Home / Science / Rajasthan Farmer Patents 3 Date Palm Varieties
Rajasthan Farmer Patents 3 Date Palm Varieties
6 Jan
Summary
- Three new date palm varieties developed over 10 years received patents.
- These date palm varieties can be cultivated using saline water.
- Each patented plant yields 80 to 150 kg of dates annually.
Prabhu Lal Saini, a former agriculture minister from Rajasthan, has been granted patents by the Indian Agriculture Research Council for three distinct date palm varieties he developed. This marks a pioneering achievement, as it is reportedly the first time such patents have been issued in India for date palm cultivars. Saini's dedication over ten years culminated in the creation of these varieties, named ST-1, ST-2, and ST-3, which were officially patented on September 16, 2021.
These newly patented date palm varieties possess unique qualities, including the remarkable ability to be cultivated even in saline water conditions. Furthermore, each plant is a prolific producer, yielding between 80 to 150 kg of dates per year. Saini emphasized his goal is to encourage talented farmers within the state to embrace modern innovations for profitable agricultural ventures, moving away from reliance on imported varieties.
Saini also highlighted past agricultural initiatives in Rajasthan, including the introduction of 25,000 date palm plants from the UAE in 2007 with significant subsidies. He noted that under his leadership as agriculture minister, Rajasthan was divided into ten agro-climatic zones, facilitating tailored agricultural development plans and the establishment of centers of excellence, which collectively spurred agricultural progress in the state.
