Hybrid varieties, better seed replacement key to boost pulses output: Agri Secy

New Delhi, September 4 (PTI) Agricultural Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi on Thursday, emphasized that research breakthroughs are needed in high -efficiency pulse types and advanced seed change rates to increase domestic production and reduce import dependence.

Speaking at the launch of Niti Aayog’s report on pulse, Chaturvedi said that the country has faced a great difficulty in the production of pulses and oil seeds even if the country has made a remarkable progress in wheat.

“Pulses are an important part of the diet in India, and unlike renewable oils, it has very little flexibility and replaceability.” He said.

As the government has been announced in the previous budget, a research breakthrough is required in the development of high-productive varieties, although it enables the purchase of plus pulsees-especially Arhar, Urad and Masoor with minimum support price for the next four years.

Chaturvede, “Pulse is such a food crop, hybrid variety. There are open dustized varieties produced by the government or farmers themselves. ICAR organizations and some international organizations have a lot of research on how to develop hybrid varieties.

The secretary, although the various spare rate in pulse is satisfactory, stressed that the rate of seed replacement is behind.

“Some kind has been developed, but there is a gap in making farmers to reach. States have a major role and need to work closely with state governments.” He said.

Authorized, Niti Aayog report proposed cluster approach, Atmanirbharta target towards the growth of pulse strategies and ways “strategies and ways” will help to address this planning gap, he added.

ICAR General Manager ML Jat emphasized the increasing levels of productivity and vertical expansion that should be focused on the growing pulse -growing pulses in cotton or other clipping systems or rice penetration of research efforts.

He said that there was no Herbisit molecule for Rabi coups for the application after Remmergent. “Wild herbs lead to losses up to 30-40 percent. We need to focus on research.”

“Of course, ICAR and partners are now working intensively on genomic reproduction for biotic and abiotic stress, but I think there is a need to do more work. Strengthening the seed system at the local level is one of the important aspects for pulse productivity.”

He also stated that there is a need to see the impacts from the perspective of many criteria.

“Mechanization is another dimension and reports for the coup, for example farmers grow green grams in the summer and then spray herbicides to destroy and harvest it.”

Niti Aayog CEO BVR Subrahmanyam and his member Ramesh Chand emphasized the increasing pulse production in the coming years.

India’s pulse production is estimated to be 25.23 million tons for the 2024-25 product year (July-June).