Breakthrough in improving farmers’ income sustainably by producing Kalanamak rice

Improving farmers income through Kalanamak rice

Abstract

Kalanamak is a prestigious rice of Eastern U.P.  Its first variety Kalanamak KN3 that is a tall variety was released and notified in 2010.  Nevertheless, it lodges and is low yielding hence breeding for dwarf and high yielding Kalanamak was undertaken. Bauna Kalanamak 101 was developed as the first semi-dwarf variety of Kalanamak released and notified in 2016 but its husk colour is not black.  Therefore, with a cross-made between Kalanamak KN3 and Improved Sambha Mahsuri, most promising pedigreed line UPCAR-KN-1-5-1-1 was developed. It was tested in extensively Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) and throughout the country during 2012 - 2015.   Department of Agriculture of U. P. released it as Bauna Kalanamak 102 in 2016 and the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India notified it in 2017.  Its grain quality is similar to its parent variety Kalanamak KN3 but has 50% higher yield. Other morpho- agronomic and grain quality characters are described in this article.  It is rich in Iron and Zinc. It has excellent cooking quality and aroma and it fetches three to four times higher price than common rice.

Keywords: Kalanamak rice, Bauna Kalanamak, triple income, High iron, High Zinc