Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ZARS), V. C. Farm, Mandya

The Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ZARS), V. C. Farm, Mandya spans 256.12 ha in Karnataka’s Southern Dry Zone (Zone 6), serving the agricultural research needs of Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagara, Hassan and Kodagu districts. Established in 1931 as a Sugarcane Research Station by the then Maharaja of Mysore, Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, it is situated along the Visvesvaraya Canal—hence the name V. C. Farm.

The station receives an average rainfall of 686 mm per annum, majorly from South-West monsoon between June and September (60 % of total rainfall). The mean maximum temperature of 31°C and the minimum temperature of 13.7 °C prevail during the months of April-May and November-December, respectively.

Pioneering contributions include sugarcane research initiated by Dr. Leslie C. Coleman, the first Director of Agriculture, Government of Mysore, and the development of the INDAF series of finger millet varieties by Dr. C. H. Lakshmanaiah, fondly remembered as “Ragi Brahma.” The station also developed KRH-2, India’s first rice hybrid, and more recently, VCF-517 (Bahubali), a high-yielding sugarcane variety now widely adopted across Southern Karnataka.

Mandate

• Develop and release high-yielding varieties/hybrids of rice, ragi, maize, sugarcane, forage crops, cotton and sorghum
• Innovate crop production technologies suited to Zone 4, 6, 7 and 9
• Advanced soil, water and nutrient management practices
• Standardize plant protection measures and pest/disease forecasting systems
• Promote inland fisheries and mixed farming technologies
• Undertake breeder, foundation and certified seed production through participatory approaches
• Conduct training and frontline demonstrations under ICAR/GOI/GOK programs
• Introduce Artificial Intelligence applications in agriculture

Research Stations Working Under ZARS, V.C. Farm

• OFRS, Naganahalli
• ARS, Gunjevu
• ARS, Madenur
• ARS, Arasikere
• AHRS, Ponnampet
• AHRS, Madikeri

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