Improved and quality seed is the key to prosperity in agriculture, said the expert of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) while stressing that the farmers must give preference to recommended high-yielding varieties during kharif season.

Giving details, Dr T.S. Dhillon, Associate Director (Seeds), PAU, said the University will be selling the seeds of several crop varieties at the Kisan Mela. The seed of the newly developed rice variety PR 127, which matures in 137 days, is resistant to leaf blight and gives better yield, will be available for purchase, he informed.

Similarly, the seed of an early maturing, high-yielding rice variety PR 126, which takes 123 days to mature and is resistant to leaf blight, will be sold to the farmers, he added. Apart from these rice varieties, seeds of other varieties, namely PR 124, PR 123, PR 122, PR 121, PR 114 and PR 113 will be provided to the visiting farmers, he said.

Farmers can also purchase seeds of new basmati varieties comprising Punjab Basmati 5, Punjab Basmati 4, Punjab Basmati 3, Punjab Basmati 2, CSR 30, Pusa 1121 and Pusa 1509, he informed. Seeds of other varieties, namely SML 668 of moong, Mash 114 and Mash 338 of mash, AL 201 and PAU 881 of arhar, Punjab Til No. 2 of til, J 1006 of fodder maize, FBC 16 and PCB 164 of bajra will also be made available at the mela, he added.

Vegetable kits, summer vegetable seeds, turmeric seed, and nursery of brinjal, tomato and chilli will be available at the mela, he told.

Dr Dhillon said the farmers can consult the experts of PAU for technical guidance.

Source: http://web.pau.edu/