Abstract

The problem of crop improvement is not a simple question of ultimate yield. It is complicated by local conditions, which demand, let us say, a stiff straw, or a fine grain, or a variety which matures early or late, or resistance to disease or salinity, etc. Consequently the breeder's choice of material must embody high yielding capacity with some other feature. To take a simple case from the West Godavari delta region; one important variety garikisannavari, flowers very unevenly and the grain sheds easily. If the crop is left to become dead ripe, many of the early tillers will drop their grain, making it impossible to harvest the maximum yield at any stage. The department is endeavouring to introduce a green manure crop into the rotation and there is often too short an interval between paddy harvest and next sowing to mature a green crop. To meet these two problems we have made selections in garikisannavari and have isolated types of different, but fixed, growing periods, and it should soon be possible for the ryot to choose one of our types whose duration has been suitably curtailed with no reduction of yield. He may then sow his crop a little late-thereby allowing full time for the green manure to mature-and yet harvest his paddy before the closure of the canals..

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