ATL 1: A high yielding kodo millet variety

Abstract

A high yielding, input responsive, non lodging varagu culture TNPsc 176 was developed at the Centre of Excellence in Millets, Athiyandal. It is a pure line selection from DPS 63. It is characterized by tufty and medium tall plant stature, strong and sturdy culm with regular, long panicles. It has 10-15 productive tillers/plant and non-shattering grains on the panicle. It matures in 105-110 days and has recorded 2506 and 4394 kg/ha of grain and straw yield, respectively in a total of 223 trials under rainfed conditions during the past eight years of evaluation at national and state levels. The yield was observed to be 12.5 and 13.8 per cent increase in terms of grain and 15.5 and 13.0 per cent increase in terms of straw over the check varieties, CO3 and TNAU 86, respectively.  In view of the superior performance and desirable attributes viz., easy threshability, synchronized maturity, non-lodging growth habit, bold and attractive light brown-coloured grains with good nutritional and cooking qualities, the varagu culture TNPsc 176 was released as ATL 1 during the year 2021, for cultivation in Ariyalur, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, Madurai, Perambalur, Pudukottai, Salem, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar districts of Tamil Nadu. Keywords: Kodo, Varagu, yield, non lodging