Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India
March 23, 2007Original
release with video presentation:
http://www.icrisat.org/Media/2007/media6.htm
Stagnant production and soaring
prices of pigeonpea (red gram) has been a matter of concern in
the countries where the pulse crop is consumed. A new hybrid
pigeonpea technology, developed by the
International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and partners
is capable of substantially increasing the productivity of red
gram, offers a hope of pulse revolution in India and other
developing countries.
ICRISAT's hybrid technology is likely to increase the
agricultural productivity and farmers' income in drylands. The
new hybrid technology, based on cytoplasmic male-sterility (CMS)
system, has given an opportunity of achieving the long-cherished
goal of breaking the yield barrier in pigeonpea or red gram. In
spite of agricultural research institutions releasing over 100
open pollinated varieties in the past 50 years, the productivity
of red gram has remained low, and this technology can break this
barrier.
Male-sterile plants are those that do not have functional male
sex organs. Hybrid production requires a female plant in which
no viable pollen grains are borne. The expensive and
labor-intensive method is to remove the male organs (anthers)
from the plants. The other simple way to establish a female line
for hybrid seed production is to identify or create a line that
is unable to produce viable pollen. This male-sterile line is
therefore unable to self-pollinate, and seed formation is
dependent upon pollen from the other male fertile line.
According to Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, the
new hybrid pigeonpea will serve as the platform for the
tremendous growth of pulse production in India and other
developing countries in Asia and Africa . “This is a global
first and we are proud to catalyze and trigger this historic
change,” Dr Dar said.
Prof MS Swaminathan, an eminent agricultural scientist and
Chairman of the Indian National Commission on Farmers also
commended this technological breakthrough. He termed ICRISAT's
breakthrough as one of the most notable achievements in
agricultural research and said that the development of hybrid
pigeonpea strains capable of yielding 3 to 4 tons per hectare is
a major breakthrough. He further said that “these hybrids are
capable of launching a pulses revolution just in the same way as
the semi-dwarf varieties triggered the wheat and rice revolution
in the 1960s.”
ICRISAT partnered with the Indian Council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) for developing this technology. ICRISAT is now
working with the private and public sector seed companies to
commercialize the crop so that the seeds will start reaching the
farmers in the next couple of years. Agricultural scientists
from the Philippines , Myanmar and China have also recognized
the ICRISAT's hybrid technology, and are working on developing
hybrids in their countries.
ICRISAT scientists under the leadership of Dr KB Saxena, began
this mission in 1974 and after 30 years of intensive research
they succeeded in developing an efficient CMS system using the
cytoplasm (cell fluid outside the nucleus) of a wild relative (
Cajanus cajanifolius ) of red gram, collected from the forests
of Madhya Pradesh.
In the past two years ICRISAT has tested over 300 experimental
hybrids and among these ICPH 2671 was found the most
outstanding. This hybrid is highly resistant to two major
diseases – fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic – prevalent in all
the major pigeonpea growing areas. ICPH 2671 produced 48% more
yield over the popular variety Maruti. So far the progress in
the mission of enhancing the productivity of pigeonpea has been
very encouraging and the team at ICRISAT is confident that the
reality of commercial hybrids is just around the corner.
For further information, contact Dr KB Saxena at
k.saxena@cgiar.org .
Original release with video
presentation:
http://www.icrisat.org/Media/2007/media6.htm
RELATED CGIAR ARTICLE:
Hybrid pigeonpea: breaking a yield
barrier |
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