BAU-Developed Crop Varieties Get Green Light in Bihar

The State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) in Bihar has recommended 15 new crop varieties for the state, including rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, and garlic. The BAU, Bhagalpur, contributed 11 of these varieties, which are designed to address key challenges faced by farmers such as disease incidence, waterlogging, delayed sowing, climate variability, productivity gaps, grain quality, and storage-related issues.

The 11 BAU-developed varieties include three rice, three wheat, one maize, two pulse, one oilseed, and one garlic variety. These varieties have been developed keeping in mind Bihar's food security, nutritional needs, and agricultural economy. The rice varieties are suitable for irrigated and medium-duration production systems, waterlogged conditions, and aromatic grain cultivation.

The wheat varieties have been developed for both timely and late sowing and offer resistance to diseases such as rust. The pulse varieties focus on higher productivity and wilt resistance, while the oilseed variety combines improved yield and oil content with suitability for delayed sowing. The garlic variety has been recommended for its high productivity and long storage potential.

According to BAU Vice-Chancellor D R Singh, the new varieties would help translate scientific advances into tangible benefits for farmers by improving productivity, resilience, and sustainability in agriculture.