ICRISAT's new recipe makes tur dal taste better for farmers

HYDERABAD: Pigeon pea (known as kandi in Telugu and tur dal in Hindi) will now be cultivated in all seasons, including summer, following the development of a new cultivar by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). The variety, ICPV 25444, is the first of its kind that can withstand high temperatures of up to 45°C and matures in just 125 days.
According to ICRISAT researchers, pigeon pea cultivation has so far been restricted to specific seasons, primarily kharif, due to its sensitivity to photoperiod and temperature. The development of ICPV 25444, currently under field trials, marks a shift towards transforming this pulse into an all-season crop, offering new possibilities for Indian farmers.
Dr Prakash Gangashetty, senior scientist in pigeon pea breeding at ICRISAT and part of the team responsible for the development, said, 'Pigeon pea is mainly grown in the kharif season. The country's requirement is nearly five million tonnes, but production has remained between 2.5 and three million tonnes.'

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