PAU RELEASES SIX NEW CROP VARIETIES FOR GENERAL CULTIVATION IN PUNJAB

LUDHIANA, FEBRUARY 27:



The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has released four new high yielding and disease resistant varieties of rice and one each of maize and guar for general cultivation in the Punjab state. The varieties include "PR 121, and PR 122" of 'A' Grade paddy, "Punjab Basmati 3 and Pusa Punjab Basmati 1509" of basmati rice, "PMH 7" of maize and "HG 365" of guar. The meeting of State Variety Approval Committee, held at PAU under the chairmanship of Dr. Mangal Singh Sandhu, Director of Agriculture, Punjab, approved the release of these new crop varieties for general cultivation in the state. The representatives of millers and Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer's Affairs, Punjab, also attended the meet.



Giving details about the varieties, Dr S.S. Gosal, Director of Research, PAU, explained that PR-121 variety of paddy is a semi dwarf variety with dark green erect leaves. Its average plant height is about 98 cm and matures in about 140 days after seeding. It possesses long slender clear translucent grains with high total and head rice recoveries, he told. The variety resists the attack of all the 10 presently prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the Punjab state, he highlighted. The average paddy yield of this variety is 30.5 quintal per acre.

Dr Gosal informed that the second variety PR 122 yields on average 31.5 quintals of paddy per acre. Its average plant height is 108 cm and matures in about 147 days after seeding. It also possesses long slender clear translucent grains with high total and head rice recoveries, he said. The variety also resists the attack of all the 10 presently prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the Punjab state.



Among the newly released basmati varieties, Punjab Basmati 3 is an improved version of traditional tall variety Basmati 386 with respect to disease resistance and height, told Dr Gosal. It is dwarfer than Basmati 386 by about 50 cm, thus won't lodge. The variety resists the attack of all the 10 presently prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the state, he said, adding that it possesses extra-long slender, translucent grains with excellent cooking and eating quality characteristics and are strongly scented. Its average paddy yield is 16.0 quintal per acre which is about 30 percent higher than Basmati 386. He highlighted that the biggest advantage of this variety is that it will be able to capture the European market.



Elaborating, Dr Gosal said that the second basmati variety Pusa Punjab Basmati 1509 has been released on adhoc basis. It is an early maturing basmati variety which matures in about 125 days after seeding and its average height is 94 cm. It possesses extra-long slender grains with excellent cooking and eating quality characteristics, he told, saying that its grains almost double upon cooking and are strongly scented. Its average paddy yield is 15.7 quintal per acre. He observed that the variety will be suitable for multiple cropping systems, which will result in higher returns to the farmers.



Dr Gosal further told that the PMH 7 is a short duration hybrid of maize which is suitable for spring season planting. It possesses attractive shiny deep orange flint grains. It is moderately tolerant to high temperature stress, post flowering stalk rot and shoot fly. He said that the variety matures in 115 days and its average grain yield is 30 quintals per acre.



Dr Gosal informed that HG 365 is an early maturing variety of guar that takes about 105 days to mature. Its average seed yield is 5.4 quintals per acre.



Dr M.S. Gill, Director of Extension Education, PAU, emphasized that these varieties will prove very beneficial to the farmers. The rice varieties on account of their higher paddy yield, shorter maturity period, disease resistance, high total and head rice recoveries will add to the profits of the farmers and the traders. Dr Gill observed that the basmati varieties will prove to be a boon for the state, as a whole, since these can be transplanted late in the month of July. The varieties of maize and guar will provide new options to the farmers, he said, while informing that the PAU has produced large quantity of seed of these varieties which will be distributed to the farmers during the forthcoming Kisan Melas in March 2013.


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