Agricultural scientists must ensure that high-yielding variety of the new arhar (tur) seeds, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), is made available to farmers so that these are brought into the production chain at the earliest, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has said.
“I am sure as the year rolls by, we shall see more improved varieties in the field, not only of pulses but the oilseeds, as well,” he said in his address on the occasion of Conference of Vice Chancellors of Agricultural Universities and Interface with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Directors here on Saturday.
Singh said the UN General Assembly had declared 2016 as the international Year of Pulses and “It is good to see that in the very beginning of the new year -- 2016, one of our leading institutions, IARI, New Delhi has released PADT-16, a variety of arhar that yields about 20 quintal/ha and matures in 120 days against 160-180 days taken by the presently used varieties.”
The Minister also shared that ICAR-IARI had developed a low erucic acid Indian mustard variety -- Pusa Mustard-30 (PM-30). This variety is low in erucic acid (<2%) and has the best combination of other desirable fatty acids and is considered good for myocardial health, besides has high-yield potential, he said.
“This is first of its kind effort by IARI under public-private partnership mode to launch an indigenously developed health value product with improved oil quality,” he added.
Singh said it while was “heartening to see India as one among the 15 leading exporters of agricultural products in the world with significant exports of cotton, rice, meat, oil meals and sugar”, agriculture needs to attain and sustain an overall growth rate of about over 4 per cent.
“In the past we have been able to reach close to the target but have not achieved it. In the face of climate change, increasing and emerging abiotic and biotic stresses, the challenge is tough,” he said, calling for focus on research products that can provide break-through in yields and are accessible and affordable for farmers.
He also called upon scientists to address issues concerning rainfed agriculture, which accounts for about 56 per cent of the total cropped area, to boost food production.
Source : The Hindu Business Line
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