New Rice Variety Pusa-2090 as a Solution to Crop Burning

Why in News: 

• Pusa-44 is  a type of rice predominantly grown in Punjab. It  has been implicated in the severe problem of stubble burning, particularly affecting air quality in the National Capital Region.
•  The Supreme Court has called for an immediate halt to crop residue burning in several states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

The Problem with Pusa-44

• Pusa-44, developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), is a long-cycle variety that takes about 155-160 days to mature. 
• The late harvesting of Pusa-44 in October leaves farmers with little time to prepare fields for the next crop, leading to the practice of stubble burning to quickly clear fields.

Pusa-44’s Popularity Among Farmers

• Pusa-44 covers over 17% of Punjab’s paddy area.
• Despite its drawbacks, Pusa-44 is favored for its high yield.

Pusa-2090

• IARI has now developed a new variety named Pusa-2090, a crossbreed of Pusa-44 and an early-maturing Japonica line CB-501.
•  Pusa-2090 matures in 120-125 days without compromising yield, potentially serving as a replacement for Pusa-44.

Advantages of Pusa-2090

• This new variety not only matures faster but also maintains the robust yield of Pusa-44. Trials have shown promising results.
• The official recognition for cultivation of  Pusa-2090 has been granted in Delhi and Odisha.