Grassroots Innovation: New wheat and pigeon pea seeds reach market through NIF deal

The National Innovation Foundation - India (NIF) transferred five new crop varieties, which farmer innovators from Varanasi developed to a private company for commercial use. The initiative seeks to provide farmers with advanced seeds while enhancing agricultural output across multiple states.

Support from the government innovation body

The two farmer innovators developed the crop varieties with assistance from NIF, which operates under the Department of Science and Technology. NIF facilitated the contractual agreements that allowed Ginni Agro Products Limited (GAPL) to acquire the rights for these crop varieties.

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GAPL obtained rights through the agreement, which allows them to create and distribute five distinct seed varieties.

Three wheat and two pigeon pea varieties included

The collection comprises three distinct wheat varieties and two different pigeon pea varieties.

The seeds will be sold as Truthfully Labelled (TL) seeds, which means they meet quality standards but are not officially certified seeds. The company will distribute these seeds in states such as Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and some parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Details of varieties developed by farmer innovators

The five varieties include:

• Kudrat-3 (pigeon pea)
• Kudrat-8 (wheat)
• Kudrat-9 (wheat) developed by Shreeprakash Singh Raghuvanshi
• Lalita (pigeon pea)
• Annapurna (wheat) developed by Ranjeet Kumar Singh.

1. The wheat variety Kudrat-8 is known for its high yield potential of up to 65.41 quintals per hectare. The plant reaches a height of 76 centimeters which helps it withstand heavy winds and rains without falling down. The plant generates multiple tillers, which enable each spike to yield approximately 50 grains, resulting in a larger total harvest. The variety shows moderate resistance to aphids while its leaves stay protected from leaf rust disease.

2. The wheat variety Kudrat-9 has a yield potential that reaches 67 quintals per hectare. The product contains enhanced nutritional value because it has been bio-fortified. The grains contain protein content between 10 and 12 percent while they additionally contain increased iron and zinc levels, which improve nutritional results.

3. The wheat variety Annapurna can produce yields of up to 60 quintals per hectare. The plant grows panicles that reach 25 centimetres in length, which enables it to produce 80 grains from a single panicle, thus achieving high productivity.

4. The Kudrat-3 pigeon pea variety stands out among its peers because it produces two annual harvests, which result in an annual output of 36.17 quintals per hectare. The pods measure 6 to 8 centimetres in length and they typically hold five seeds. The seeds possess a sweet flavour and a red seed coat, which can be marketed as whole arhar or turned into dal products.

5. The second pigeon pea variety, Lalita, has a yield potential of about 30 quintals per hectare. The round red seeds of the product reduce milling breakage while achieving a dal recovery rate that exceeds 80 per cent. The product functions well as an organic farming solution.

Grassroots innovation supporting farmers’ income

The NIF partnership will support grassroots innovation because it helps to transform innovations into marketable products while providing access to premium seeds and enabling better income sources for farmers who develop new products.