N R C Seed Spices

Welcome and Greetings ! Seed Spices are annual herbs, whose dried seed and fruits are used as spices. They are naturea s gift to humankind which impart flavour to our food along with preservative and medicinal values. There are about 20 seed spices grown in India. The most prominent among them are cumin, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, ajwain, dill, nigella, celery, anise and caraway. Besides development of high yielding quality varieties work on various aspects of seed spice production, plant protection, post harvesting, processing technology and effective transfer of technology to the beneficiaries is our prime aim. I admire presenting the sequential document about the steady development of the ICAR-NRCSS through ITMU. We in the short time span have developed 21 varieties of 10 seed spice crops. Mitigating wilt and blight diseases in cumin and stem gall in coriander has been our priority. Modules of efficient agronomic practices has been standardized for all the crops. Research work have also gained momentum in Plant Pathology, Plant Physiology, Soil Science and Entomology. Research on protected cultivation and organic farming and promotion of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) have also progressed steadily. The research on minimising storage losses and post harvest technology of the seed spices through value addition has also been our priority. Various PGPRs and bio-control agents have been developed and tested at our research farm and farmers fields which has received pronounced acceptance. This National Centre has considerably expanded its research ambit by initiating collaboration with a number of research institutions, universities, KVKs and NGOs. The Research Centre has also opened up its web portals and advisories to farmers and stake holders on seed spices. We have also started Farm Consultancy Service to effectively transfer the technologies developed by us. I feel elated by putting forth this document for your information and use. I welcome your visit to our web site and suggestions if any, shall be highly appreciated. Dr.Sushil Kumar Barolia 9983439739