SDAU's new castor variety helps improve yield

The wilt-resistant hybrid castor seed variety called GCH-7, developed by Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU) has helped improve the national average of per hectare yield of this major industrial oil seed crop in India, a top official said.

"Gujarat Castor Hybrid-GCH-7 variety, released a few years ago, is in huge demand on Monday from castor-growing states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. It has helped improve the national average of per hectare yield too," SDAU vice chancellor, K Sreedharan said.

"The national average of per hectare yield of castor, has gone up from 1.5 MT to 1.8-2 MT this year," a scientist at SDAU, PS Patel said. Castor is susceptible to wilt (root rot), which generally appears in patches at all stages of growth.

Buoyed by the response, SDAU has initiated the process of developing GCH-8 variety, which, it expects to release over the next few years because a seed variety tends to turn susceptible to wilt in 5-6 year span, post its launch.