Punjab agri dept releases 9 new varieties of crops

Punjab Agriculture Department has released nine new varieties of crops for the benefit of farmers to give a boost to the ongoing diversification campaign in the state.
The new varieties have been developed by experts of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, for the benefit of farmers, an official spokesman said here today.
He said that these varieties include six crops of Rice, Sesame, Sorghum, Cotton, Sugarcane and Spring Maize.
He said that the 'State Varietals Approval Committee' headed by Director Agriculture, Punjab, Mangal Singh Sandhu had met recently and approved these new varieties of crops.
"In paddy, a variety of PR-124 has been developed, which has an average paddy yield of 30.5 quintal per acre," he said.

He said the Committee also approved two varieties of cotton--F-2383 and F-2228.

"Both varieties have a yield of 7.9 quintal per acre and 7.4 quintal per acre respectively," he said.
The spokesman informed that in sugarcane two new varieties have also been introduced--Co 238 and Co 118 with a yield of 365 and 322 quintal per acre respectively.
He said these both varieties were resistant to red rot disease.
In maize farming, the Committee has approved PMH-10 and DKC-9108.
"The PMH-10 was a hybrid variety with an average yield of 31.6 quintal per acre while DKC-9108 has 33.24 quintal per acre," he said.

The state peasantry is being encouraged to adopt cultivation of new crops instead of focusing on wheat and paddy cycle, he said.