Background:
Pusa Basmati 6 occupied an area of ~ 2.84 % of the total area under Basmati rice cultivation of the country during Kharif 2018, especially Sirsa and Fatehabad districts of Haryana. However, this variety is highly susceptible to bacterial blight disease which causes significant yield and quality losses. Further, management of this disease through chemical pesticides is not effective. Pusa Basmati 1728 is an improved Basmati rice variety in the genetic background of Pusa Basmati 6, which is a popular Basmati rice variety developed at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. It is characterized by extra-long slender grains (7.46 mm) with very occasional grain chalkiness, very good kernel length after cooking (14.62 mm), intermediate ASV (7.0), intermediate amylose content (22.84 %) and very strong aroma. In the panel tests, it has been ranked as an excellent culture and was in the top-rated cultures among the Basmati varieties and other cultures based on two consecutive years of testing in the national Basmati trials during Kharif 2014 and 2015. Therefore, Pusa Basmati 1728 offers an effective replacement for Pusa Basmati 6 in these Basmati growing regions of India. Technology Details:
Pusa Basmati 1728 is a bacterial blight resistant version of Pusa Basmati 6 which carries the bacterial blight resistance genes xa13 and Xa21. The agro-morphological, grain and cooking quality characters of Pusa Basmati 1728, are at par with the existing genotype Pusa Basmati 6. Replacement of Pusa Basmati 6 with the Pusa Basmati 1728 would significantly reduce the chemical-pesticides used in managing bacterial blight disease thereby producing environment friendly and consumer safe Basmati rice.