ICRISAT Releases World's First CMS Pigeonpea Hybrid
July 18, 2008| |
Pigeonpea is an important crop in India where it is grown on about 3.5 million hectares. The crop produces reasonable yields under unfavorable agro-ecological conditions making it suitable for rainfed agriculture. Recently, scientists from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) developed the world’s first cytoplasmic male sterile pigeonpea hybrid. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is important in the hybrid seed industry, as it obviates the need for labor intensive hand emasculation (removal of anther or male gametes).
The high yielding and disease resistant hybrid, a result of 25 years of research, gives about 30-40% yield advantage over popular pigeonpea varieties. Hyderabad-based Pravardhan Seeds will market the hybrid under the brand 'Pushkal'. KB Saxena, the principal scientist who worked on the project, said that the new technology promises to break the yield barrier in pigeonpea, which has been plaguing Indian agriculture for the past five decades. He stressed that the project was made possible by the support of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
Read the full article at http://www.icrisat.org/Media/2008/media11.htm For more information, contact KB Saxena at k.saxena@cgiar.org
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