FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
Early-maturing and bold-seeded mustard variety
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
The oil content in the Mahak variety is a high as 41 per cent.
SCIENTISTS AT the Division of Genetics at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, have developed an early-maturing and bold-seeded mustard (Brassica juncea) variety, and it has been released for commercial cultivation by the farmers as `Mahak' mustard, according to Dr. S. Nagarjan, Director, IARI.
Early sowing variety
Developed through pedigree method by crossing `Pusa Bold' and `Glossy Mutant', the improved variety is suitable for early sowing to replace `toria' in Delhi State.
The new plant type with quick initial build-up, early flowering and early-maturity reaches a height of 160 cm, and flowers in 30 days after sowing. The plant produced on an average six branches and eighteen secondary branches, according to the scientists. It was ready for harvest in about 100 days.
Oil content
`Mahak' has been found to be resistant to lodging, shattering and it responded extremely well to modern agronomic, nutrient and water management.
It is even suitable for late sown conditions. A seed rate of 5 kg is recommended to cover a hectare. It has a potential to yield 7227 kg per hectare. However, it recorded an average of 1132 kg of seeds per hectare under normal conditions. It has recorded oil content of 41 per cent. One of its parents, `Pusa Bold', yielded bold seeds in about 150 days. It produced yellow flowers, and grew to a height of 184 cm. It was resistant to lodging and shattering.
The seeds of this variety contained 39 per cent oil. The other parent `Glossy Mutant' grew up to a height of 135 cm, and it produced white flowers.
It yielded small seeds with 34 per cent oil content in 140 days. It was also resistant to lodging. Both the parents had field tolerance to major pests and diseases at the same level as `Varuna' variety, according to the scientists. `Mahak' was field tested extensively with several other varieties in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. In all the demonstration trials it proved its superiority over others in terms of yield and other field characteristics.
It was tested at six locations — Hisar, Kanpur, New Delhi, Nowgaon, Sri Ganganagar and Kangra — for the two major diseases of rapeseed and mustard — the Alternaria blight and the white rust (Albugo candida). Its reaction to the disease incidence was the same as the two other varieties — `toria' and `SEJ-2' tested along with it.
Self-pollinated crop
Being a self-pollinated crop, 98 per cent of the pollination takes place before anthesis. The earliness of this improved variety and its bold seeds are sure to make it attractive to the growers. It is highly adapted to Delhi as it topped at seven locations out of the eight trials conducted.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Sci Tech
