Bhagalpur: The State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) under the department of agriculture, has recommended 15 new crop varieties for Bihar, including rice, wheat, maize, pulses, oilseeds and garlic, with Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Bhagalpur, contributing 11 of them in a major boost to climate-resilient and sustainable farming in the state.Of the 15 varieties, 11 have been developed by Bihar Agricultural University (BAU), Bhagalpur, while two varieties each have been contributed by Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), Pusa, and ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna.BAU vice-chancellor D R Singh said, “The recommendation reflects the outcome of years of scientific research and varietal evaluation by Bihar’s agricultural institutions. The new varieties are designed to address key challenges faced by farmers, including disease incidence, waterlogging, delayed sowing, climate variability, productivity gaps, grain quality and storage-related issues.”The 11 BAU-developed varieties include three rice, three wheat, one maize, two pulse, one oilseed and one garlic variety. According to the VC, the portfolio has been developed keeping in mind Bihar’s food security, nutritional needs and agricultural economy.The rice varieties are suitable for irrigated and medium-duration production systems, waterlogged conditions and aromatic grain cultivation. The wheat varieties have been developed for both timely and late sowing and offer resistance to diseases such as rust.The pulse varieties focus on higher productivity and wilt resistance, while the oilseed variety combines improved yield and oil content with suitability for delayed sowing. The garlic variety has been recommended for its high productivity and long storage potential.Singh said these traits are particularly important for Bihar, where crop performance is influenced by factors such as sowing schedules, soil moisture, temperature fluctuations and disease pressure across diverse agro-climatic zones.Congratulating BAU scientists, breeders and research teams, he said the newly recommended varieties would help translate scientific advances into tangible benefits for farmers by improving productivity, resilience and sustainability in agriculture.
