Vast swathes of farmland in several districts in Rajasthan are devoted to the cultivation of maize in both the rabi and the kharif season. Now, after years of research, ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research has developed two new varieties of maize that promise better yield per hectare. 

Divisional director, research (now retired) Pramod Rokadia developed the maize varieties called PRHM 1095 for the kharif season and PRHM 1010 for the rabi season.

Farmers will no longer have to depend on private firms for the seeds, inform the scientists at the research station at Banswada, which comes under the Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology in Udaipur.

“It is not as if there were no maize varieties in the state. But they were all developed by private companies. These new ones are indigenously developed and will give the farmers a higher yield,” Rokadia told Gaon Connection.

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In Rajasthan the major districts of maize cultivation are Chittorgarh, Banswada, Bundi, Pratapgarh, Jhalawar, Ajmer, Tonk, Alwar and Jaipur.   

The variety of maize developed for the kharif season takes 95 days to be ready for harvesting and promises a yield of 60 quintals per hectare (1 quintal = 100 kgs). The rabi variety on the other hand will take up to 140 days to harvest and will yield about 105 quintals per hectare. 

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“These varieties are both weather-resistant and are resistant to several common pest attacks, as well,”  Rokadia explained. “We have developed these two new varieties. Now the Maharana Pratap Agriculture University will ready the seeds for distribution to the farmers,” he added.

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