The Hindu Business Line : Icrisat releases first cytoplasmic red gram hybrid variety

Hyderabad, July 16 Dr William D. Dar, Director-General of International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), released the world’s first cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) based pigeonpea (red gram) hybrid (ICPH 2671) here on Tuesday.

The new hybrids could give 30-40 per cent higher yields than the ones being used now.

Dr K.B. Saxena, who was the brain behind this breakthrough, said the new technology would break the yield barrier, which had been plaguing Indian agriculture for the past five decades.

“In achieving this milestone, Dr Saxena and his team struggled for 35 years to overcome various scientific hurdles,” an ICRISAT press release said.

“This hybrid, named Pushkal, is suitable for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra,” it added.

Red gram, which has an important place in Indian cuisine, is grown on about 3.5 million hectares.

Suitable crop for rain fed agriculture as it was drought tolerant, it needed minimum inputs and produced reasonable yields even in unfavourable agro-ecological conditions.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Nod for new commodity exchange

Rain surplus gets further eroded to 6%

Icrisat releases first cytoplasmic red gram hybrid variety

Inflation rises marginally to 11.91%

Ammonium sulphate, TSP subsidies notified

HC stays auctioning of Bajaj unit’s properties

A paradox

Storage level in major reservoirs lower than last year

Ginger exports fall short of targets

Coal market set to sizzle further