HAU advises farmers to sow hybrid varieties of paddy

Hisar, May 16 (UNI) The scientists of CCS Haryana Agricultural University have advised the farmers to sow hybrid varieties of paddy to increase its production in the state.

Farmers can get 15 to 23 per cent higher yield by sowing hybrid varieties of paddy as compared to existing paddy variety HKR-126, a spokesman of the University said.

''According to an estimate, India will need about 100 million tonnes of rice by 2010. To cope with this increasing demand, Indian scientists have developed as many as 25 new hybrid varieties of paddy which give 15 to 20 per cent higher yield vis-a-vis the existing varieties of paddy,'' he added.

The spokesman said that given the interest of the farmers of the state in hybrid varieties of paddy, the Paddy Research Centre of the University at Kaul (Kaithal) has developed first hybrid variety of paddy named Haryana Hybrid Paddy-1. Its rice shoots will be prepared by June 10 and paddy plantation would be completed between June 15 and July 10.

By keeping a distance of 15 cms between each plant and 20 cms between each row, as much as 30 quintal per acre average production from this variety could be achieved, he added.

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