As the gates swing open, fields reveal themselves, adorned with tulip gardens. Nestled in South Kashmir's Pulwama district at the Bonera Field Station of CSIR, researchers have launched a venture — experimenting with indigenous varieties of tulips to break free from imports from Holland.
This occasion marks a new chapter, as never before have such diverse tulip cultivars been put to trial on local soil. Presently, eight varieties of tulips bloom are painting the fields with their colors.
Traditionally, tulips in the region are imported from Holland. However, the institute under the CSIR Floriculture Mission has taken a bold step to explore the feasibility of local tulip cultivation. This initiative aims to identify suitable locations and develop agro-technologies for mass-producing quality tulip bulbs in open field conditions.
Dr Zabeer Ahmed, Director of CSIR IIIM Jammu, inaugurated the tulip experimental field. He said the institute was committed to empower farmers and boost the agrarian sector. Through the CSIR Floriculture Mission, farmers, self-help groups and agri-entrepreneurs are being supported for the production and trade of various ornamental crop cultivars, he added.
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