Dr. Tsering Stobdan, 39, is working as a Senior Scientist at Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR then FRL).  He is not only one of the few scientists from Ladakh, but also the first horticulture graduate or perhaps the first Horticulturist from Ladakh. Besides, he is the first student from Ladakh to qualify for University Grant Commission (UGC), Council Of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) Exam. He worked as a scientist in Biotechnology Division at Indian Institute of Petroleum from 2002-06. He has been working on research projects on Seabuckthorn since 2006. Till date, he has over 50 publications in a reputed international and national journal, many book chapters and 4 patents. He has been awarded National Science Day Medal in 2008 and Laboratory Scientist of the Year Award in 2009 by Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Albeit all the prestigious degrees, awards, patents, and publications he has in his baggage, he is still a self-effacing man. His suave, cultured, modest and observant personality shines out when met in person.  He is a perfectionist with a record of excellence in every assignment he has spearheaded is what he is acknowledged and respected for.

Q. Tell us about your educational background.

I studied at Tibetan Children Village (TCV) School, Ladakh, from nursery till 10th grade. In 1980, the first batch of 60 Ladakhi students got admission in TCV School, Ladakh; I am one amongst them. I continued grade XI and XII studies with Upper TCV School, Dharamsala, and HP. After which I got fellowship grant from TCV School, Ladakh to pursue my graduate programme, as I met the criteria required for the scholarship. I obtained B.Sc in Horticulture from Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP (1993-97). I think I am the first horticulture graduate or perhaps, first horticulturalist from Ladakh. I pursued my master programme in M.Sc Biotechnology from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture &Technology, Pantnagar. It was through an all India entrance examination that I appeared, got selected and obtained fellowship from Department of  Biotechnology, an institute of Government of India to pursue masters studies. I continued my further studies; Ph.D. in Molecular Biology &Biotechnology from PUSA Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi. It's one of the premiums Agriculture University in India; just as AIIMS is for medical science. I got a Ph.D. fellowship grant from the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR).

To put it briefly, throughout my entire educational course, I had been receiving scholarships and fellowships. Even during my school days, TCV School Ladakh took care of my studies till under graduation. I have never asked for any money from my beloved parents for my studies.

Q. Who was your inspiration? What aspire you to become a horticulturalist, perhaps, one of the first scientists from Ladakh?

Despite the fact that I was considered as one of the bright students during my school days, I had never applied for any medical or engineering exams, unlike my colleagues.  My colleagues find it amusing. Usually, during grade XI and XII, all the students apply for various exams so that they could secure good colleges. But I hadn't.

The sole reason why I took Horticulture as my subject was: Field Research Laboratory (FRL now DIHAR) has organised a fare, a mela, possibly the first one of its kind somewhere in 1985. I somehow went to the institute to take part in the exhibition. When I reach there, I was astonished by the activities they carried since those things truly interest me.

One of my close friends recommended me about this good university in Solan, H.P, which offers wide ranges of courses on horticulture aspects. He suggested me if I am interested I should appear an entrance test. Well, I was interested and sat for the test. I got through.

Q. Your Role model?

I do not have any role model as of such during my school years. However, during my Post Graduate years, I had a chance to work with Dr. N K Singh, an eminent scientist, who was a mentor, is now a well-known Indian scientist who works on Rice Genome Mapping. The way he formulates complex things into a simple form really interest me. So, in my scientific field, he is my role model.

Q. Enthrall us about your 4 patents.

Three of the patents are Seabuckthorn based and one on fuel, Ethanol

i) Seapricot: a beverage, a combination of Seabuckthorn and apricot. The problem with Seabuckthorn beverages is that it forms two different layers, but in Seapricot there are no layers; its uniform. At Ladakh, we get a premium price of INR 30 for a kg of Seabuckthorn, but for apricot, we hardly get buyers. Apricot pulp is INR 5-6 per Kg, which is almost nothing. Thus, to add value to apricot, we particularly made this blend. Seapricot contains 20% Seabuckthorn and 80% apricot. We already sold the technology; two companies bought it.

