Bacterial blight-resistant rice variety gets approval

Ludhiana, May 15

Recently, the State Variety Approval Committee gave its nod to ‘PR 130’ variety of parmal rice for cultivation. The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed ‘PR 130’ variety of rice by crossing PR 121 with HKR 47.

Additional Director of Research (crop improvement) Dr Gurjit Singh Mangat said, “It is mid-maturing, lodging tolerant and bacterial blight-resistant variety with better milling quality characteristics. It possesses long slender clear translucent grains with high total and head rice recoveries. The variety resists the attack of all 10 prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight pathogen in the state. The average paddy yield of this variety is 30 quintals per acre. It will be beneficial to pea and potato growers.”

The PAU has produced a large quantity of seed of this variety, available at its research stations.