Peringottukara: From the centuries-old Ittikkandappan to black rices and exotic grains, as many as 570 paddy varieties have flourished in the Indigenous Paddy Variety Conservation Field, maintained by Sarvatho Bhadram Organics at the Avanangattu Kalari Vishnumaya Temple in Peringottukara, Thrissur.

The simultaneous cultivation of such a vast number of paddy varieties in a single field is considered a rare achievement in the state. Alongside well-known indigenous varieties in Kerala, the harvest included an array of aromatic paddy, herbal varieties, Matta varieties, and even black rice.

Varieties such as Chennellu, Jeerakashala, Cheera, Kulapandi, Havalakkannan, Kuruva, Chitteni, Orpadi and Cheradi have been cultivated in the field , along with paddy types from other states, including Nasar Bath from Karnataka, Coimbatore Sanna from Tamil Nadu, Jugal from Bengal (notable for its two grains per paddy), Kala Namak from Bihar, and Jeera Phool from Eastern India. Each variety has been grown in small, two-meter-wide square plots within the one-and-a-half-acre field, creating a mosaic of colours, shapes and plant heights.

The harvest festival was inaugurated by Gyanendraprathap Singh, Director of the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, who began the celebration by harvesting the centuries-old paddy variety Ittikkandappan. The event was attended by AU Raghuraman Panicker, AU Hrishikesh Panicker and AV Rahul.

For the first time, the Ittikkandappan variety was cultivated in this field. Visitors are now flocking to the site to witness the remarkable diversity of paddy varieties, each distinct in size, shape, and growth pattern. Last year, the field showcased 170 varieties.