High yielding, climate resilient varieties of maize, mustard, rice crops released in Odisha

The Odisha State Seed Sub-Committee meeting, held on Wednesday, announced the release of multiple varieties of high-yielding climate-resilient rice crop, maize and mustard for boosting the agrarian economy and benefit of cultivators.

Three non-paddy varieties, OUAT Kalinga Maize 1 (Khushi), OUAT Kalinga Mustard 2 (Samrudhhi), OUAT Kalinga Mustard 3 (Sidhhi), with high yielding and higher oil content mustard variety was approved for release in the state, said officials.

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Similarly, four paddy varieties of OUAT namely OUAT Kalinga Rice-3 (Sampada), OUAT Kalinga Rice 12 (Paraja), OUAT Kalinga Rice 12A (Padmaja), OUAT Kalinga Rice 14 (Shreepada) and 7 nos. of Paddy Varieties of CRRI, Cuttack namely CR Dhan 215 (Indumati), CR Dhan 325 (Salila), CR Dhan 334 (Satyadev), CR Dhan 335 (Alok), CR Dhan 604 (Kalpana), CR Dhan 705 (Ganga) and CR Dhan 912 (Ashutosh Mehek) have also been considered for release in the state.

These non- paddy and paddy varieties will help in increasing the income of farmers. Besides, by cultivating these varieties, we can take a step towards making our future more sustainable and climate resilient, said Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, who chaired the meeting.

It is also decided by the committee that priority should be given to climate resilience, short duration and nutritional aspect while developing a new variety.

The OUAT Kalinga Maize 1 (Khushi) variety specification performs well under kharif rain-fed dry spell stress conditions. Besides, it is suitable for cultivation in Maize dominated districts like Nabarangpur. Similarly, OUAT Kalinga Rice-3 (Sampada) is suitable for puff rice having antioxidant properties.

The OUAT Kalinga Rice 12A (Padmaja) is a bio-fortified variety, suitable for organic cultivation. OUAT Kalinga Rice 14 (Shreepada) is also a Bio-fortified variety rich in iron and antioxidants.

The variety will replace farmers demanding the variety “Swarna (MTU-7029”. Likewise, CR Dhan 215 (Indumati) is suitable for aerobic and saline conditions. It can be preferred for coastal districts of the state.

Another variety, CR Dhan 604 (Kalpana) is tolerant of low temperature at seedling stage and terminal heat at reproductive stage. It is also resistant to stem borer, leaf folder and gall midge. This apart, CR Dhan 912 (Ashutosh Mehek) is an aromatic variety resistant to leaf folders and stem borers.

Director Agriculture & Food Production Shubham Saxena, officers from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology & Agriculture Department attended the meeting.