Punjab introduces 9 new varieties of crops

Chandigarh, March 17, 2015: Punjab Agriculture Department has released 9 new varieties of crops for the facilitation of farmers to give further acceleration to ongoing diversification campaign in the state besides giving a clarion call to state peasantry to adopt cultivation of new crops instead of focusing on vicious wheat and paddy cycle.  

Disclosing this here today an official spokesman said that these new varieties have been developed by experts of Punjab Agriculture University for the benefit of farmers. He said that these varieties include six crops of Rice, Sesame, Sorghum, Cotton, Sugarcane and Spring Maize. He said that the State Varietals Approval Committee’ headed by Director Agriculture Mangal Singh Sandhu had met recently and approved these new varieties of crops.  He said in paddy a variety of PR-124 has been developed, which has an average paddy yield of 30.5 quintal per acre. He said the Committee also approved two varieties of cotton namely F-2383 and F-2228. The both varieties have a yield of 7.9 quintal per acre and 7.4 quintal per acre respectively.

The spokesman informed that in Sugarcane two new varieties have also been introduced namely Co 238 and Co 118 with a yield of 365 and 322 quintal per acre respectively. He said these both varieties were resistant to red rot disease. In Maize farming the committee has approved PMH-10 and DKC-9108. The PMH-10 was a hybrid variety with an average yield of 31.6 quintal per acre while DKC-9108 has 33.24 quintal per acre. He said under the name of Punjab Til No.2 of sesame was also approved with an average yield of 2.8 quintal per acre with maturity in 90 days. The Punjab Sudax Chari-4 of Sorghum a multi-cut forage hybrid was also approved which produces 445 quintal of green fodder per acre.   

Giving details of the meeting the spokesman said Sandhu also emphasised the need to further carry research on cultivation of sugarcane and other crops in water logged districts of state.