Ludhiana: PAU removes 'Punjab' from Basmati variety name

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has renamed its Basmati rice variety 'PUSA Basmati Punjab 1509' to 'PUSA Basmati 1509' to remove confusion among farmers.

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has renamed its Basmati rice variety 'PUSA Basmati Punjab 1509' to 'PUSA Basmati 1509' to remove confusion among farmers.

Punjab-Agricultural-University-Ludhiana

The rice variety, being cultivated for the past one year in the state, was originally developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. It was called 'PUSA Basmati 1509'.

However, PAU added Punjab to the name to make it more popular, but led to farmers believing there were two different varieties.

Pau's director of research, Balwinder Singh, told HT: “We decided to rename it…from our side we had added the word Punjab but I feel that removing confusion is more important.”

Sources from the Centre of Communication and International Linkages (CCIL) have said the monthly magazine 'Changi Kheti', published in both English and Punjabi, will carry special columns to clarify the issue among farmers. They said special sessions would be held during training programmes organised by the extension department.

Meanwhile, Singh also appealed to farmers undertake irrigation efficiently and use tensiometers during the paddy season in order to save the ground water level from declining further.

“Through tensiometer, a device developed by PAU, at least 25-30% of water can be saved and it's a device that indicates how much water is actually required by a paddy field. In other words, excess irrigation can be avoided,” Singh said.