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ICAR-IIHR chillies variety Arka Nihira suitable for processing; fights off pests.
Mar 08, 2024

ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture  Research has developed a variety of chilli, Arka Nihira, which is highly suitable for processing and also can resist the deadly chilli curl leaf disease and Phytophthora root rot.
 
Even as chilli is a good source of vitamin C, besides, its pungent and medicinal uses, it is vulnerable to various fungal, bacterial and viral diseases which hamper its production and productivity.
 
The country is the largest producer and consumer of chillies. Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of spices in the world with around 36% share in global chilli production. In India, the state is the largest producer of chilli with a 57% share in total production. It also  accounts for exports of dry chillies globally, which is contributing to the total exports of spices. This generates a foreign exchange earning of a whopping  Rs 8,429.92 crore as per the Spice Board data. Also, other leading chilli-growing districts in India are in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra covering  Dharwad, Nagpur, Prakasam, Khammam, Guntur and Warangal.
 
Chilli is considered as an indispensable condiment consumed in Indian diet because of its nutritional properties. It has to be processed to increase the storage life, because it is highly perishable. Value-added products made of chilli like dehydrated chilli, powder, paste, pickle and sauce obtain higher returns. Real return in chilli comes only from processed products. This provides consumers with an incentive to make purchase. This is where the National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries encourages chilli processed products.
 
Going by the unpredictable climate conditions, deadly chilli curl leaf disease and Phytophthora rot affect the crop and are seen to be serious threats.
 
According to Dr Madhavi Reddy, Principal Scientist, Division of Vegetable Crops, ICAR-IIHR, the salient features of Arka Nihira are that it is suitable for dual thick market segment. It has high yield with length. Its ark green turns into red on maturity. 
 
Phytophthora rot is caused by Phytophthora capsici Leonian, which is a fungal soil-borne destructive pathogen that results in root rot. It is estimated to cause around US$100 million in global losses. Also whiteflies and transmitting begomo viruses have also seen to be devastating in chilli cultivation. Now, going by the way such diseases affect chilli plant loss, farmers have refrained from cultivating this crop.
    
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