In another success to Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV), Raipur, the Government of India (GoI) has notified a variety of Pigeon Pea ‘CG ARHAR-2 (Savitri)’ developed by the university for the purpose of farming and seed production. A gazette notification in this

connection was recently issued by Government.

The university’s Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding has developed this new variety with important features like high yielding and disease resistance, said Professor/Principal Scientist (Genetics & Plant Breeding) Dr M K Singh. The team involved in developed of this variety includes Dr M K Singh, R N Sharma, Satyapal Singh, Navneet Rana, Vikas Singh, Dr D K Chandrakar, Deepak Gauraha, Rajeev Shrivastava, N Khare, Rajaram Kanwar, Ruth Elizabeth Ekka and Nirmodh Prabha.

Key feature of ‘CG ARHAR-2’ is that the cultivation of this variety can be carried out during Rabi Season in plain areas of Chhattisgarh and across the state during Kharif season, said the scientist, adding that chemical analysis of this variety revealed that the protein

percentage in Rabi produce is 25.90 while 23.24 per cent in Kharif produce. The variety will be available to farmers for cultivation in coming years, added Dr Singh.

The variety is resistant to wilt and moderately resistant to Phytophthora Stem Blight, Macrophomina Blight/Stem Canker and leaf spot disease in comparison to check varieties of AICRP on Pigeon Pea trials, informed Dr Singh, adding that low infestation of Pod borer complex and Pod fly over newly released variety‘CG ARHAR-1’ and check varieties with lowest Pest Resistant Rating.

Dr Singh further informed that CG ARHAR-2 has medium duration maturity in Kharif (that is 170-180 days) while in 130-140 days in Rabi season. During Kharif, the average seed yield in regional trials was 1,312 kg per hectare while in Rabi it was 1,262 kg per hectare. Similarly, 1,697 kg per hectare was the average yield in state trials during kharif and 1,204 kg per hectare during Rabi season. Likewise, the average yield was 2,056 kg per hectare in national coordinated trials in the central zone.