High yielding and bold-seeded chickpea variety
The new variety is highly responsive to modern management practices.
SCIENTISTS AT the Division of Genetics at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, have developed a high-yielding and bold-seeded `Kabuli' chickpea (Cicer arietinum) variety.
The improved variety with semi-erect growth habit yields bold seeds, and it is moderately resistant to root diseases and tolerant to pod borer, according to Dr. S. Nagarjan, Director, IARI.
Drought tolerant
Christened `Pusa 1105', the new variety was developed through the pedigree method. It does not resemble any of the cultivated varieties. This high yielding variety has a high degree of drought tolerance and wide adaptability. It is particularly suited for cultivation in Delhi and adjoining States of northern and central India.
Growing to a height of about 60 cm, this variety is semi-erect plant type with light green foliage. In north Indian conditions it takes 140 to 150 days to mature, but in central India it comes to harvest in 116 to 120 days.
Coming under the medium-early maturity group, the new chickpea variety is moderately resistant to fusarium wilt and dry root rot diseases, according to the scientists who developed this variety.
`Pusa 1105' is highly responsive to modern management practices. It does well under sound nutrition management.
A dose of 20 kg of nitrogen and 50 kg of phosphorus per hectare is recommended for getting rich dividends from this variety. It is resistant to lodging and shattering. It is also endowed with a high degree of drought tolerance and resistance to soil-borne diseases.
The variety has been extensively field tested on a large scale in Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. It recorded an average yield of 2.46 tonnes of attractive bold grains per hectare in large-scale demonstrations in farmers' fields in Delhi. It produced an average of 1.86 tonnes per hectare in experimental fields in central India. Its average output in north Indian conditions is 1.93 tonnes per hectare. It performed exceedingly well in all the field trials and was rated higher than all the other check varieties. The uniform attractive bold seeds of this variety fetched a premium price in the market.
The cooking quality of the grains was found to be excellent. The farmers and consumers readily accept this variety.
Cultivation practices
The cultivation practices for growing this variety and the seed production practices are the same as in the case of other improved varieties of chickpea, according to the scientists. With the application of liberal quantities of organic manure and specifically Rhizobium and a host of bio-fertilizers, this variety can be raised to get higher yields.
By adopting an integrated pest and disease management schedule and by resorting to need-based application of environment-friendly insecticides, it can be grown to reap higher returns. The cost of cultivation can be reduced by the use of organic amendments, bio-fertilizers and the use of eco-friendly plant protection measures, and the profitability to the farmers can be enhanced.
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
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