Icrisat comes out with first cytoplasmic red gram hybrid variety - July 18, 2008

Hyderabad: Dr William D. Dar, Director-General of International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat), came out with the world's first cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) based pigeonpea (red gram) hybrid (ICPH 2671). The new hybrids could provide 30-40 per cent higher yields than the ones being used now. Dr K.B. Saxena, who was the brain behind this breakthrough, said the new technology will break the yield barrier, which had been infecting Indian agriculture for the past five decades. In attaining this milestone, Dr Saxena and his team struggled for 35 years to overcome various scientific hurdles. This hybrid, christened Pushkal, is suitable for cultivation in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. Red gram, which has an important place in Indian cuisine, is grown on about 3.5 million hectares.