With an aim to boost the production of tomatoes in the Kashmir valley, scientists of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST) have imported seeds from different countries.
“Currently, 122 varieties of tomatoes brought from the USA, Germany Poland, Peru, Bulgaria and different states of India also are available in the high-tech Polly houses of the university where scientists are doing different experiments in the shape of exchange the plasma for better results,” said Dr Rizwan Rashid, Assistant Professor-cum scientist at SKUAST.
Rashid said that these tomato plants are different from the local varieties and are growing fast with a large number of other crops. He further said that they get funding from the Centre’s Indian Council of Agricultural Research and also the Union Territory.
Harish Kumar, a research scholar at SKUAST said, “The University is evaluating these newly developed hybrids and their different aspects like size and shape. We are also performing lab screening and molecular work on them.”
“SKUAST is trying to develop a tomato which they will be able to produce in off-season up to the months of April and May”, Kumar added.
Foziya Jan, a student at SKUAST, said: “There is a huge demand for tomatoes in Kashmir. Newly developed hybrids will help the quality and quantity of the tomatoes. The greater variety will help improve the yield of tomatoes which will have a positive impact.”