Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has released seven agricultural crop varieties and six horticultural varieties for introduction in the State as Pongal gift to farmers.

The varietal release include 2 rice varieties — Co53 and ADT54, one variety of sugar cane — CoC 13339, a monopodia cotton (Co17), a blackgram variety VBN11, two millet varieties – Sorghum Co 32 and Tenai ATL 1.

The six varieties of horticultural crops recommended for release include banana – Co2, tomato hybrid – Co4, aggregatum onion – Co6, cassava – YTP 2, manila tamarind – PKM - MT2 and manathakkali – Co1.

While the Co53 could be introduced during late samba season and ADT54 could be released during thaladi season under irrigated conditions, the release said.

The mid-late high-yielding CoC13339 willreplace the current Co86032 sugarcane.

Co17 cotton will help promote mechanised harvest and high density planting; to overcome the yellow mosaic viral disease in pulses, Blackgram VBN11 is being introduced for adoption and the two millets have been introduced keeping in mind the nutritional security of children.

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