One farmer’s quiet work with 42 indigenous wheat varieties

Hubballi: Chandrappa Hadimani, 45, a farmer from Malali village, about 15 km from Hubballi, has grown 42 indigenous varieties of wheat, drawing seed conservationists and innovative farmers from across the country.Hadimani told TOI that this is the second year he has succeeded with the experiment on a 30,000-sq-ft plot. "I took it up in the rabi season since wheat is a crop normally grown in a moderate climate and it requires very minimal quantity of water. We collected seeds from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, Assam and other states," he said.He said some varieties have unique qualities. "Some varieties like black wheat have medicinal values for deadly diseases like cancer. Some varieties, like Amrut, have historical importance. The Amrut variety is linked with the Amruteshwar Temple in Annigeri. The Paigambari variety was grown in the Sindhu Valley Civilisation and was later reinvented by Gujarat-based agriculturist Padam Jain, who shared seeds with us. Paigambari is rampantly grown in northwest India," he explained.Hadimani said varieties such as Kudarat of Varanasi, Mundapeace, and black wheat are resilient to excess rain because they are shorter than other varieties.He credited Bengaluru-based Sahaja Samruddha for guiding him in conserving indigenous seeds. "The chapati made from black wheat resembles a ragi rotti! The grains of the ‘Garuru' variety, with half-foot-long ears, are somewhat thick. The small-eared, long ‘Moti wheat' provides more fodder for animals and yields a higher harvest with the ‘MR' variety here. Additionally, the Java wheat, which is very popular among the people of North Karnataka, is perfect for making upma and payasa," he said.Hadimani's field has become a visiting spot for wheat consumers, hoteliers, agriculture enthusiasts and scientists. A field festival has been organised on his land for the past two years. "Last year it was a very minimal quantity, but this year we are getting a very good yield," Hadimani said.Manju Alagavadi, a farmer from Mattigatti, who visited the field, said he had earlier grown one or two varieties but has now decided to cultivate two more to conserve them. Firoji Lokunde, another farmer who never cultivated wheat, said he has decided to grow Paigambari wheat.Krishna Prasad, director of Sahaja Samruddha, said the organisation aims to conserve and promote indigenous varieties that are losing ground to hybrids. "Since hybrid varieties are causing health issues among consumers, many are getting rid of wheat products. If they consume indigenous wheat in the form of chapati, upma, payasa, etc., there are many health benefits. In this way, we are creating awareness among all consumers and encouraging growers. Handimani is a front-runner in this initiative," he said.