IARI releases seven new varieties of crops

India’s public research institutions, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) had released seven new varieties of field crops. These include wheat, rice, chickpea, pigeon pea and mustard. 

Key Highlights about Launch

• These crop varieties include the newly developed pigeon pea (arhar dal) and mustard with high yielding properties.
• These also include Pusa Betakesari (cauliflower), Pusa Sarda (Sarda melon), Pusa Madhurima (musk melon) and Pusa Bahar (Marigold).
• These pulses will help to reduce import bills of India on pulses and edible oils.
• Current the annual import bills on pulses and edible oils are Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 56,000 crore respectively in India
• The developed Mustard-30 will increase the productivity along with the health benefits.
• This Mustard pulse contains only 2% of erucic acid while the normal Mustard contains 40% of erucic acid.
• The release of these croup was announced in the 54^th convocation of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute by the President Pranab Mukherjee
• These crops varieties are not only flexible at a number of biotic and abiotic situation but also have enhanced nutritional quality, biotic situations are like living organism like pests and insects and abiotic situations includes nonliving factors like light, temperature and water.

About Indian Agricultural Research Institute

• The Indian Agricultural Research Institute is India’s first national Institute for agricultural research, education and extension.
• The institute was originally established in 1905 at Pusa, Bihar.
• It is an Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)
• Trilochan Mohapatrais the Director of IARI.