New pigeon pea variety recommended for release

A new pigeon pea variety "� ICP 7035, developed by the International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), was recommended for release at the recent zonal research and extension advisory council meeting at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bangalore.

The release of ICP 7035 is a joint effort of the research led by Icrisat and UAS, supported by the Department for International Development (DFID) of the UK government.

The new variety is stated to be highly resistant to pigeon pea sterility mosaic virus (PPSMV) which is widely prevailing in southern Karnataka.

According to William Dar, director-general of Icrisat, the release of the variety is a significant contribution from his institute to despairing farmers in sterility mosaic disease (SMD) hot spots. It can prevent crop loss and thereby enhance income to the pigeon pea farmers.

Pigeon pea, also known as red gram or arhar, is a major pulse crop in India. It is an important protein supplement in the vegetarian diet.

Karnataka, one of the largest producers of pigeon pea, is a hot spot of PPSMV infection, which results in sterility mosaic disease (SMD), also regarded as 'green plague' due to its destructive nature.

The virus-infected plants fail to produce flowers and therefore bear no pods, leading to enormous losses to the farmers. SMD is estimated to cause an annual loss of around $300 million in India and Nepal alone.

An Icrisat press release said here on Thursday that tests have revealed that ICP 7035 was immune to virus infection and has resistance to severe PPSMV strains.

A medium to long-duration maturity type, the average yield of ICP 7035 ranged between 1,200 and 1,600 kg per hectare. Icrisat had produced breeder seed of this variety that would be supplied to national centres and farmers.