Arka Prasan: An ICAR-IIHR developed variety that empowered a woman farmer in Karnataka

Arka Prasan: An ICAR-IIHR developed variety that empowered a woman farmer in Karnataka

Ramya H. R., Varalakshmi B., Balakrishna B., Atheequlla G. A. and Senthil Kumar R.

Ridge gourd is an important vegetable crop cultivated widely for its culinary value and nutritional properties. However, small holding women farmers often face challenges of high input costs, limited access to quality seeds of good varieties, and lack of confidence in adopting public-sector varieties. To address these challenges, we have introduced an open-pollinated ridge gourd variety ‘Arka Prasan’ of ICAR–Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (ICAR-IIHR), Bengaluru through a pluralistic extension approach under a DST-funded project, targeting women farmers in Chikkaballapura district, Karnataka.

Farmer’s Profile and Context

The beneficiary farmer, Mrs. Manjula, w/o Mr. Gopal Naik, aged 34 years, is from Panasachoudanahalli village of Chikkaballapura district. She owns 2 acres of land, with an annual family income of ₹4.2 lakhs. Her household largely depends on conventional crops and private hybrids, which are expensive and require higher investments for other inputs. Introduction of Arka Prasan ridge gourd provided an opportunity to diversify cropping patterns and reduce seed costs while ensuring stable and higher yields.

Intervention and Technical Support

Arka Prasan was cultivated in an area of one acre had the following attributes:

• Early first harvest in 42–45 days after sowing (DAS)
• Fruits: Long, tender, dark green with prominent ridges and excellent cooking quality.
• Nutritional Value: Rich in antioxidants and minerals like phosphorus, calcium, and zinc.
• Yield Potential: 26-28 t/ha in 120–135 days under recommended practices.
• Cost Advantage: Being an open-pollinated variety, it enabled saving seed cost for subsequent seasons

Besides proving good quality seeds of Arka Prasan, Mrs. Manjula was also supported with critical inputs developed by ICAR-IIHR for adoption of a Sustainable crop production packages.

• Arka Microbial Consortium (AMC) for soil health and nutrient availability
• Arka Vegetable Special (AVS) for foliar micronutrient spray to boost flowering and to enhance the quality and higher yield
• Arka Neem Soap and Arka Pongamia Soap for eco-friendly integrated pest management
• Insect sticky traps as a component of integrated pest monitoring and management

Due to continuous technical handholding of the ICAR-IIHR scientists along with supply of critical inputs throughout the crop period, which focused on all the necessary guidance on adoption of improved production technology in the form of best management practices, at every stage of the crop, helped the farmer to reap the complete benefit of the technology as given below:

Yield and economics of Arka Prasan variety

Compared to private hybrids (12–13 t/acre), Arka Prasan recorded higher yields (15–18 t/acre) with additional advantages such as lower seed costs, higher yield and better quality, making it highly suitable for adoption by the smallholder farmers. The income generated from Arka Prasan ridge gourd accounted for 57.14% of Mrs. Manjula’s total annual household income, highlighting its major contribution to family livelihood security.

Farmer’s Experience

Mrs. Manjula shared that being an early maturity variety with consistent performance in terms of yield, in addition to strong consumer preference; Arka Prasan had significantly enhanced her net returns and market confidence. The feasibility to reuse seeds further reduced input dependency. With visible success, neighbouring farmers expressed interest in adopting this variety, encouraged by her in her demonstration plot.

Wider Adoption and Empowerment

The initiative of technological intervention not only improved Mrs. Manjula’s income but also enhanced her role as a community leader within her Self Help Group. By being an innovative farm woman of Arka Prasan (first among the adopters), she gained social recognition and inspired fellow women farmers to be aware of good attributes of the variety and motivate them to adopt Arka Prasan variety.

Field Day

A Field day was organized by the ICAR-IIHR team led by Dr. Ramya H. R. at the crop maturity stage. It attracted local farmers, reinforcing the principle of “seeing is believing” and facilitating wider dissemination.

Conclusion

The introduction of Arka Prasan ridge gourd variety through pluralistic extension approaches proved to be a cost-effective, high-yielding, and nutritionally rich alternative to private hybrids. In addition to increasing income, it empowered women farmers like Mrs. Manjula through building confidence, reducing input dependency, and positioning them as role models in their communities. This success story highlights the potential of public-sector varieties to strengthen livelihood security and promote women-led horticultural development in Karnataka.

Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru {DST-funded project titled “Enhancing Livelihood Security of Small-Holder Farm Women of Karnataka through Horticultural Interventions using Pluralistic Extension Approaches” (DST-Viganhara-4305)}