satendra Kumar, M/s Beej Tech Growery, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
The Forest Research Institute has been one of the pioneering research institutes of India involved in developing and releasing tree varieties for faster returns through agroforestry. In this endeavour, ten varieties of Malabar Neem were released by FRI through Government of India with an average productivity of 37.54 m3ha-1yr-1 against 10-12 m3ha-1yr-1 of unimproved stock. The efforts of FRI are expected to contribute substantially to the supply of quality planting stock of tree species grown by the farmers in their farmlands along with agriculture crops.
Similarly, six released cultivars of Neem were released with an ability to flower and fruit at an early age of 2 to 3 years itself, which usually happens after 6 years of age or even more. The average oil content of released cultivars has been recorded to be 38.44 % with higher chemical composition of azadirachtin i.e. 8523 ppm against 27 % and 3200 ppm, respectively, in unimproved plantations. Once planted commercially, released cultivars are expected to play an important role in bridging the massive gap existing between demand and supply of neem oil. It is pertinent to mention that, after the decision of Government of India (2015) to produce 100 % neem coated urea, as triterpenes delay transformation of ammonical and nitrate nitrogen, demand of neem oil increased substantially. The research was necessitated as present availability of about 3000 tonnes of neem oil is just sufficient to coat about 15 to 20 % urea produced in India. It was in this direction that IFFCO had roped-in FRI to develop high neem oil and azadirachtin producing cultivars. The selected cultivars are amendable to multiplication using tissue culture in a combination of Murashige and Skoog (MS) and Driver and Kuniyaki Walnut (DKW) media respectively for shoot and root promotions.
The signing of the licence agreement will contribute in supply of genetically improved planting stock to the farmers and enhance productivity substantially of commercial trees under agroforestry. On this occasion, Dr NK Upreti, Group Coordinator, Research, FRI, expressed his happiness and assured commercial firms all technical and administrative support. The research work carried out for decades by project instigators including Dr Ashok Kumar, Scientist G, Dr Rama Kant, Scientist E, Dr Ajay Thakur, Scientist G, Dr YC Tripathi, Scientist F (Retd) and Dr Surendra Singh Bist, Scientist E, was appreciated by all for developing such productive varieties.
