Bangor Gwynedd, United Kingdom
December, 2005
The first scented drought
resistance variety of rice, MAS Bulk 5, has been deve1oped under
a participatory plant breeding programme, being run in the state
in collaboration with the CAZS-NR at the University of Wales (Bangor
University),
Birsa Agricultural University and
Gramin Vikas
Trust (GVT), an NGO.
A team of scientists from the two universities and the Trust
were engaged in its development under the Eastern India Rain Fed
Farming Project, funded by United Kingdom and supported by the
Government of India. The new variety would soon be sent to the
All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project at Hyderabad for
testing.
Part of the researchers team and a research consultant to Gramin
Vikas Trust from the Department for International Development
Project of United Kingdom,Dr
D.S. Virki said the new variety of rice is has superfine
grains and is scented like Basmati has high degree of drought
resistance. He told that the molecular scientist
Dr Katherine Steele of CAZS-NR who left for UK on Tuesday
used the molecular marker techniques to produce the new variety.
A Non Resident Indian and originally from Punjab, Dr Virk said
that the new variety would not require traditional mode of
farming like irrigation and use of fertilizers as it is based on
duct seeding technique. The crops would also yield much fodder.
Dr Virk said that the Participatory Plant Breeding Project has
also produced BVM2 variety of maize and the development of a
number of new varieties of transplanted rice and Kulthi are in
their final stages. He felt that the Participatory Plant
Breeding is a novel approach, which involves farmers in the
development and testing of new varieties. He said the approach
has become very popular amongst the farmers of Jharkhand.
Dwelling upon the two developed varieties of 'rice Ashoka 200F
and Ashoka 228, also produced by CAZS, BAU and GVT, released by
the Jharkhand Government in 2003, Dr Virk said that these
drought resistant varieties were developed for the upland rain
fed conditions.
He claimed that the two varieties have been producing 40 to 50
percent more grain than the local varieties used by farmers.
The farmers greatly appreciate the early maturity quality of the
new varieties, which take 90 days, and, since it shortens the
hunger gap and reduces the risks, from drought,
Dr D.S. Virk added. He said that the farmers of other rain
fed areas like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamilnadu have
adopted these varieties.
The varieties were spread in these areas by community based seed
production. Last year about 80 tonnes of seed was produced in
Orrissä and distributed widely m India,
Dr D.S. Virki added. |
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