Dr. YSR Horticultural University develops 13 hybrid crop varieties

Dr. YSR Horticultural University has developed 13 high-yielding hybrid crop varieties together with coconut, coriander, chilli, colocasia, fenugreek, cassava, banana and turmeric which are immune to pests and illnesses and tolerant to environmental stress. The hybrids embrace 4 varieties of coconut and three varieties of chilli.

University Vice- Chancellor T. Janakiram informed The Puuchothat it took 16 to 18 years for growing the perennial crops resembling coconut and about 8 to 10 years for annual crops like chilli, tuber crops and seed spices. The course of concerned identification of genetic strains, crossing the varieties, analysis on the analysis station degree, multi-location trials and mini-kit testing, he says.

The new varieties are tolerant to environmental stress resembling temperature, drought, cyclone and and many others. For occasion, Lavanya, a turmeric selection, has a yield potential of 55 to 65 tonnes per hectare (uncooked rhizome yield) and is tolerant to leaf spot, leaf blotch and rhizome rot illnesses. Godavari Bontha, a culinary number of banana, has comparatively larger yield potential than Kovvur Bontha . With a median bunch weight is 23 to 24 kg, it’s tolerant to pests resembling thrips and aphids and reasonably immune to leaf spot illnesses, he says.

The college has developed varieties together with Vasista Ganga, Gauthami Ganga, Abhaya Ganga and Vynateya Ganga (coconut) and Suruchi (coriander) and Godavari Chema (colocasia).

Suruchi has superb aroma, when in comparison with conventional selection resembling Sadhana and others grown commercially. Godavari Chema is really helpful for cultivation as a solo and intercrop with banana and coconut, with a median yield potential of 18 to twenty tonnes per hectare.

Notified space of adoption

“The States for which the notified area of adoption has been issued include Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan for coriander. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu can go for adoption, depending upon the crops and varieties. These new varities were approved by the Central Variety Release Committee. Also, they have been notified in the gazette,” says the Vice-Chancellor.

Mr. Janakiram says that mandatory steps resembling producing basis and authorized seed on the respective analysis stations are being taken to provide the varieties resembling chilli, seed spices, tuber crops to farmers. “The crop technologies are being commercialised so that nurseries and NGOs can produce the seed or planting material on a large scale to supply them to farmers. Very soon, we will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a few firms for commercial production of the newly developed varieties,” he says.