We filed the patent 2-3 years back, but we sold the technology in the month of May, this year. It takes a long time to file the patent and then to sell the technology.

ii) Anti-oxidant herbal supplement: It’s a herbal tonic, like Chavanprash made of Seabuckthorn. This technology is sold as well. As a research institute, we do the research work; we cannot work on the production part. So, we sell our technologies to the different companies and they take care of the production work and produce the product on large scale. Four different companies have bought this technology already. They will come with the product and sell it in the market.

iii) Herbal UV Protection Oil: A UV protection oil based on Seabuckthorn, we are yet to sell the technology as it takes time.

iv) Ethanol at High Temperature: This is an international patent. I developed it, while I was working at the Indian Institute of Petroleum. Ethanol is very important in Petroleum industries. We start blending Ethanol with Diesel for fuel.

Q. Why is Seabuckthorn so important to Ladakh?

Seabuckthorn is native to Ladakh region and it is an ideal plant for cold desert for improving eco-environment and socio-economic condition of the local populace.

The agricultural scenario in Ladakh is grim. Almost 50% of the farmer here at Leh district has less than 0.5% hectors of land; which is very less. About 60% of farmers in Ladakh are marginal farmers; the poorest form of farmers who don’t possess much land or own less than 1 hector, 100x100 meters of agriculture land. The livelihood of people who are entirely dependent on agriculture is dismal. If we look at the food grains of Ladakh, almost 60% of food grains come from outside Leh district, even for local people, let alone the consumption of army and tourists. Even though one may have heard of people getting good returns from vegetation cultivation, but those are few selected farmers.

At Ladakh, we have almost 11,500 hectors of land under Seabuckthorn cultivation. We have done an aerial survey. This shrub usually grows along the rivers: Indus River, Shayok River, Nubra River. A present, if a person picks up the Seabuckthorn berry from the wild, they get around 30 INR per Kg. There are certain farmers who earn approximately 40,000-50,000 INR in 20-25 days! Thus economically, this plant is very important.  Thus far, the total revenue we collect from Seabuckthorn is 2-3 Crore per year, which is not much.

Few years back we made a proposal to LAHDC, which was submitted to Govt. of India and that time we made a rough estimation that, if we scientifically plant Seabuckthorn on 2,500 hectors of Land, the size State forest department says we can plant the shrub in Leh district, if one put an initial investment of INR 50 to 100 Crore, for a period of about 10 years( normally, it takes 5yrs for the fruit to grow on it); on an average we can get around INR 225 Crore per year( by collecting fruit, pulp, and the seed). It’s a huge amount; more than a total district plan expenditure or more than INR 224 Crore, the estimated revenue collected from tourism in Ladakh 2011. Such amount will make a huge difference to the livelihood of native residents. Thus, there is a huge scope of Seabuckthorn plantation in Ladakh.
 
Q. What are your future projects?

At present, there are two things going on parallel regarding Seabuckthorn, at our research institute. First one is developing the product. We already have had 7 patented products based on Seabuckthorn alone and sold technologies for few of them. Second is; cultivation of Seabuckthorn. My focus is mainly on the cultivation part. Cultivation of the shrub takes a long time.

Q. You have above 50 publications in the national and international journal. What are they all about?

They are about our research works on Seabuckthorn, various crops, technologies invented at DIHAR, various cultivation methods, apple and apricot, and the likes. 

Q. What is the nature of your job at DIHAR?

Scientists here too have to work on different aspects. My major area of work is Seabuckthorn, but I also work on other crops like vegetables. Since most of the farmers in Ladakh are marginal farmers; crop productivity is low. Thus, we are working on technology which will enhance the crop productivity.

We came up with an uncomplicated technology like Mulching, where we simply put black polythene on the ground before transplanting the plant, could increase the crop productivity.  Crop plant like Tomato, Brinjal, and Capsicum can be grown with the mulching method. A tomato grown with the mulching system has a doubled its productivity, Capsicum productivity increased 6 times and Brinjal 4 times. Thus, if one makes an investment of only INR 50 on an area of just 7x10 ft, normal size of the vegetable bed, he/she can get a return of INR1000 if used mulching means as it doubled the crop output. So far no farmers apply such method; hence we are publicizing the method.

