The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has introduced five new crop varieties for cultivation in Punjab, aiming to improve yield and disease resistance, reported Hindustan Times.
The approved varieties encompass Pusa Basmati 1847 for rice, DKC 9144 and Bioseed 9788 for maize, PCB 167 for bajra, and Punjab Cheena 1 for proso millet. These selections received approval during the state varietal approval committee meeting, presided over by Jaswant Singh, Director of Punjab Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department.
About Pusa Basmati 1847, AS Dhatt, Director of Research, elucidated, “This high-yielding basmati genotype is derived from its recurrent parent, Pusa Basmati 1509, and possesses blast and bacterial blight resistance genes in the background of Pusa Basmati 1509. It demonstrates an 11.7% higher yield (19.0 quintal per acre) compared to the parent Pusa Basmati 1509 (17.0 quintal per acre) and exhibits a moderate level of resistance to neck blast under artificial testing conditions.”
Regarding maize varieties, Dhatt stated, “DKC 9144 is a late-maturing maize hybrid, yielding 24.6 quintals per acre, with a grain yield superiority of 2.3% over the check private hybrid Adv 9293 and -8.5% over PAU hybrid PMH 14.” He added, “Bioseed 9788 is also a late-maturing maize hybrid, yielding 24.3 quintals per acre, with a grain yield superiority of 1.0% over the check private hybrid Adv 9293 and -9.2% over PAU hybrid PMH 14.”
Emphasizing the significance of millets, MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education at PAU, shared insights on the bajra variety PCB 167. He stated, “PCB 167 reaches 50% flowering about 36 and 19 days earlier than dual-purpose checks PCB 166 and PCB 165, respectively. Its average grain yield is 15.6 quintals per acre, which is 16.8% higher than the check variety PCB 165 but at par with PCB 166. PCB 167 exhibits a shorter plant height, and better grain nutritional characteristics, including crude protein, crude fiber, starch content, and high iron and zinc content. The grains of PCB 167 have good popping potential and are suitable for making value-added products.”
Explaining the proso millet Punjab Cheena 1, Bhullar said, “It is a short-duration variety maturing in about 66 days, with an average grain yield of 3.2 quintals per acre. It possesses significant quantities of protein, resistant starch, calcium, and iron, along with a low predicted glycemic index and low glycemic load.”
