Name : Mr. Laljibhai Ramjibhai Murani
District & State : Rajkot, Gujarat
Category : Utility
Award : Appreciation
Award Function : 1st National Grassroots Innovation Awards
Award Year : 2001
Innovation Description
Laljibhai Ramjibhai Murani has been farming for the last 20-25 years. He has three acres of land and he takes lot of interest in agricultural research. He has kept one acre of land exclusively for research purpose. He has named his new variety of til as ADARSH-8 where Adarsh stands for Agricultural Development and Research Super House Seed Farm and 8 means presence of eight lines in the pod. Lalbjibhai Ravjibhai Murani is a resident of samdiyala village. He does farming for the last 20-25 years. He has 3 acres of land. He is a hard-working farmer. He is very much interested in research, hence he has kept one acre of land exclusively for research, like til, maize, mung, urad, cotton etc. (1) Til (sesame seeds) * In til Laljibhai has made a great invention. Ordinary there are coverings on til. This has four lines but in 1994 he has plant in Gujarat Til-1 variety and sprayed chemical medicines on the plantations. * Insecticide crossed the expiry date, hence 20% to 30% plantations were alive and all others died. Shri Laljibhai collected the seeds from the remaining plantations and planted them in the next season. In this plant, 8 lines were visible. This plant was higher in comparison to the Til-1, The stem of this plantation was thick. * Its pod consists of 4 lines, 6 lines and 8 lines. In the very next year, the pods were of 6 lines and 8 lines. According to Mr. Laljibhai’s opinion due to spraying of chemicals and due to hereditary changes 8 lines are visible. He has travelled extensively in Amreli District with his brother on scooter to get information about this new pod & inspected many til plantations. But he could not see 8 lines in any plantation. He would see only 4 lines. To solve this puzzle he went to Junagadh where Gujarat Agricultural University centre is situated. Then he contacted scientists and asked them whether there can be more then 4 lines on pod. Then he met Dr. Golakiya & Dr. Khakhkar. They told him that in our research we are trying our level best since past 10 years but have not got any success and we feel that this work incomplete. Then Laljibhai said when we showed pod’s of til with 8 lines, we were being derided by the scientists saying that this type of research is our work, not yours. Next day Laljibhai went to the scientists with plantation having til pods with 8 lines and when he showed them this, they were surprised and asked how could this happen? Then Laljibhai said that you have to find it out and not me. Lajibhai has till now sustained this variety by selection method. Laljibhai is a good informed farmer and he keeps a book of agricultural science to do something new and he does research accordingly. He has kept the name of the new variety of til as Adarsh-8 and there is a logic hidden behind it. Agricutural Development and Research super house seed farm means Adarsh and 8 means there are 8 lines in the pod. Therefore actually it is worthwhile to appreciate his knowledge. The greatness of Laljibhai is wherever he goes walking on a road, he is always observant about what he sees around. He inspects immediately any plant, which is different from others, and if necessary he lifts it and takes it to his farm. He has been able to research only due to this habit of inspection. He has great monetary difficulty due to this habit of inspection. He gets very little produce from his farm. Hence his family depends upon his son who is a diamond polisher in Surat. In the midst of such difficulties, he continues his research work. Only his brother Nanubhai Mansukhbhai Murani knows such frequent research work. Other people in the village did not know about this till 1999. But now his research is being discussed and talked about in his village by the villagers and he is also an object of derision. In this season he has given Adarsh-8 in the village to a farmer for plantation and also gave it to 2 farmers for plantation in a nearby village. Its result is much better then the ordinary varieties. Importance of Adarsh-8 Compared to the current variety like Gujarat-7-1. It gets more pods Diseases like Powdery mildew and blight does not occur. It means that disease resistance power increases. Adarsh-8’s production. in one acre happens to be about 450-700 kgs. Its stem is thick. Hence they do not collapse or bent. This produce gets ready in 85-90 days. In one acre 500-600 grams seeds are required. They keep 3 feet between 2 lines and 5 inches distance are kept between two plants. Laljibhai now want to sell this newly researched variety in the market and want to get the payment for it. He met a seed depot manager with the help of his relative and talked about his research. As soon as Mico company people came to know about his they came to the farm and inspected the new variety (Adarsh-8) and they increased Lajibhai’s enthusiasm and said that we will purchase this new variety of seed and we are willing to pay you for this but Laljibhai said no in no uncertain terms and told them that I will myself take this to the market because my labour is concealed in it. I am in no great hurry for getting money because I will get it any way. Let other farmers also know that research cannot only be done by scientists but also by farmers and can earn name and fame. Research is not the monopoly of anybody but that it can be done by anybody. Laljibhai is doing research for the last 20 years. Perhaps this new variety is the fruit of his research but he has not stopped till now and he is doing research in other variety of crops. Comparison as per Laljibhai’s opinion G.No1. is 4-fet in length ,while Adarsh-8 is 5-ft in length. In comparison with G.No.1 it requires less water. There are no branches in G.No i,at the most 1 or 2 branches, while in Adarsh-8 there are 4-5 branches. In. No.1 there are less no of pods as compared to Adarsh-8.The trunk in G.No.1 is weak so the plant bends, while Adarsh-8 has strong trunk. Production in G.no.1 is 450-500 Kilograms, while in Adarsh-8 it is 500-7– kilogram.
http://nif.org.in/innovation/Adarsh_a_new_variety_of_sesame/108