CSIR IIIM successfully initiate Tulip cultivation in Pulwama

Srinagar: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) has successfully initiated the cultivation of different Tulip varieties in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The cultivation of different Tulip varieties was successfully initiated at CSIR IIIM fields at Bonera under CSIR Floriculture Mission. The cultivation of the highly valued ornamental crop marks a significant achievement as it is the first time that CSIR IIIM Jammu’s Field Station in Bonera has undertaken the trial basis cultivation of multiple Tulip cultivars. Under the initiative, eight distinct varieties of Tulips are enchantingly blooming in the sprawling Field Station, adorning the landscape with their vibrant hues. The initiative aims to develop and standardize agro-technologies for mass-producing quality tulip bulbs in open field conditions, leveraging the favorable agro-climatic conditions of the Kashmir valley to enhance income generation for farmers through cut flower as well as bulb production for sustainable production of planting material thus empowering farmers for import substitution.
Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director CSIR IIIM Jammu, who inaugurated the opening of the tulip experimental field said that under CSIR Floriculture Mission, the Institute has been hand-holding farmers, self-help groups, florists, nursery growers, and agri-entrepreneurs for production, value addition and trade of the different cut, loose and ornamental crop cultivars for alleviating their economic status and overall development of the remunerative agrarian sector. He said since the launch of the Mission in 2020 more than 2000 farmers across different districts of J&K have benefited through various verticals of the Mission. He said under the mission as part of our research endeavour for sustainable quality planting material production to reduce dependency on imported bulbs by exploring the feasibility of growing Tulips locally and identifying suitable locations for indigenous bulb production. “We are trying to develop protocols for production of the crop varieties that can be grown for a prolonged period and in different agro-climatic conditions”. he added. Dr. Shahid Rasool, Nodal Scientist, CSIR Floriculture Mission under the cultivation and scientific production of cut and loose flowers in Jammu and Kashmir will benefit farmers and stakeholders associated with the floriculture industry. The Tulips are not being commercially grown by the farmers in the region and are presently being imported from Holland.
He highlighted that the favorable climatic and soil conditions of Kashmir Valley make the region suitable for Tulip cultivation and offer huge economic opportunities establishing the region as a center for high-quality flower production.