Source: The Financial Express
26/04/2010 – With the India meteorological department predicting a normal monsoon this year, the government is getting ready for the forthcoming kharif season with new seeds and better pest management practices to make maximum use of the likely improved weather condition.
Cuttack-based Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) has recently got approval for release six new hybrid varieties in the key rice growing regions of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu. Five new varieties specific to Orissa also given nod.
CRRI has till now released 81 rice varieties for different agro- climatic zone since its inception in 1948. For Bihar and Gujarat, ‘CR Dhan-701’, which is a long duration hybrid rice variety and matures in 142 days with significant yield superiority over existing varieties, has been released. CR Dhan-701 is also resistance to leaf blast disease.
According to CRRI director, TK Adhya, a new variety ‘Rajlaxmi’ which was released earlier for the irrigated areas of Orissa has now been recommended for release in rest of Orissa and Assam. “This new varieties are culmination of our research during last one and half years,” he told FE.
Besides, CR Dhan-701, a variety with high potential for cultivation in the Boro season (November – April) in the states of Orissa, Assam and W. Bengal that matures in 160-170 days, had also been approved by annual rice workshop held recently.
Another new hybrid ‘CR Boro Dhan 2’ released earlier as the variety ‘Chandan’ for Orissa has now recommended for boro rice growing areas of Assam. “It has got a high head rice recovery and resistant to leaf blast and bacterial leaf blight,” Adhya said.
These development assume significant, as the government has been aiming to increase kharif rice yield since the last few years. The premier rice research institute has also identified several Botanical or plant based pesticides varieties besides neem which can fight pest attack in rice.
Botanicals besides neem effective against different insect pests of rice include Karanja, Kochila, water pepper, wild sugarcane, and Parasi or Karada.
ICAR and Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have entered into an agreement to support and facilitate the country’s rice research over the next three years.
IRRI and ICAR had last year announced the details of the new ICAR work-plan agreement (2009-2012), which would ensure India ‘s continued access to advanced rice research from around the globe and the technologies subsequently developed.