KULGAM, Oct. 14 -- The Mountain Research Centre for Field Crops (MRCFC) of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir (SKUAST-K) at Khudwani is working to revive traditional rice varieties and develop improved seeds aimed at boosting production and increasing farmers' income.

The centre has revived traditional varieties such as Mushkbudji and Zag, which had nearly disappeared from cultivation in parts of the Valley. Scientists are also working to improve their disease resistance while retaining their original characteristics.

Dr Ghazala, a plant breeder at MRCFC Khudwani, said the centre had incorporated specific genes into traditional varieties to make them genetically resistant to diseases. The resear...