Hyderabad, June 9 -- In a landmark achievement for Indian agriculture, scientists at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) have developed ICPV 25444-the world's first extreme heat-tolerant pigeonpea variety.
Developed using the institute's groundbreaking speed-breeding protocol, this cultivar matures in just 125 days and can thrive in temperatures as high as 45 degrees celsius.
The photo- and thermo-insensitive cultivar has been successfully tested in Karnataka, Odisha, and Telangana, yielding up to 2 tons per hectare. This innovation marks a turning point in pulse cultivation, enabling pigeonpea to be grown even in the scorching summer, beyond the traditional kharif season.
Talking to the media d...