Agriculture Innovation in Crop Varieties by Punjab Govt

Last Updated: 10 Nov 2024

Invent/Promote quicker & better Seed varieties of paddy and wheat that
-- Take lesser irrigation cycles, save ground water
-- Give lesser stubble & even more yield
-- More resistant to Climate Change

IMPACT: PR-126(Short duration paddy) seed sowing in 2023-24[1]
-- SAVED Electricity worth ₹477 crore
-- SAVED 5 billion cusecs of groundwater

1. Short Duration Paddy sowing[2]

Ban of Environmont Unfriendly & cost intensive seeds(Pusa-44)

-- Season 2024: Pusa 44 completely banned[3]
-- Season 2023: Farmers were strongly asked NOT to sow the PUSA 44 variety, which gives more stubble & takes more water[4]

IMPACT 2024: 500% more seeds of Short Duration Paddy PR 126(Saves water & environment friendly) than 2022 were sold by PAU[5][6]

<Pros of PR 126>

-- Less Stubble mass and More time to manage stubble
-- Saves 20-25% Water: 4000 litres/kg vs 5000-6000 l/kg for Pusa-44 needed for irrigation[5:1][7]

Year PR-126 Crop area Seeds Sold
2024 Expected 44%
(of non-Basmati paddy area)[8]		 59,000+ quintals (Till 10th July)[7:1] -
2023 11.50 Lakh Hectares[7:2]/33%[8:1]
(of non-Basmati paddy area)		 48,852 quintal[7:3] 210% Growth in Crop Area
2022 5.59 Lakh Hectares[7:4] -

PR 126 vs Pusa 44

Paddy Variety[4:1][9] Mature time Stubble Water Consumption Input Cost Yield Income
Pusa 44 152 days More HIGH More Marginally more Same
PR 126 ~125 days[7:5] Less 15-25% Less Savings on pesticides & labour Marginally Less Same as input cost less

FactCheck about Millers' concern on PR-126[8:2]

  • FALSE: It was widely reported that rice shellers are refusing to accept the PR-126. Even Congress LoP Bajwa of spreading “half-baked knowledge”
  • TRUTH is millers do not have a problem with PR-126 byt hybrid varieties sold under the name of PR 126 (which is not recommended by PAU as well). For the last 8 years, rice shellers have seldom raised an issue with PR-126
  • Out-turn ratio for hybrid varieties was only 60%-62%, as against PR-126’s 67% (OTR, which refers to the post milling yield)

2. Short duration & more yield Wheat variety[10]

  • The new wheat variety invented by PAU is PBW 826
  • Its average grain yield is 24 quintals per acre, more than the yield of existing varieties
  • About 4-6 days earlier in maturity than other recent checks
  • It is relatively less sensitive to high-temperature stress

References:

  1. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/economics-of-punjabs-paddy-varieties-case-of-banned-pusa-44-and-the-promoted-pr-126-9310587/ ↩︎

  2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/pr126-variety-of-paddy-cultivation-in-punjab-raises-hope-for-reduced-farm-fires-and-pollution-in-delhi-101691435384247.html ↩︎

  3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/punjab-bans-cultivation-and-sale-of-pusa-44-paddy-variety/articleshow/109930535.cms ↩︎

  4. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/pusa-44-paddy-variety-to-be-banned-from-next-kharif-season-punjab-cm-bhagwant-mann-550104 ↩︎ ↩︎

  5. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/111417373.cms ↩︎ ↩︎

  6. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/shortduration-paddy-variety-pr-126-in-high-demand-being-sold-at-a-premium-101651519592455.html ↩︎

  7. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/increase-in-cultivation-of-short-duration-paddy-variety-pr-126-expected-in-punjab/articleshow/111673597.cms ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  8. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/how-paddy-variety-pr-126-became-a-victim-of-its-own-popularity-9625697/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

  9. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/shortduration-paddy-variety-pr-126-in-high-demand-being-sold-at-a-premium-101651519592455.html ↩︎

  10. https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/chandigarh-news/ludhiana-pau-recommends-pbw-826-wheat-ol-16-oats-for-general-cultivation-in-punjab-101662140273037.html ↩︎