A new variety blackgram called Vamban 6 has been developed at the National Pulses Research Centre, Vambam, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
According to Dr. P. Murugesa Boopathi, Vice Chancellor, the new blackgram variety comes to harvest in 65 to 70 days and is suitable for growing in all seasons.
Better yield
“It is heartening to note that Vamban 6 gives high yield, about 890 kg/ha in irrigated condition and as high as 850 kg/ha in rainfed. The variety is preferred by farmers because it yields higher and is resistant to yellow mosaic virus disease and the possible damage due to pod borer is less,” he said.
Dr. M. Paramathma, Director of Research urged farmers who prefered to take up this new variety for cultivation, to treat the seeds with two grams Carbendazim or Thiram per kg of seed.
Recommendation
“Rhizobium should be mixed with seeds after 24 hours of Carbendazim treatment. For an hectare 20 kg seeds are sufficient. Three packets of Rhizobium mixture with rice gruel shade dried for 15 minutes is recommended.
Reiterating the urgent need for increasing the pulses production, Dr. Murugesa Boopathi suggested two critical technologies to double the pulses yield, namely the seed drill to maintain proper plant population and using mobile sprinkler for irrigation during 35 to 45 days after sowing.
Pulse wonder
He also said that the University has developed “TNAU pulse wonder”, a micro nutrient mixture to boost pulse yield.”
This, if popularized widely, will have great impact on increasing the yield up to 20 per cent, he added.
Apart from these benefits, the pulse wonder also decreases flower shedding and increases drought tolerance.
Mechanisation of pulse cultivation is a priority area according to Dr. Boopathi who stressed that “it is planned to create a model farm at the National Pulses Research Centre which would be under 100 per cent mechanization as a demonstration plot to educate farmers.”
For further details, readers can contact : Dr. M. Paramathma, Director of Research , Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore 641 003, Phone : 0422- 6611547 or Mobile : 094435 05843
