Nine Maize Varieties Picked For Cash Farming

The maize research directorate of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has approved nine new high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties of maize for commercial cultivation in different regions to boost the countrys maize output.

Significantly, five of these varieties are the hybrids developed by the private sector. This is a major departure from the past when development of new strains was deemed primarily to be the responsibility of the public sector research network alone.

Also significant is the fact that one of the new varieties, SO/SN 28MS6, is suited specially for cultivation in the rabi season (instead of the usual kharif season) and has highly nutritious grains amenable to processing into diversified maize products. The food processing industry has been feeling the need for such a variety for a long time. This strain is said to be good for use as baby food as well as poultry and animal feed.

 

Though maize has traditionally been grown as a kharif (rainy season) crop, its cultivation in rabi season was found a few years ago to be even more lucrative. However, the dearth of varieties suitable for cultivation in this season did not allow the area under rabi maize to expand substantially.

The availability of the new rabi maize variety is expected to remove this constraint, providing impetus to winter maize cultivation in the country. Notably, the new variety has a wide adaptability and is reported to be fit for growing in all parts of the country.

For the first time, three single-cross hybrids, superior in yield than the existing varieties, have been recommended for release for commercial cultivation. These are JH 1121, EH 203492 and 202892. These strains also possess better resistance against diseases and pests and would, therefore, help cut the cost of maize cultivation by reducing the need for pesticides application.

The varieties evolved by the private sector include Pro-310 and Pro-311 (by Proagro); the White hybrid X 1382 (3054W) and X 1043 M (3056) (by Pioneer Overseas Corporation); and Bio-9681 (by Bioseed).

The two varieties developed by Proagro and the white hybrid of Pioneer Overseas have been identified for cultivation across the country, except the Himalayas. All these strains have good resistance against diseases and pests.

Pioneer Overseas second variety has been recommended for growing in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Bioseeds variety is deemed fit for cultivation in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.