भाकृअनुप - केन्द्रीय शुष्क क्षेत्र अनुसंधान संस्थान

Project coordinating unit with HQs at CAZRI, Jodhpur is coordinating research activities pertaining to genetic improvement, crop production, plant protection, quality components, breeder seed production and conducting Front Line Demonstrations. These activities relate to 4 mandatory crops of guar, cowpea, moth bean and horse gram. We have 10 main centers and 55 voluntary centers. We are also extending area of these crops to newer and non-traditional zones. Aim is to increase productivity to guar and moth bean in Rajasthan and area in other states, extending area of guar in Anantpur, Chittoor and Kodappa districts, horse gram in HP and WB regions.

• Development of short duration, fast growing, determinate and high yielding varieties of clusterbean for grain, gum and vegetable purposes.
• Breeding for stable and broad-based genetic resistance to bacterial blight against Alternaria leaf spot diseases of clusterbean.
• Breeding of photo and thermo-insensitive varieties of arid legumes for long range planting dates and year round production.
• Development of varieties that could fit into various cropping systems in vogue different arid and semi-arid eco-system.
• Breeding arid legumes for imparting multiple disease resistance by exploiting alternate sources of resistance.
• Refinement of crop management technology for low inputs in mixed cropping system
• Integrated nutrient management for exploring the possibility of exploiting high inputs supplies under rainfed situations of arid and semi-arid regions.
• Maximizing the genetic compatibility at the varietal level for widening the diversity of established and emerging cropping systems for different agro-climatic situations.
• Development of high and improved quality gum yielding varieties of clusterbean and finding out anti-nutritional factors in horse gram.
• To find out major diseases and insect pests problems and their control measures.

Major Thrust

• Identification of genotypes with in-built multi-stress tolerance towards drought, heat and salt and field resistance against important diseases and storage pests.
• Finger printing of released varieties and lifelines of arid legumes.
• Breeding guar (clusterbean) for high galactomannan gum content (>35%), improve meal quality and high seed protein content (25-27%) with increased proportion of amino acids and improved cooking quality of cowpea and moth bean grains.
• Finding out anti-nutritional compounds in horse gram seeds and making it an alternate source of edible pulse food, particularly in tribal areas.
• Development of thermo- insensitive and powdery mildew resistant varieties of horse gram for Karnataka and Kerala regions.

Technical Programmes

Main Centres

Significant Achievements

• During X th Five year plan period, 13 varieties (5 on guar, 2 on cow pea, 5 on moth bean and 1 horse gram) were developed.
• During this period 948.7 q breeder seed of notified varieties was produced.
• Early maturing varieties of moth bean (58-65 days), guar (85-95 days), cowpea (67-73 days) and horse gram (88-95 days) with high production potential and with fairly disease resistance potential against major diseases were developed.
• Guar genotypes having 32-33% galatomannan gum content, high viscosity profile (3000-5000 m.p.a.s.); cowpea (CoUV-702), and moth bean (CZM-105), varieties having 28.2% and 29.0% grain protein respectively have been identified.
• Varieties with low tannin content 0.13mg g –1 in moth bean (RMO-255), 0.17 mg g-1 in cowpea (HC-98-46) have also been identified.
• Efficient cropping system role of micronutrients and individual components of production potential have been identified. For instance, guar-mustard (Rs.2708/ha) at Hisar and guar-wheat (Rs.27089/ha) proved more remunerative at Gwalior.
• One foliar spray of FeSO4 at 25 DAS gave 34.0% yield increase in moth bean at Bikaner.
• Similarly 25 Kg ZnSO4 as basal dose in guar at Hisar, Durgapura gave significant yield increase in guar.
• Inoculation of guar seed with Rhizobium + PSB gave maximum net return of Rs. 31070/ha at S.K. Nagar and Rs. 15814/ha at Hisar.
• Seed treatment with streptocycline (1 g / kg seed), followed by 2-3 foliar applications of the same (150ppm) + Blitox (0.2%) at 15 days interval effectively controlled BLB disease of guar.
• Some botanicals and neem based formulations have also proved useful to control important diseases and insect pests.
• More than 500 FLDs have also been conducted by the project, indicating increased yield by about 23%, 30% and 28% in guar, cowpea and moth been respectively by single component of good quality seed only.
• The project is credited with expansion of arid legumes in non-traditional areas like guar in Anantpur, Kodappa and Chittor districts, and in cotton belt of Haryana.