TNAU releases 14 new crop varieties

In what can be seen as a Pongal gift to farmers, the TNAU on Monday released two new rice varieties; Rice ADT 53 and Rice VGD1 besides other crops.

According to a release, N Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, TNAU, said, “Rice ADT 53 is a short duration variety (105 days) suitable for cultivation as transplanted rice during Kuruvai, Kodai and Navarai seasons of Tamil Nadu. Rice VGD 1 is a semi-dwarf with 130 days duration and similar characteristics to ‘seeragasamba’. It is mildly scented and suitable for making ‘briyani’ and ‘khuska’ dishes.”

For flower growers, the TNAU has come out with round the year flowering Star Jasmine CO 1 variety. “It is recommended for cultivation in all jasmine growing regions of Tamil Nadu. Flowers will bloom even during lean season from November to February. It would have good shelf life with mild fragrance, easy to pluck and highly suitable for string-making,” the release.

Some of the other newly introduced crops are little millet ATL1, greengram VBN 4, groundnut BSR 2, castor YTP 1, kadam MTP 1 tree for pulpwood, plywood and splints, bottlegourd PLR 2, garlic Ooty 2, Kufri Sahyadri (potato variety) and three more varieties of banana.

All these new varieties were approved for release by the State Variety Release Committee of Government of Tamil Nadu.