New basmati variety invokes interest among famers at Kisan Mela

The new basmati variety Pusa-1509 is a hit among the farmers visiting the ongoing Kisan Mela at Rakhra village in Patiala. The mela is being organised by the Young Farmers Association (YFA), Punjab, in collaboration with the agriculture department.

The new basmati variety Pusa-1509 is a hit among the farmers visiting the ongoing Kisan Mela at Rakhra village in Patiala. The mela is being organised by the Young Farmers Association (YFA), Punjab, in collaboration with the agriculture department.

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The crop of Pusa-1509 matures 25 days earlier than the Pusa Basmati-1121. KV Prabhu, head of genetics division at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Bihar, said Pusa-1509 needed less water as compared to other Basmati varieties.

"As the crop matures about a month early, chances of attack of pests is less. The variety will bring more areas under basmati cultivation both in Punjab and Haryana as soon as its seeds are available," said the scientist.

Prabhu was honoured by the association for developing the variety.

Inaugurating the mela, rural development and panchayats minister Surjit Singh Rakhra said that the government would upgrade the Rakhra campus of the association into a full-fledged training institute for farmers.

Financial commissioner (development) GS Sandhu apprised the farmers of the state government schemes aimed at bettering conditions of farming community and strengthening research at PAU.