IIHR’s Arka Shakti root stock could help farmers tackle Gummy Stem Blight disease in watermelon
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) have developed 'Arka Shakti,' a hybrid root stock resistant to Gummy Stem Blight disease in watermelons. This innovation aims to help farmers recover crop yields that have significantly declined over the last decade.
Why it matters
Agricultural biotechnology innovations are critical for food security and economic stability for farmers facing climate-related or pathogen-driven crop losses.
In what can act as a boon to farmers growing watermelon across India, the scientists of Vegetable Science department at the Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) have developed a new and hybrid root stock called Arka Shakti. This root stock is resistant to Gummy Stem Blight (GSB), a fungal disease that is mostly seen in watermelon.
Earlier, IIHR had developed two new varieties of watermelon — Arka Manik and Arka Shyama — through their watermelon improvement programme. Now, scientists have introduced a hybrid root stock, Arka Shakti, that can be used to grow existing varieties of watermelon without any fungal diseases.
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