Nagaland varsity develops high-yield ginger variety ‘SAS-KEVU’

Kohima, Nov 18 A research team from Nagaland University, the only Central university in the state, has developed a high-yield ginger variety named ‘SAS-KEVU’, aimed at significantly increasing farmer incomes and enhancing India’s ginger value chain, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials said the newly developed ginger variety consistently delivers superior yield, better dry-matter recovery and enhanced culinary quality, positioning it as a high-value crop for farmers, the fresh produce market, and the spice-processing industry.

Taken up under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Spices, located in Nagaland University, SAS-KEVU emerged after nearly a decade of scientific evaluation and extensive multi-location testing across seven AICRP centres in India.

The research was led by Prof. C. S. Maiti and Dr Graceli I. Yepthomi from the School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University.

The SAS-KEVU was formally notified by the sub-committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties (Horticultural Crops), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, on September 2.

With a yield potential of 17.21 tonnes per hectare, SAS-KEVU outperformed the national check variety by more than nine per cent in national demonstrations. Its dry recovery rate of 21.95 per cent offers a strong advantage for processors looking for higher output during drying.

The rhizomes exhibit a soft texture, bold size and lemon-yellow flesh with significantly lower fibre, enhancing both consumer appeal and suitability for pickles, beverages, culinary use and value-added products.

Congratulating the Research Team, Prof. Jagadish K Patnaik, Vice Chancellor, Nagaland University, said: “Nagaland University is proud to announce the development and National notification of a new high-yield ginger variety - ‘SAS-KEVU.’ This landmark achievement is the result of nine years of rigorous, coordinated national trials carried out by our dedicated team of scientists in collaboration with partner institutions.”

He said that the ‘SAS-KEVU’ has been specifically developed to deliver higher yields, improved quality, and greater resilience, offering farmers a reliable variety that can substantially enhance their incomes.

Prof. Patnaik added that the release of this variety is expected to strengthen India’s ginger value chain, promote regional agri-innovation, and support the broader national vision for sustainable and profitable horticulture.

Nagaland University remains committed to scientific excellence, farmer welfare, and the advancement of agricultural research in the North-East and beyond, he stated. Food processing Industry users will benefit from SAS-KEVU’s moderate oil content and pulpy, bold rhizomes, which align well with requirements for candy and ginger paste.

For farmers, the variety’s combination of high yield, high market acceptance and desirable rhizome traits translates into improved returns per hectare. The crop matures in nine months, fitting seamlessly into the production cycles of regions where ginger is traditionally grown.

Tracing the journey of this project, Prof. C. S. Maiti, Department of Horticulture, said: “The variety’s journey began in 2014, when nineteen clones of the local Nadia ginger were collected from growing areas of Nagaland and studied in detail for their morphological and biochemical traits. From these, the clone NDG-11, later named SAS-KEVU, was identified as the strongest performer. Between 2018 and 2022, it was evaluated under national coordinated trials in Chintapalle (AP), Kozhikode (Kerala), Mizoram, Nagaland, Potangi (Odisha), Pundibari (WB) and Sikkim. Stability analyses, including GGE Biplot evaluations, confirmed SAS-KEVU's ability to perform well across varied agro-climatic zones, particularly in Nagaland, Pundibari in West Bengal and Chintapalle in Andhra Pradesh.”

Dr Graceli I. Yepthomi, Assistant Professor, added, “With the Central government’s notification under the Seeds Act, 1966, SAS-KEVU is now approved for seed production and agricultural sale in Nagaland, Mizoram, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.”

This milestone not only validates the scientific rigour behind the variety but also strengthens Nagaland University’s leadership in agricultural innovation and spice crop research, he added.

The variety, which is the first crop variety, was developed by the AICRP (Spices) team from Nagaland University and was also recorded as the first ginger variety from the research institute of the Northeastern states in India.

The development of SAS-KEVU underscores the university’s commitment to harnessing local genetic resources for national benefit.

Nagaland University anticipates that SAS-KEVU will play a significant role in advancing ginger cultivation across the Northeast and other notified states, supporting both economic development and agricultural resilience.

--IANS

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