PAU’s THREE FODDER CROP VARIETIES ALL SET FOR RELEASE IN ONE GO AT NATIONAL LEVEL

Ludhiana, June 21, 2023: 

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has won laurels by getting identified for the release of two fodder pearl millet varieties in a single go along with one fodder maize variety at the National Group Meet, held at Palampur on June 15 and 16. The Varietal Identification Committee (VIC) of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) identified two fodder pearl millet varieties viz., PCB 166 and PCB 168 along with one fodder maize variety J 1009, developed by PAU, for release in the national arena. This is for the first time that these three varieties of fodder crops of PAU are all set to be released at the national level in one go.

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, congratulated the Forage and Millet Improvement team of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, PAU, led by Dr RS Sohu and comprising scientists, namely Dr Ruchika Bhardwaj, Dr Devinder Pal Singh, Dr Harpreet Kaur Cheem, Dr Meenakshi Goyal, Dr Maninder Kaur, Dr Ashlesha and Dr Harpreet Kaur Oberoi involved in the development of fodder pearl millet varieties; and Dr SK Sandhu, Dr Tosh Garg and Dr Gagandeep Singh, associated with the development of a maize variety.

Sharing the salient features of a new variety, Dr Ajmer Singh Dhatt, Director of Research, said: “PCB 166 variety of fodder pearl millet has been identified for release in the North-West zone and South zones of India including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Karnataka states. It is a tall growing late maturing variety with high fodder yield potential up to 797 quintals per hectare, which out yielded check varieties Giant Bajra, RBB 1 and AFB 3 by 5.0, 7.0 and 6.4 percent, respectively, in the North-West zone. Over the two zones, it out yielded the check varieties Giant Bajra, RBB 1, AFB 3 and Moti Bajra by 13.2, 21.0, 6.4 and 17.5 per cent, respectively. This variety has high crude protein content (9.6%) with very good in-vitro dry matter digestibility, and is resistant to downy mildew and moderately resistant to leaf blast.”

Dr VS Sohu, Head, Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, informed that the second fodder pearl millet variety PCB 168 has been identified for release in the North-West zone of India comprising Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand states. “This variety is tall growing with late in maturity having fodder yield potential of 721 quintals per hectare. This variety out yielded the check varieties Giant Bajra, RBB 1 and AFB 3 by 6.5, 8.5 and 7.9 per cent, respectively. It possesses very good fodder quality characters, especially the crude protein and in-vitro dry matter digestibility,” he added.

Dr RS Sohu, Principal Forage Breeder, said that fodder variety of maize crop J 1009 has been identified for Central zone of India comprising Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states; it gives a fodder yield potential of 710 quintals per hectare. This variety out yielded the check varieties J 1006 and African Tall by 10.2 and 19.2 percent, respectively in the zone. The variety also possesses very good fodder quality characters with high crude protein (8.2%) and very good in-vitro dry matter digestibility, he told.