The Hindu : Kerala News : Record yield from new paddy varieties

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 23, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Record yield from new paddy varieties

By Our Staff Reporter

The high-yielding PC-1 variety of paddy.

PALAKKAD, FEB. 22. Two high-yielding short-duration paddy varieties developed from crossbreeding the traditional Thavalakannan with Athira and IR 36 have yielded a record production of 7.5 tonnes from one hectare in the current second crop season.

The varieties have been developed and tried in more than 500 acres in different parts of the district and outside by P. Chandrasekharan, former Dean (Agriculture) and Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore.

He has developed PC-1 by crossing Thavalakannan with Athira and PC-2 by crossing IR 36 with Thavalakannan.

K.C. Rajakrishnan, a farmer from Alampallam near Palakkad town, said he had a record production of 7.5 tonnes from PC-1 in the current second crop as against the average yield of three to four tonnes a hectare from other varieties.

The varieties are found suitable for cultivation in the `kole' lands in Thrissur.

Dr. Chandrasekharan told The Hindu that the variety of 100-day duration had given a yield of 5.579 tonnes an hectare (which is 28.25 `meni' in local parlance). The 110-day variety has given a yield of 6.375 tonnes a hectare and the 115-day duration variety has given a yield of 5.580 tonnes.

Dr. Chandrasekharan said the new varieties would be an answer to the declining paddy cultivation in the State. Many rice farmers intend to stop cultivation because of the absence of high-yielding short-duration varieties. There is also scarcity of water. The low price of paddy during harvesting compounds the problems of farmers. These situations could be changed by the new varieties, he said.

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