Research & Development Center Bajo

Program Profile

HORTICULTURE

Horticulture research program (HRP) refers to wide varieties of fruit and nut crops, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, floriculture and landscape, medicinal and aromatic plants, plantation crops, and spices and condiments. In the 10th Plan horticulture research program is compartmentalized into 10 sub-programs consisting of single crop (groups of crops) to give much needed impetus to the commodity and to be in consistent to the commodity program priority of the Department of Agriculture. The 10 sub-program have a lead researcher each with a mandate to coordinate research at the national level and they are placed in different RNRRCs. At the national level, RC Wengkhar coordinates the overall HRP. At the regional level RC Bajo will mainly focus on citrus, walnut, mango, peaches, potato, vegetables and other fruits and nuts crops. The HRP is divided into sub-program, projects and activities for addressing the developmental issues and monitoring. The proposed projects will have inputs from lead researcher for each subprogram, pathologists, entomologists, post-harvest and other relevant disciplines. The program details are as in Table 10.

Table 2: Program Structure for Horticulture in 10FYP

Major Projects and Activities

Across the 6 sub-programs, four projects have been identified which are common to all. The four projects allow us to focus considering the research needs and also the available capacities. Further it broadly permits disciplinary focus like breeding, agronomy, processing, marketing and socio-economics.

Among the projects highest (50%) priority is placed on production management, which focuses on cultural practices of crop ranging from plant propagation, planting, plant canopy management, water and nutrient management to crop harvesting. It is also considered most important as it provides farmers to change their management strategies of the existing crops. Improving crop management practices is expected to have wider and long lasting impact on the system.

Germplasm (or varietal) improvement is the next important project (30%) mainly as it can have immediate impact on production increase. Further it also allows utilizing the local germplasm in production enhancement strategies. The remaining projects (Post harvest and Market) are assumed equal (10%) as there are independent agencies mandated to address the issues. However, there will be researchable areas wherein RNRRCs can be drawn in. The Table 11 summarizes sub-program and project-wise activities.

Table 3: Priority research activities under each sub-program and projects in 10FYP
Sub-program Project Research Focus
Citrus 1.Germplasm improvement

2.Crop production management • Information on the genetics of national diversity of citrus
• Rootstocks selection for local mandarin under different conditions
• National collection of citrus selection from local diversity at Tsirang & Bajo

? Orchard management including soil and water (irrigation) management
? IPM practices for greening disease
? Irrigation systems and water requirement, and management practices
? Research outreach program: Citrus Production demonstration orchards at a community level-Salamji & Tsirangtoe
? Technical support to private nursery growers and farmers/ growers groups
Walnut) 1. Germplasm improvement

2. Crop production management

3. Postharvest and marketing study • Germplasm collection and evaluation
• National collection of walnut varieties at Bajo ,Yusipang and Khangma
• Information on the genetics of national diversity of walnut

? Walnut production economics study
? IPM practices for major pest and diseases (trunk borer, die back disease)
? Research outreach program: Walnut model villages, Nahi geog(Large scale production and marketing demonstration)
? Training or provide technical support to private nursery growers, farmers and Dzongkhag Agri. Exten

? Desk assessment of domestic and export market
? Product development/value addition
? Support in organised marketing of Nahi walnut in domestic market
Other fruits and nuts (mango, avocado, guava, chestnut, litchi, peaches, loquat, pecan, kiwi, banana, etc) 1. Germplasm improvement

2. Crop production management • Germplasm collection and evaluation
• Improvement of local peaches through topwroking using improved variety

• Propagation techniques and publication of crop production guidelines

Root and Tubers (Potato) 1. Germplasm improvement

2. Crop production management

• Germpalsm introduction and evaluation
• Seed prodn technology at farm level using seed plot technique

? Study on organic potato production technology
? Crop prodn trial breaking yield barriers and bridging yield gap
? IPM practices development for late blight control
? Technical support to Nabesa and Tshokothangkha farmers groups/regional extension
Pear & Persimmon 1. Germplasm improvement

2. Crop production management

3. Postharvest and marketing study • Germplasm evaluation and selection
• Local pear improvement through topworking

• Research outreach program: Model pear village-Beteni, Tsirang
• Regional farmer and EAs training on pear production technology
• Technical support for pear nursery grower

• Support in Beteni pear grading, packaging and marketing in local market
Vegetable 1. Germplasm improvement

2. Crop production management

• Broaden the diversity with releasing more vegetable crops and their varieties

• Develop plant protection techniques for major vegetables
• Popularise year round vegetable cultivation in home gardens
• Develop plant nutrient management
• Maintenance of breeder seeds
Spices and condiment(Cardamom) 1. Germplasm improvement

2. Crop production management • Collection of varieties and their evaluation at Tsirang sub-centre

• Clonal propagation technique
• Production economics, environmental impact and market studies

All activities will be implemented in close collaboration with RNRRC Wengkhar, lead researchers for a specified commodity and the Horticulture Division, Department of Agriculture, Thimphu. The research projects have been identified based on research focus) derived from the synthesis of importance at national level, production constraints at the regional and national level.