Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) on Friday released 19 new crop varieties suiting different agro-climatic regions, for 2025.
In agricultural crops, Vice-Chancellor V. Geethalakshmi released three varieties of rice, a maize hybrid, a blackgram variety, a drought-tolerant groundnut variety, and a semi-dwarf castor hybrid. The three rice varieties constituted a semi dwarf drought-tolerant CO 59 and two medium slender-grain varieties ADT 56 and ADT 60. The maize hybrid was termed COH(M) 12. The blackgram variety VBN 12 was suited for irrigated and rice fallow conditions. The drought-tolerant groundnut variety was named CTD 1 and the semi dwarf castor hybrid YRCH , the Vice-Chancellor said..
In horticultural crops, four varieties in vegetable crops, including a tomato variety CO4 with extended shelf life; a bhendi hybrid CO(H) 5; a chilli variety CO5 suited for industrial purpose, and an ash gourd variety PLR 1 having compact fruit type were released by the Vice-Chancellor.
As for fruit crops, the three new varieties included a non-lodging dwarf mutant banana variety Kaveri Vaaman from ICAR- National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Trichy; Avocado TKD 2 and an acid lime variety SNKL 1.
Besides, one flower crop Thovalai 1 Nerium, a spices crop (Nutmeg PPI 1), a coconut crop ALR, and a medicinal crop variety CO 1 Sirukurinjan were released. Also a mushroom variety KKM with better shelf life was released.
Prof. Geethalakshmi said TNAU has released 929 crop varieties over the last 100 years of its existence. Many of the TNAU varieties are very popular across the country and few of them are cultivated across the globe, the Vice-Chancellor said.
Published – February 07, 2025 06:23 pm IST