UP's 'Bismil' sugarcane variety named after freedom fighter gets nod for cultivation in 4 more states

Bareilly (UP), Jan 8 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Sugarcane Research Council, Shahjahanpur, has developed a new high-yielding sugarcane variety named 'Bismil', after freedom fighter Ram Prasad Bismil, which has now been approved for cultivation in four more states, officials said on Thursday.

The variety, earlier approved only for Uttar Pradesh, has received clearance for cultivation in Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan following approval by the central committee, Council Director V K Shukla said.

Developed under the All India Coordinated Research Project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the variety is officially designated as CoSha 17231 (Coimbatore-Shahjahanpur).

It is resistant to red rot disease, a major threat to sugarcane crops, and has an average yield potential of 86.35 tonnes per hectare with a sugar recovery (pol per cent in cane) of 13.97 per cent, its breeder Dr Arvind Kumar said.

Senior scientist Ajay Tiwari said the new variety would significantly boost farmers' income while also enhancing sugar production.

The variety has been named 'Bismil' in honour of revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil, a key figure in the Kakori train action of 1925, to acknowledge his contribution to India's freedom struggle, officials said.

Extension officer Sanjeev Pathak said seeds of the variety had already been distributed across all 42 sugarcane-growing districts of Uttar Pradesh, with encouraging results.

Shukla said ICAR recently approved 184 new varieties across 25 crops, including CoSha 17231, underlining its scientific merit and potential impact. PTI COR KIS TRB