Jharkhand Approves 30 Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties to Boost Farmers’ Income
RANCHI: In a major boost to sustainable agriculture, the Government of Jharkhand has approved the release of 30 high-yielding, early-maturing, and climate-resilient crop varieties. Developed after a decade of continuous research by agricultural scientists, these varieties are specifically engineered to resist pests, diseases, and extreme weather stressors.
The approvals were finalized by the State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) during a meeting chaired by Aboobacker Siddique P, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry & Cooperative. The initiative marks a significant step toward securing food production amid changing climate patterns in the region.
Birsa Agricultural University Leads with 10 New Varieties
Out of the 30 approved crops, 10 were developed natively by scientists at Birsa Agricultural University (BAU). According to BAU Vice Chancellor Dr. SC Dubey, these innovations span multiple categories, including high-nutrient grains and high-volume animal fodder:
High-Yielding Grains: Birsa Maize Hybrid-1 delivers up to 73 quintals per hectare with 10% protein content while pullulating substantial green fodder. Wheat varieties Birsa Gehun-5 and
Birsa Gehun-6 offer high yields (up to 69 quintals/hectare) enriched with vital iron and zinc nutrients.
Oilseeds and Pulses:Birsa Soybean-5 and Birsa Soybean-6 boast high oil and protein contents with up to 28% yield superiority over older check varieties. Birsa Arhar-3 provides a robust, medium-duration pigeonpea option yielding 21 quintals per hectare.
Fodder and Tubers:Birsa Konkan Phalaru-1 debuts as Jharkhand’s first state-approved aerial yam variety. For livestock, Birsa Oat-1 and Birsa Dinanath-1 provide high-protein, high-yield options for green and dry fodder.
Collaborative Breakthroughs Across Premier Institutes
The remaining 20 approved varieties were perfected by other elite agricultural bodies located throughout the state:
ICAR-RCER (Palandu, Ranchi): Secured approvals for eight varieties, including Swarna Mohan Dhan (rice), alongside optimized strains of tomato (Swarna Ratna), chilli, sweet pepper, bitter gourd, vegetable soybean, leaf amaranth, and lablab bean.
Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology (IIAB, Ranchi): Released four advanced rice strains: IIAB Dhan-1 through IIAB Dhan-4.
IARI & CRURRS (Hazaribagh): Contributed two climate-hardy rice varieties (CR Dhan-110 and CR Dhan-215), one pigeonpea variety (Vanshika), and three Bhadrika maize hybrids. Additionally, Shalimar Maize Hybrid-5 and Pusa Avantika (lentil) were approved for strategic area expansion across Jharkhand.
This massive influx of certified, stress-tolerant seeds is expected to rapidly replace older seed chains, lowering risks for local farmers and maximizing output across both the kharif and rabi sowing seasons.
