PAU unveils new paddy variety with high yield, low residue traits

Muktsar chief agriculture officer Jagsir Singh states rice growers are advised to sow PR133 on 1-2 acres for the first time this kharif season.

Farmers should start the nursery around May 20 and synchronize transplanting with the monsoon season around June 20-30.

PR133 matures in 111 days after transplanting and gains about 2 inches less height than other popular varieties, indicating potentially lower biomass.

PAU experts test new varieties in five climatic zones—Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Patiala, Bathinda and Kapurthala—to audit data outcomes on lodging tolerance, grain quality and yield.

The new variety of parmal rice is a medium-duration variety with an average plant height of 109 cm.

PR133 has long, slender, clear, translucent grains with high total and head rice recovery, making it high-quality rice with strong agro-industry demand due to grain quality.

PR133 is resistant to all 10 prevalent pathotypes of bacterial blight in Punjab; trials recorded an average yield of 30.5 quintals per acre across university fields and farmers’ farms.

The variety will be introduced in the upcoming kharif season; the state agriculture department will promote it for limited sowing in the first year.

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) announces the development of a new high-yielding non-basmati paddy variety PR133 after seven years of research and field trials.