Karnataka teacher to receive national recognition for conserving rice varieties
Asma Banu has been selected for the Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Recognition for preserving nearly 1,540 traditional rice varieties.
Asma Banu, an English teacher from Sanur village near Murathangady in Karkala, has been selected for the Plant Genome Saviour Farmer Recognition. According to the Deccan Herald, she has worked to conserve nearly 1,540 traditional rice varieties.
Banu and her husband, Abubakkar, have been conserving these varieties for nearly 12 years. The award ceremony is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on November 12.
The couple began their work when Abubakkar started collecting seeds from different parts of India. They initially sowed seeds in trays before transferring seedlings to fallow paddy fields, as they did not own agricultural land at the time.
Banu said the recognition is an encouragement for the work they have been doing and that they did not undertake the work expecting an award. She stated that they travelled across India to collect varieties and understand their unique characteristics.
The collection includes varieties such as Assam Black, Burma Black, Navara, Raktashali, Gandhasale, Rajbhog and Nagasampige. The family also documents the yield and growing period of these varieties to assist researchers and farmers.
The couple currently cultivates paddy on about 1.5 acres of leased land. Scientists from the Mandya Krishi Vigyan Kendra have collected seeds from their collection for research and verification.