Scientists at Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU) have developed 11 new varieties of seeds – five in paddy, two in jowar, and one each in red gram, green gram, soybean and gingelly – will be available to farmers in Telangana and elsewhere soon, university Vice-Chancellor V. Praveen Rao announced recently.
Most of the varieties, consisting of pest-resistant, high-yielding varieties, have been approved last week by the State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) or the 3rd State Sub-Committee on Crop Standard Releases of Varieties. The improved attributes include seed dormancy, grain yield, pest resistance, along with high nutrient levels, some of which are excellent for diabetics patients.
The documents will now be sent to the CVRC, the central sub-committee for crop standards, release of varieties, and other notices.
Following their notification and publication in the Indian Gazette, they would go through a process at CVRC. According to the Vice-Chancellor, after the gazette notice, seed-producing agencies would begin producing the new seed varieties and making them available for cultivation to farmers.
CROP QUALITY
The university has released 47 varieties of various crops since Telangana’s formation, Mr. Praveen Rao said, urging efficient water management to achieve higher yields and maximize the use of irrigation facilities
The university is entering into agreements with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and adopting robotics, artificial intelligence, drones, and other technologies. The 11 new varieties have already been well received by farmers in the State, adding that the varsity had developed 47 varieties in different crops in just seven years.
During its research, the varsity also discovered that using robotics, the usage of pesticides for maize crop could be reduced by 30 percent. There will soon be an Agri-Hub launching to teach entrepreneurship to young people. Additionally, the varsity has developed QR codes for rice seeds and used block chain technology. QR codes allow people to trace the origin, production method and management practice used in the production of seeds and their quality, he said, adding that QR coding will be applied to other crops this season as well.
PJTSAU ACHIEVEMENTS
Additionally, Professor Rao said the university was concentrating on Agro Photovoltaics this Rabi season, which enables crops to be grown using solar panels. He said the method, which is currently being researched in the US, France and Germany, will reduce crop loss of water as well as increase the efficiency of solar panels.
PJTSAU has received approval from the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to use drones for crop research.
Subsequently, the varieties are -TelanaganaSona, KNM 118, JGL 24423, Bathukamma in rice, Karimnagar Makka-l in maize, PRG-176 and WRGE 97 in redgram, WGG 42 in green gram and JCS 1020 in sesame have become very popular in the Telangana and adjoining states.
The research efforts for past 10-15 years mainly focussed on not only developing high yielding varieties, but also offering resistance to brown planthopper, blast, bacterial leaf blight, and shattering in rice, grain molds in sorghum, wilt in pigeon pea, YMV in green gram, export quality in sesame, the release said.