FARMER'S NOTEBOOK
High yielding rice variety for coastal saline ecosystem
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
The improved variety is tolerant to salinity, acidity and flooding.
SCIENTISTS AT the Rice Research Station (RRS) of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) at Vyttila, Kochi, have developed a high yielding rice variety suited for cultivation in the coastal saline ecosystem. It has been released for commercial cultivation by KAU recently, according to Dr. K. V. Peter, Vice Chancellor, KAU.
Hybridisation variety
Named `VTL-6', the new variety is developed through hybridisation and selection. It is semi-tall and non-lodging, and is tolerant to abiotic stresses such as salinity, acidity and submergence.
A cross was made between the local Pokkali genotype Cheruvirippu and IR-5 to combine the high yield of IR-5 and the tolerance to salinity, acidity and submergence of Cheruvirippu. This was again crossed with a high yielding variety Jaya, which has wider adaptability to adverse environmental conditions.
Repeated selection
The new variety was evolved by repeated selection from the segregating generation of the above cross, according to the scientists, who developed this variety.
Rice cultivation in the low-lying waterlogged areas along the saline coastal belt of Kerala is known as Pokkali cultivation. The continuous tidal inflow and outflow has made these coastal belts very fertile.
The common practice in this area is to grow rice organically during the low saline phase (June-September) followed by prawn or fish farming during the high saline phase (November-April).
Many rice varieties grown in this tract are tall and lodging types and they resulted in 40 to 50 per cent reduction in yields.
The improved rice variety VTL-6 will not only help in revitalising the Pokkali rice cultivation in the organic rice growing area, it will make rice cultivation more remunerative, according to scientists. Growing to a height of about 120 cm, the improved variety has a yield potential of 4.5 to 5.0 tonnes per hectare.
Pest tolerant
However, under normal conditions it has recorded an average yield of 3.5 to 4.0 tonnes per hectare in 105 to 110 days. It is tolerant to most of the pests except stem borer, leaf roller and rice bugs. It is also tolerant to major diseases except bacterial leaf blight and sheath blight.
A seed rate of 100 kg is recommended per hectare, and the variety responded well to organic nutrition. It yielded well when planted closely. The attractive medium sized grains are of good cooking quality and the farmers in the region have readily accepted this variety.
It is recommended for cultivation in Pokkali areas of Ernakulam district and other waterlogged saline areas.
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