Pusa Kisan Mela 2021, also called Pusa Krishi Vigyan Mela 2021, kicks off today, February 25, at ICAR-IARI New Delhi, the hotspot of India’s Green Revolution. It will end on February 27. The Chief Guest of the event is Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar. The event will also see the elite presence of Shri Purshottam Rupala and Shri Kailash Chaudhary, Ministers of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, who are the Guests of Honor.
The event will be presided over by the Director General of ICAR and Secretary of DARE, Dr. Trilochan Mohapatra.
Pusa Kisan Mela is an annual event that showcases the achievements, research done, and innovations developed during the entire year in the agriculture sector across the country.
New varieties released
According to the Director of IARI, Dr. A.K. Singh, this year a total of 15 field crop varieties were released. One of the varieties in the news is Pusa Basmati 1692, which is an early maturing Basmati rice variety giving higher yield (52.6 qt/ha).
Apart from rice, the Mela will showcase new hybrid varieties of moong, arhar, and urad. A total of 32 varieties are identified for release. These include various flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
In fruits, varieties making news are Pusa Deepshikha and Pusa Manohari, which are mango hybrids, Pusa Arun, which is a Pummelo variety, and Pusa Purple Seedless grape variety.
Along with this, a unique walnut variety called Pusa Khor and Pusa apple dwarfing rootstock-101 are identified for release.
In flowers, Gladiolus variety Pusa Shanti and Chrysanthemum variety Pusa Sundari are also released.
In vegetables, brinjal variety Pusa Vaibhav is released for Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Cucumber Hybrid-18 is released for Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand.
Highlights of the Pusa Kisan Mela
• Q/A session between farmers and scientists
• Innovative farmers conference
• Demo of the latest technologies
• Live demos of Rabi crops
• Free soil and water sample testing
• Availability of plants and seeds of improved varieties for purchase
This year, too, 5 fellow farmers and 35 innovative farmers will be awarded at the Mela.
If you are interested in new crop varieties, are a farmer, or a common man/woman seeking knowledge regarding the latest developments in agriculture, Pusa Kisan Mela at IARI New Delhi is the right place to be.
