ICARDA News

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas

P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
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E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.org
28 February 2009
Media contact: icarda-media@cgiar.org
 
Friendship: new lentil variety released in India
A new lentil variety, developed by the Indian national program from ICARDA-supplied material, has been released for cultivation. The new variety has been named Moitree, meaning Friendship. It represents a major breakthrough, for two reasons. First, it is resistant to two major diseases, rust and Stemphylium blight. These diseases have forced farmers in north-east India to all but abandon lentil cultivation, because all currently grown varieties and landraces are susceptible. Second, it can be planted even 1 month later than normal, without significant loss of yield. That makes it ideal for a specific niche, i.e. the relatively short period following the rice harvest, when fields are usually left fallow. This represents a potential area of about 11 million hectares in India.
On-farm trial of the new lentil variety in Murshidabad district, India. The lady is Dr Anita Aich, lentil breeder, who led the process of development, testing and release.
Moitree is a truly international variety. It was developed through single plant selection by Indian breeders from a segregating population developed at ICARDA headquarters in Syria – which was developed by crossing a Pakistani landrace with a Bangladeshi breeding line, in an effort to breed new varieties for specific short-season environments. F3 progenies from the cross were distributed to national research centers in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India and Nepal. Indian scientists at the Pulses and Oilseeds Research Station, Berhampore, West Bengal, then took the process forward. The Indian team comprised Drs Anita Aich, S.S. Aich, M. Bhowmick, C.K. Bhunia, M.P. Srivastava, S.K. Roy and S. Gupta.

From 2002 onwards, the new line was tested on-station and on-farm, for several seasons, to evaluate yield, disease resistance and agronomic characters. In on-station trials it gave 50% higher yields than existing cultivars. On farmers' fields, it outyielded the check varieties by 34 to 57%, with average yield of 1150 kg per hectare, compared to 830 kg from the highest-yielding check variety. Moitree also has wide adaptation, and has been recommended for cultivation in four states: West Bengal, Assam, Bihar (eastern) and Jharkhand.

Limited quantities of seed have been distributed to farmers over the past few years, and feedback has been excellent. "Moitree is a blessing... for the first time we can get steady yields from lentil," said one farmer, who plans to double his lentil plot next year. The variety is being scaled out through demonstrations on farmers' fields across West Bengal state. Over 100 farmers have received seed post-release, and our partners in India expect adoption to grow rapidly.

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.org) is one of the 15 international research centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICARDA 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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