Plant super basmati, says Punjab varsity

Ludhiana-based the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has suggested the basmati growers in Punjab to plant 'super basmati', which has recently been notified by the commerce ministry as the Indian basmati variety for exports.

Earlier, Pakistan had a monopoly on this variety, which fetches a premium price in the international market.

Super basmati became controversial as Pakistan had objected to its being notified as an Indian (basmati) variety for the purposes of exports. Islamabad claimed that the super basmati seeds had originally been taken from Pakistan by the visiting Indian farmers.

The PAU, however, claims that its scientists have developed this variety, which was released for general cultivation in Punjab in 2003. "It has found great acceptance in the international market," the PAU said.

Basmati exporters endorse this view, as they believe that this basmati variety will command a better price than pusa basmati-1 that accounts for the bulk of Indian basmati exports.

According to the PAU, the huge export potential for super basmati is good news for farmers in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ropar and Hoshiarpur districts of Punjab, as these areas have a natural advantage in growing basmati. Super basmati has about 40 per cent higher yield than the existing popular variety basmati-386.

The basmati exporters' association had joined hands with the PAU to popularise super basmati in Punjab, said N S Malhi, head of PAU's plant breeding department. The PAU has supplied its seed to the association for further multiplication and seed production.

Giving details of the characteristics of the Indian super basmati, Malhi said it was a medium tall variety but, unlike many other varieties, its plants did not fall down easily.

It had weak photo period (day length) sensitivity and faired best even on soils having medium fertility levels. Besides, it matured in a shorter period than the popular basmati-386. The grains of this variety were extra long and superfine with strong aroma.

Another advantage of growing this basmati was that it could be transplanted in July, allowing cultivation of a crop of moong after harvesting wheat in March.

This way, farmers could grow three crops in a year. Growing summer moong had an added advantage as it improved the soil health and left the soil richer in nitrogen to saves on fertiliser use in the subsequent crops, he said.

Efforts are on at the PAU to develop more basmati lines having yield as high as super basmati and quality characteristics superior to that of basmati-386.