Another important aspect of mulching is, it takes a lot of time for farmers to pluck out weeds from the field which is a tedious job. The mulching method has seen lessen the weed growth up to 90%. It saves labour and it’s convenient for the farmers as well.

Other research work undergoing at DIHAR is on Apple and Apricot. There is a good scope of Apple at Ladakh. Local apple ripe by the month of August. Since they ripe early we can't store them for long also because it has a thin skin, it perishes. But if we use Delicious Apples, which has thick skin and ripe in October, can be kept for at least 6 months. So, during peak winter months, locals can consume an apple. Especially in winter, we do not get any fresh fruit at Ladakh, so Delicious Apples help. I felt the need of making available of fruits during winter, thus I am working on how best we can multiply the production of Apple and apricot; we are working on the propagation of apples.

Q. What sort of research works are under progress?

Lots of research works are under progress. As mentioned earlier, I am working on the enhancement of crop productivity. Tomato and Capsicum are the two crops we have taken as model crop, so we are working on it.       I am working on the propagation or multiplication of Seabuckthorn. There are many kinds of Seabuckthorn, some plants hardly grow 200 grams of berries, but some grows 5-7 Kg of berries every year. One of two Ph.D. students who already graduated under my supervision worked on 'Selection of High Yeilding Seabuckthorn'. We have collected 200 different kinds of Seabuckthorn all over Ladakh. At present we are working on a few selected plants, which gives a minimum of 5kg of berries every year. Thus, of 200 different kinds, we have narrowed it down to 6 types. Hence, we are working on multiplication of 6 different types of Seabuckthorn, which is also economically viable.

There are male and female plants of Seabuckthorn. Only the female plants will produce berry fruits, not the male. Thus, if planted scientifically, 90% of Seabuckthorn should be female plant and only 10% male plant. Nowadays, many farmers are aware of this profitable plant and they are cultivating Seabuckthorn. The return farmers get from Seabuckthorn is much higher than the cultivation of crops like Wheat and Barley!

If a person grows Seabuckthorn on 1 Kanal (0.125 acres (510 m2) of Land and pluck the berries and sell it for INR 30 per Kg, he can earn INR 27, 800 every year. 90% of Seabuckthorn plant in India is grown at Ladakh. There is a huge demand for it. In fact, Ladakh is a premium Seabuckthorn producing region in the international market. The international companies prefer Ladakh's Seabuckthorn over Chinas' because of its high quality which contains no chemicals like pesticides and herbicides. Ladakh is a small region, no matter how many Kanals of Seabuckthorn we cultivate, we still would not able to meet the demands of the international market. Thus, the Seabuckthorn business will thrive in Ladakh.

Q. Tell us about the scope of Apricot and Apple of Ladakh.

Ladakh's apricots are of premium quality and stood among best apricot internationally. But the issue of concern is, there is an insect called Codling Moth, which causes huge damages to apricot and apple as well. Hence, the government has put a ban on exporting fresh Apricot and Apples from Ladakh to outside its district.
Local apple's keeping quality is poor. Moreover, they are small in size. However, we have introduced Delicious Apples, among which Royal Delicious Apples, have excellent quality. There are many varieties of apples in Ladakh, of which we grow only selected 15 at DIHAR. Only if we process apples and apricot by making products like beverages and jam out of it, we can export it.
Moreover, as far as Apple is a concern, we are not even able to meet the demands of locals.

Q. Tell us about DIHAR

DIHAR established in1962, primarily aims to meet the fresh food requirement of the army in high altitude cold desert of Ladakh. Rations like Wheat and Grains can be stock up, but we can't store fresh vegetables. DIHAR is a research institute, we do not produce vegetable on large scale and supply it to army at once, however, we develop the technology, we impart the know-how of agriculture to the farmers, we instruct them which crops to grow and to not to grow, which variety to grow at what season etc. In general, we educate the agro-techniques to the farmers. We impart training to the farmer, either directly or indirectly. It is the farmers who cultivate the crops on large scale and through cooperative society; they sell it to the market and army. That’s how our research benefits the army.
DIHAR falls under the Minister of Defence, Government of India. The Ministry of Defence comprises of three major wings: Army, Navy, and Air-force comes under the fighting force wings; the second wing is the production agencies, the ordinance factory, they produce ammunitions on large scale and third is the research wing: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). We do research for the Ministry of defence. DIHAR is a part of DRDO. Ministry of Defence funds all the research works.

