ICAR-IARI develops three improved Basmati rice varieties resistant to bacterial blight and blast diseases

The improved Basmati rice varieties pave the way for sustaining India’s leadership in Basmati rice exports across the world

The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) held the ‘Kisan Sampark Yatra’ in the rice growing region of Haryana and Punjab to obtain farmers’ feedback on the three newly released IARI Basmati varieties. IARI had distributed 1 kg per acre seeds of the newly developed disease resistant Basmati rice to farmers during the Krishi Vigya Mela held at Pusa, New Delhi earlier this year for cultivation.

Dr AK Singh, Director, IARI said farmers were advised not to sell the produce of these seeds in the market, instead provide it to other farmers so that the new varieties could multiply and be grown in larger volumes.

Basmati rice is an export commodity with annual forex earning of  INR 25,053 crores during 2021-22. Pusa Basmati rice varieties namely, Pusa Basmati 1121, Pusa Basmati 1509 and Pusa Basmati 6 occupy more than 90% of the area under Basmati rice cultivation in GI area of Basmati rice in India and account for more than 90 percent of the Basmati rice exports from India. 

Bacterial blight and blast are the most devastating diseases in Basmati rice which cause significant yield losses as well as affect the Basmati grain and cooking quality. Conventionally, these diseases are managed by use of chemicals like streptocyclin and tricyclazole.

Through concerted research, ICAR-IARI develop an improved version of these three Basmati rice varieties with inbuilt resistance to Bacterial blight and blast diseases with the aid of molecular marker assisted breeding resulting in development and release of Pusa Basmati 1847, Pusa Basmati 1885 and Pusa Basmati 1886 in 2021. The three improved Basmati rice varieties with resistance to both Bacterial blight and blast diseases, will pave the way for sustaining India’s leadership in Basmati rice exports across the world, said Dr AK Singh.

The improved Basmati rice varieties pave the