Sahyadri Megha Variety Of Rice – Free PDF Download

Rice

• Rice is the seed of the grass species Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice).
• As a cereal grain, it is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population,  especially in Asia.

Rice in India

• India is considered to be one of the original centers of rice  cultivation covering 44 million hectares.
• Its rice harvesting area is the largest in the world.
• Around 65 percent of the total population in India eat rice  and it accounts for 40 percent of their food production.
• Rice-based production systems provide the main source of  income and employment for more than 50 million  households.

Sahyadri Megha

• The University of Agriculture and Horticultural Sciences, in  Shivamogga (Karnataka) has developed  ‘Sahyadri Megha,‘ a new red variety of paddy.

Decade long development

• Paddy growers in Karnataka are switching over to commercial  crops like arecanut, ginger and rubber for lucrative returns.
• Since 2009 a program to develop a new ‘lucrative’ variety  began.
• ‘Jyothi’ variety, which was widely cultivated in the command  areas of the Bhadra and the Tunga reservoirs and in semi-arid  areas nearby taluks, had become vulnerable to blast disease  and other infestations.
• Blast disease of paddy is caused by fungus Pyricularia grisea (P. oryzae).

• There was a demand for a new paddy variety that is resistant to the infestations.
• The new variety was developed under the hybridization  breeding method by cross-breeding the best among the  ‘Jyothi’ variety with that of ‘Akkalu’, a disease-resistant and  protein-rich paddy variety.
• Another objective of developing the new variety was to cater  to the strong demand for red rice, rich in fibre and protein, by  health-savvy consumers in urban areas.

Qualities of Sahyadri Megha

• The variety is resistant to blast (a fungal disease) and rich in  nutrients.
• The protein content in it is 12.48%, higher than the other red  rice varieties grown.
• The yield per hectare from ‘Sahyadri Megha’ is around 65 quintals, substantially higher than other red paddy varieties.
• It is a medium-term paddy that can be grown when there is a  delay in the onset of monsoon.
• It can be harvested after 120 days of sowing.

Red Rice

• The red variety gets its rich colour from an antioxidant called anthocyanins, which are also
• found in deep purple or reddish fruits and vegetables.
• The compound is believed to have properties that can reduce  inflammation, allergy, prevent risks  of cancer* and help in weight  management*.
• It is expected that the Sahyadri Megha variety will fetch a good price for its nutrition values, aroma, and taste.
• It is expected that the Sahyadri Megha variety will fetch a good price for its nutrition values, aroma, and taste.
• As it is disease-resistant , the cultivation cost will also be low.

How does a new variety get approval?

• Variety Release Procedure
• Any variety of agricultural or horticultural crops is recommended by the Central Seed Committee constituted  under the Seeds Act, 1966 for its release and notification for  commercial cultivation.
• The Central Seed Committee consists of two sub-committees –

1. Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification  and Release of varieties for agricultural crops, chaired by  DDG (FC), ICAR.
2. Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification  and Release of varieties for horticultural crops, chaired by  DDG (Hort.), ICAR.

Approved

• Sahyadri Megha was approved by the State-level Seed Sub-
• The aroma and taste of the new variety paddy was verified and found satisfying.
• The new variety of paddy will be notified under the Indian Seed Act 1966, and it will become a part of the seed chain. It  will be made available for farmers from the coming Kharif

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