PAU launches two new high yielding maize varieties

Ludhiana, June 15 (UNI) Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today that it has developed a new hybrid variety of maize, PMH-I.

The new varient, evolved by PAU plant breeders has now been identified at the national level for cultivation in north-western plain zones including, west Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

The tests over a period of three years have shown that its yield is higher by 14 to 24 per cent as compared to the hybrid maize varieties developed by private sector research units.

Another maize hybrid PMH-2, capable of producing 10 per cent higher yield, is also ready for release in the western Indo-Gangetic plains and central India, PAU Director (research) Dr B S Dhillon said.

Referring to other varieties developed by the University, Dr Dhillon said that a fodder variety of barseem, BL-180, has been selected for release in the north west region, parts of Uttaranchal and hill zones of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Its yield potential was assessed as high during field trials by 10-15 per cent in the north west zone and by 18-42 per cent in hill zones, he added.

Dr Dhillon said to provide alternative crops as part of the diversification programme, adaptive trials at farmers' fields were underway in respect of hybrid bajra, summer moong, mash, pigeon pea and desi cotton hybrid.

A hybrid bajra variety PHB 2168 has been released in Punjab.

In research trials it yielded 21.8 per cent higher than PHB 47 and in adaptive trials its yield was higher by at least 19.4 per cent.

About other varieties, Dr Dhillon said mash 114 gave more yield at 45.2 per cent over mash 338 in breeding trials and 20 per cent in agronomic trials. It is resistant to moong bean yellow moasaic virus.

He said the AL 1507 variety of pigeon pea yielded 22 per cent more than the check variety AL 201. It matures a week earlier than AL201.

In desi cotton, a hybrid PMDH 3 has out yielded the check hybrid Moti by ten per cent. It has better tolerance to wilt and bacterial blight attacks on cotton.

He said that the PAU rice breeders are working on a new variety, PAU 2769, which has showed superiority of 12 per cent in yield over the varities that are currently being sown. It matures 14 days early as compared to PR18 and is resitant to all the eight patho types of bacterial leaf blight.

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