<p>India’s first biofortified sorghum (jowar), with significantly higher iron and zinc than regular sorghum, was formally released in Hyderabad on Thursday.</p>.<p>Developed by ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics), it was released for cultivation by Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Maharashtra.</p>.<p>The improved variety, ICSR 14001, released as ‘Parbhani Shakti’ by VNMKV, offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to address micronutrient deficiency. A MoU was signed between ICRISAT and VNMKV for large-scale seed production and dissemination.<br /><br />Speaking at the programme to celebrate the launch, Prof A S Dhawan, vice chancellor, VNMKV said: “We are glad to partner in this important initiative that offers a solution to a major concern like high-anaemia rates among women and children in India.”<br /><br />Dr Peter Carberry, Director General (Acting), ICRISAT said, “Biofortification is an important approach we take as it is cost-effective and sustainable. It addresses hidden hunger with no additional cost to its regular consumers and often sorghum is the cheapest cereal available in the market.”<br /><br />Parbhani Shakti was developed through several years of work through conventional breeding and has an average grain Fe concentration of 45 ppm and Zn 32 ppm.</p>.<p>This is considerably higher than varieties that are currently being cultivated in India which have about 30 ppm Fe and 20 ppm Zn. Besides, it has higher protein (11.9%) and low phytate content (4.14 mg/100g) compared to 10% protein and 7.0 mg/100g phytates content in most sorghum cultivates. Low-phytate means increased bioavailability of nutrients.<br /><br />This improved sorghum variety was developed by ICRISAT under Harvest Plus – sorghum biofortification project and was tested as PVK 1009 in Maharashtra state and in All India Co-ordinated Sorghum Improvement Project (AICSIP) Trials.</p>.<p>It was released as a rainy season variety (Kharif) but it can be grown in post-rainy (Rabi) and summer seasons. The yield levels are higher (>5.0 t ha-1) in postrainy and summer seasons with irrigation. When grown in the summer season, it can tolerate higher temperatures (41°C) at flowering and seed setting but the flowering may be delayed (80 days).<br /><br />Farmers Sunanda Shinde and Ahilyabai Shinde from Manoli village, Manvat Taluk, Parbhani district, who were part of the participatory field trials said, “We got a higher yield of 10-15% and it also has the preferred market traits.”</p>
<p>India’s first biofortified sorghum (jowar), with significantly higher iron and zinc than regular sorghum, was formally released in Hyderabad on Thursday.</p>.<p>Developed by ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics), it was released for cultivation by Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (VNMKV), Maharashtra.</p>.<p>The improved variety, ICSR 14001, released as ‘Parbhani Shakti’ by VNMKV, offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution to address micronutrient deficiency. A MoU was signed between ICRISAT and VNMKV for large-scale seed production and dissemination.<br /><br />Speaking at the programme to celebrate the launch, Prof A S Dhawan, vice chancellor, VNMKV said: “We are glad to partner in this important initiative that offers a solution to a major concern like high-anaemia rates among women and children in India.”<br /><br />Dr Peter Carberry, Director General (Acting), ICRISAT said, “Biofortification is an important approach we take as it is cost-effective and sustainable. It addresses hidden hunger with no additional cost to its regular consumers and often sorghum is the cheapest cereal available in the market.”<br /><br />Parbhani Shakti was developed through several years of work through conventional breeding and has an average grain Fe concentration of 45 ppm and Zn 32 ppm.</p>.<p>This is considerably higher than varieties that are currently being cultivated in India which have about 30 ppm Fe and 20 ppm Zn. Besides, it has higher protein (11.9%) and low phytate content (4.14 mg/100g) compared to 10% protein and 7.0 mg/100g phytates content in most sorghum cultivates. Low-phytate means increased bioavailability of nutrients.<br /><br />This improved sorghum variety was developed by ICRISAT under Harvest Plus – sorghum biofortification project and was tested as PVK 1009 in Maharashtra state and in All India Co-ordinated Sorghum Improvement Project (AICSIP) Trials.</p>.<p>It was released as a rainy season variety (Kharif) but it can be grown in post-rainy (Rabi) and summer seasons. The yield levels are higher (>5.0 t ha-1) in postrainy and summer seasons with irrigation. When grown in the summer season, it can tolerate higher temperatures (41°C) at flowering and seed setting but the flowering may be delayed (80 days).<br /><br />Farmers Sunanda Shinde and Ahilyabai Shinde from Manoli village, Manvat Taluk, Parbhani district, who were part of the participatory field trials said, “We got a higher yield of 10-15% and it also has the preferred market traits.”</p>