PAU’s PR-126 rice seed sale doubles this year

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has sold 11,000 quintals of PR 126 — a short-duration variety seed of paddy — this year, as against 4,800 quintals last year.

Sharing the field observations and salient features of PR 126, GS Mangat, the additional director of research (agriculture), said, “Keeping in view the dwindling water resources, there is an urgent need to transplant rice close to the start of monsoon, which usually arrives in Punjab during the early July every year.”

The farmers participatory studies indicate that PR 126 is such a variety which yields 32 to 37.2 q/acre when transplanted in July that is much higher than long-duration varieties Pusa 44, PR 118, etc. (yielding 24.0 to 28 q/acre during July transplanting). Owing to shorter duration and its transplanting coinciding with monsoon rains, it requires 25% less water than Pusa 44 and other long-duration varieties.

Similarly, to realize water saving in direct seeded rice (DSR), sowing of PR 126 during June month results in significant enhancement of water use efficiency over long duration varieties. 

This article has been republished from The Times of India.