Bio Fortified Carrots developed by farmer scientist

A farmer scientist of Junagadh district, Gujarat Shri Vallabhai Vastambhai Marvaniya developed biofortified carrots. The carrots are locally called “Madhuban Gajar”. It is rich in β-carotene and iron.

Highlights

The biofortified carrot variety is benefiting more than 150 local farmers. The yield of the variety is 40 to 50 tonnes per hectare. The variety has been cultivated in over 1000 hectares of land this season.

Nutrition of the carrot

The biofortified carrot has been developed through selection method. It has 277.75 mg/kg of β-Carotene and 276.7 mg/kg of iron.

Validation Trials

The validation trials of the carrot was conducted by National Innovation Foundation that operates under Department of Science and Technology

Padma Shri

The farmer scientist was awarded with Padma Shri in 2019 for his contribution in the field of agriculture and in specific to carrots.

History

The farmer scientist found that a local carrot variety used as fodder improved milk quality greatly. He started growing the carrot in large scale. In 1985, he began selling the carrots on a large scale.

Month: Current Affairs - April, 2020