ALL INDIA NETWORK PROJECT ON TOBACCO SUCCESS STORIES

Abstract

1 SIRI : An Impactful FCV Tobacco Variety Siri variety with its high yielding potential (3000 kg/ha) and adoptability spread to entire Black Soil and Southern Light Soil regions of AP replacing all the varieties in vogue prior to its release. SIRI meaning wealth in Telugu language became house hold name with the farmers of Black Soil and Southern Light Soil regions. This land mark variety has been instrumental in the socio - economic transformation of tobacco farming community and others dependent on tobacco sector. Tobacco is an important commercial crop grown in a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco is an exportable type accounting for around 30% of total tobacco (240 million kg) produced in India. It is mainly used in making cigarettes and about 70% of it is exported. The FCV grown in Vertisols and Alfisols under rainfed conditions of Andhra Pradesh (AP) in considered as cheap neutral filler in the export market. The FCV tobacco cultivated in Vertisols (Black Soils - BS) and Alfisols (Southern Light Soils - SLS) constitute 75% of FCV area in AP and 40% of India. The productivity of FCV in these areas was low (~1190 kg/ha) prior to 2006. Systematic concerted research efforts made over a period of time at ICAR - Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI), Rajahmundry with the objective of increasing the productivity, a high yielding variety, ‘SIRI’ was developed and released for commercial cultivation in rainfed areas of Andhra Pradesh in 2006 (A.I. Narayanan et al.). The cultivation of SIRI revolutionized tobacco yields and enhanced the prosperity of the region.