Bihar Approves 15 New Crop Varieties to Boost Climate-Resilient Farming

The State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) in Bihar has approved 15 new crop varieties for the state, including rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds, and garlic. Eleven of these varieties were developed by the Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Bhagalpur, while two each have been contributed by Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) and ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER).

According to BAU Vice-Chancellor D R Singh, 'The recommendation reflects the outcome of years of scientific research and varietal evaluation by Bihar's agricultural institutions.' The new varieties are designed to address key challenges faced by farmers, including 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. 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. Singh said these traits are particularly important for Bihar, where crop performance is influenced by factors such as sowing schedules, soil moisture, temperature fluctuations, and disease pressure across diverse agro-climatic zones.