It includes six varieties of agricultural crops, four horticulture crops and one forestry crop.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has released 11 crop varieties which include six varieties of agricultural crops, four horticulture crops and one forestry crop. The release was based on the recommendation by the 51th State Variety Release Committee under the chairmanship of Agricultural Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary to the government Gagandeep Singh Bedi and TNAU Vice- Chancellor Dr N Kumar, a varsity press release said.
There are three rice varieties for Tamil Nadu while small millet varieties Ragi ATL 1, Varagu ATL 1 for rainfed and irrigated conditions to enhance the nutritional security and to adopt eat right food. Blackgram Co 7 is resistant to serious devastating yellow mosaic viral disease and released for both rainfed and irrigated conditions. Among four horticultural crops, brinjal VRM(Br) 2, a spine-less variety, to replace spine variety VRM(Br)1 for northern districts of Tamil Nadu, gumless/latex free sweet jackfruit PLR3, Kodampuli/Malabar tamarind PPI(K) 1 for cooking and medicinal purpose and the nutria-health fruit wood apple PKM 1 are released for adoption.
In forestry, MalaiVempu MTP3 is released for agro- forestry to increase the farmers’ income and the variety possesses industrial application of face veneer utility for plywood decoration. The government of Tamil Nadu and TNAU wish that the crop varieties can be cultivated by the farmers to promote their farm income and rural livelihood.
The university has released 854 crop varieties in the past 100 years and in addition 11 varieties released this year as Pongal gift. The varieties are suitable to different agro-climatic zones and meeting the demand of farmers. The farmers are requested to cultivate the varieties and take the benefit of new varieties, Kumar said in the release