There is an immense scope of vegetables in Ladakh. In 2012, we claim record in Limca Book of Record for having grown 101 types of vegetable in Ladakh on the same field, in the same season. The record shows that it is feasible to grow many kinds of vegetables in Ladakh.

Q.  Is it possible that Ladakh become self-reliant in terms of vegetations and fruits?

In Ladakh, we are growing vegetation on only an insignificant scale; 310 hectors only, i.e. not even 1% total crop area. However, there is an immense capacity to cultivate vegetables and to sell it in the market. If we consider Lahul and Spiti, their crop area is just about 36% of total crop area of Ladakh, nevertheless, their gross turnover from selling fruits and vegetable is way more than what farmers at Ladakh make. We should adopt their method of cultivating vegetables.

In Lahul and Spiti, they cultivate vegetables on 63% of their total cropland. Cultivation of vegetable is their major focus.

Also, at Ladakh, we grow all sorts of vegetables, but on a small scale, therefore, there is no single major crop available to sell in the market. On contrary, at Lahul and Spiti, they focus on only a few crops like Potato, Pea and Apple, cultivate it on a major scale and collect a handsome turnover. They grow Potato on 23% of their total crop area, which is large scale cultivation and sells 90% of produce to market outside their district. They grow Pea on 40% of their crop area and sell 72% to markets and 81% of fruits are being sold to the bazaar. Thus, if we focus on only a few crops, not all 101 types, we too can make a good profit from vegetations. Ladakh has a huge prospective to grow Seabuckthorn, Potato, and Pea, if planted in large scale, it could make farmers economically sound. Other off-season vegetables like Cauliflower and Cabbages have good market potential.

Q. So how do you encourage farmers to grow a few selected crops?

It’s a matter of policy. If district administration could rope in few big buyers or form a cooperative society like that of Potato Society at Lahul and Spiti, as well as persuade the farmers to produce a crop on a large scale would only make farmers cultivate selected crop on large scale. In general, if we grow any crop on a large scale, there is definitely going to be a buyer. These changes would not happen in a year to two, but gradually it will.

July-September is the cultivation season in Ladakh, thus we shall focus on few crops which market demands during the period. Cultivation of few crops in bulk will change the entire economic scenario of Ladakh.

Q. Tell us about Ph.D programmes at DIHAR, Leh

DIHAR, Leh undertake Ph.D. programmes, it began 7 years back. The subject matter is related to the activities carried on at Laboratory. By and large, most of them get Ph.D. degrees either in Life Science or Biotechnology. At present, we have 25 scholars pursuing Ph.D. degree programmes at DIHAR, Leh. Another 7 scholars have already been awarded the prestigious Ph.D. degree. We provide fellowship (for 5 years) as well, i.e. INR 16-18,000 per month along with complimentary provisions of food and accommodation. So far, 2 scholars obtained Ph.D. degree under my guidance. One researcher on Seabuckthorn and other on Mulberry of Ladakh. Currently, 4 scholars are pursuing their Ph.D. curriculum under my supervision.

Of late, we started taking in local scholars. DIHAR is a national institute, students must go through a walk-in interview, we can't have preference over locals, and we select only those who perform well. Lately, many Ladakhi Masters' students sat for the interview, which is conducted biennially. Currently, of 25 scholars, 5 are Ladakhi. The Second impending interview of the year for our Ph.D. programme is on 28th August.

Messages to the readers:

"We should not overlook the agriculture segment of Ladakh, it needs to be promoted. Agriculture is the only means to have sustainable development in Ladakh. At present, we are entirely dependent on resources from outside, be it vegetables, fruits, and other basic amenities. It's of utmost importance to have a self-reliant economy, for that reason, at Ladakh, only agriculture sector could make it possible."