Despite drought and diseases, farmers around Bengaluru achieve good pomegranate yield

Farmers say that though pomegranate is a drought-resistant crop, it needs good supply of water for plants to be healthy and free from diseases. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Gonuru Srinivas, popularly known as Daalimbe Srinivas in his village, has been successfully growing pomegranate in his more than 15 acres farm located in Gonuru, a village in Devanahalli Taluk in Bengaluru Rural, for more than a decade.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Srinivas said, “This year, the yield is expected to be more than 70 tonnes. In the past few years, I have even got a yield of more than 150 tonnes. I have never shifted to growing or cultivating other fruits or vegetables in the past 14 years.”

Mr. Srinivas highlighted that though pomegranate is known to be a drought-resistant crop, it needs good supply of water for plants to be healthy, free from diseases and seeds from drying away.

Along with him there are two other farmers, G.C. Mune Gowda and M.R. Devaraj, from Thondebhavi in Gauribidanur taluk of Chickballapura district, who were popular for cultivating pomegranate.

Recognition

Recently, the Institute of Agricultural Technologists (IAT) and Department of Horticulture recognised them not only for their success in cultivation of pomegranates but for taking risk for many years despite the disease of ‘bacterial blight’ (locally called Macche Roga), in pomegranate plants.