ICARDA News

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105;
E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.org
28 September 2006
                             Media contact: Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
 
New Lentil Varieties Released in South Asia
Performance of 'VL Masoor 507' in a field at Almora, India.
Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan produce about 50% of the world's lentil. Given that the people in these countries depend on lentil as one of the prime sources of protein in their diets, the national research programs are paying serious attention to increase productivity and nutritional quality of the crop.

Recently, the Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora in India, released 'VL Masoor-507' lentil variety for the North Hills Zone of the country. The leader of the team, Dr Vinay Mahajan, said the variety was developed through single-plant selection from an ICARDA breeding line ILL 7978. It is a semi-erect variety, and matures in 140 days like the local cultivars, but out-yields the local cultivars by 37%. It has a yield potential of 2.5 t/ha, and has wide adaptability, high level of wilt resistance and large seeds-the traits that consumers like. The variety is spreading fast among farmers in hilly areas of northern India.

The Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad, Pakistan, recently released 'Masoor-2006' lentil variety, produced by irradiation with Y-rays of an ICARDA line ILL 2580. Farmers like the variety because of its high yield potential (>2 t/ha), larger seed size, and improved disease resistance. Large-scale seed multiplication is underway in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
   

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations supporting15 international research centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
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