Central Variety Release Committee releases BAU-bred fodder variety

Ranchi:The Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC) of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, has released a newly developed fodder Lathyrus variety of Birsa Agricultural University, Birsa Lathyrus-2 (BAU L-106), which is suitable for timely-sown, normal-fertility, and under-irrigated conditions of the country’s Northeast Zone and Central Zone.

The release proposal was approved at the National Group Meet of the All India Coordinated Research Project on Forage & Utilization held at Central Agricultural University, Imphal, on September 18-19.

This variety, developed by BAU plant breeder Dr. Yogendra Prasad after years of experimentation, gave 211 quintals per hectare of green fodder yield, which is 15.4 percent higher than that produced by the best national check, Prateek (182.8 q/h). It gave 11.7 quintals per hectare of grain yield, which is 5 percent higher than that given by the national check.

Birsa Lathyrus-2 gave a dry matter yield of 41 quintals per hectare, which is 16.5% more than the national check. Per hectare per day, the green fodder yield given by this variety is 2.72 quintals, which is 3.4% higher than that of the national check. This variety is moderately resistant to leaf blight in the Northeast Zone, and its plant height is 56.5 cm.It is good in nutritional quality with 19.2 percent crude protein.

The meet was also attended by CAU Vice Chancellor Dr. Anupam Mishra, ICAR DDG (Crop Science) Dr. DK Yadava, ADG (Food & Fodder Crops) Dr. SK Pradhan, Director of the Indian Grassland & Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, Dr. Pankaj Kaushal, and Project Coordinator Dr. VK Yadav, besides delegates from across the country. Plant geneticist Dr. Yogendra Prasad represented BAU at the meet.

BAU Vice Chancellor Dr. S. C. Dubey, Director of Research Dr. P. K. Singh, and Chairman of the Dept. of Genetics & Plant Breeding Dr. Manigopa Chakraborty have congratulated Dr. Yogendra for this achievement.