PAU releases vegetable varieties

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) today said it has released new varieties of vegetables for commercial cultivation in the Punjab.
Four varieties of tomato and one variety each of chilli, broccoli, radish, brinjal and garlic have been approved for general cultivation during the meeting of State Variety Approval Committee for Vegetable and Floriculture, held under the Chairmanship of Dr Gurkanwal Singh, Director of Horticulture, Punjab.
Among new varieties, chilli variety will be medium long (6.7 cm), thin skinned, light green when immature and deep red when mature. The hybrid is resistant to leaf curl virus, fruit rot and root knot nematodes, and tolerant to sucking pests such as thrip and mite, said an official release here.

Punjab 'Varkha Bahar' of tomato is a determinate variety with green and dense foliage. It is suitable for cultivation in rainy/autumn season and is resistant to leaf curl virus while its average yield is 245q/acre.
The plants of tomato variety Punjab 'Gaurav' are indeterminate in growth habit. Its first picking is possible 120 days after transplanting and it gives early yield of 247 and it is suitable for protected cultivation under polynet house.
The plants of tomato variety Punjab 'Sartaj' are indeterminate in growth habit with dark green foliage. It gives early yield of 254 q/acre and the variety is tolerant to leaf curl virus and suitable for protected cultivation under polynet house, it said.

The plants of tomato variety Punjab Red Cherry are indeterminate in growth habit with dark green foliage. Its fruits are round, deep red and first picking is possible 120 days after transplanting, it said.

The plant growth of Broccoli variety 'Palam Samridhi' is semi-spreading and it takes 70-75 days from transplanting to harvesting, and its average yield is 72 q/acre.
The leaves of Radish variety RB-21 are green with cut leaf Lamina and its average yield is 261 q/acre.
PBH 4 of brinjal is an early maturing hybrid of long fruit group of brinjal. Its average yield is 267 q/acre, it said.

The plants of garlic variety PG18 have soft-neck with green leaves and its average yield is 51 q/acre.