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Mahesh

18/10/24 11:33 AM IST

Paddy variety PR-126

In News
  • Eight years after it was introduced in 2016, the widely cultivated short-duration paddy variety PR-126 finds itself at the centre of controversy in Punjab.
PR-126
  • Paddy is an extremely water-intensive crop.
  • Despite Punjab facing a severe groundwater crisis, the state has seen a record-high area under paddy cultivation (roughly 32 lakh hectares) in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons.
  • In this context, shifting to paddy varieties which can be grown in a shorter duration likely offers the best solution for the water crisis.
  • This is where PR-126 comes in.
  • Introduced by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) in 2016, the variety became popular among farmers for its shorter growth period, high yield, minimal pesticide requirements, and excellent OTR. It offers an average yield of over 30 quintals per acre.
  • In 2023, PR-126 was cultivated on an area of approximately 8.59 lakh hectares, accounting for almost 33% of the area cultivated with non-Basmati paddy in Punjab.
  • This number is expected to increase to 44% this year.
Source- Indian Express

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