Hyderabad: Agri varsity produces 15 new high-yielding grain varieties in 2022

Hyderabad: With a sheer determination towards bringing best quality grains for the benefit of farmers, the Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU), Rajendranagar, has produced a total number of 15 high-yielding new varieties of grains during the year 2022.

Being the youngest agricultural research institution in the country, PJTSAU is striving hard to develop high-yielding varieties in different crops for the benefit of Telangana farmers through focussed research, extension and keeping in view of the farmers' needs.

According to the university's report, PJTSAU has released 46 high-yielding varieties through earlier Central Varietal Research Committee (CVRC) and State Varietal Research Committee (SVRC) meetings on different crops following the formation of the Telangana state. Subsequently, the varieties viz., Telanagana Sona, KNM 1638, KNM 118, JGL 24423, Bathukamma, WGL 962 in rice, Karimnagar Makka-1 in Maize, PRG-176 and WRGE 97 in Red Gram and WGG 42, MGG 385 in Green Gram have become popular in Telangana and adjoining states.

During the year 2022, almost eight new varieties have been developed by PJTSAU, in three crops that include five in rice, two in fodder Bajra and one in sesame, which were approved and released through CVRC for cultivation in different states and was even published in the Indian Gazette.

However, at the State level, another seven varieties of three crops viz., five in rice, one each in Black Gram and Sesame were recommended for release through an SVRC meeting held on September 3, 2022 under the chairmanship of State Agriculture Department secretary and Agricultural Production Commisioner (APC) M Raghunanadan Rao.

Accordingly, the same proposals were reviewed by the CVRC committee on October 26, 2022 at New Delhi and identified it as promising and approved for its release for the state of Telangana. Among them, five in rice, one each in Black Gram and sesame were submitted for approval by the 4th State Sub-Committee on Crop Standards and Release of Varieties during the meeting held on September 3, 2022. After examining the proposals on an entry wise basis, all these seven cultures were accepted for release by the SVRC.

High head rice recovery, biotic and saline resistancy and super fine grain with good cooking qualities are some of the important traits that signify these newly released varieties. Apart from this, an aromatic short grain variety of rice such as Rajendranagar Vari-3 is having similar features of popular local variety. Chittimutyalu with high yield and less height was also included in the list. In addition, white seeded, export amicable sesame varieties and insect pests and disease resistant black gram varieties were among them.

On this occasion, the PJTSAU principal secretary, registrar and vice-chancellor M Raghunanadan Rao, PJTSAU research director Dr R Jagadeeshwar and Dr S Sudheer Kumar congratulated the scientists for their unwavering efforts in developing and releasing high-yield and climate resilient quality varieties.