New Delhi: Four newly released moth bean varieties developed by the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) have demonstrated striking resilience during the ongoing El Niño-affected Kharif season of 2026, with…

New Delhi: Four newly released moth bean varieties developed by the ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) have demonstrated striking resilience during the ongoing El Niño-affected Kharif season of 2026, withstanding a prolonged 35-day dry spell in western Rajasthan’s harsh arid conditions.Moth bean, a key pulse crop cultivated across nearly 10 lakh hectares in the region, typically yields only about 350 kg per hectare due to erratic rainfall of 150–250 mm and frequent dry spells. The CAZRI varieties—CAZRI Moth-4, Moth-5, Moth-6 and Moth-7—maintained green canopies, steady growth and profuse pod formation even as rainfall ceased after 3 August, a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture said. From August 3 to September 7, the crop endured more than a month with negligible rain while cumulative pan evaporation reached around 180 mm. Surface soil moisture dropped from 15–16 per cent to 5–6 per cent, yet subsurface moisture continued to support plants. Paddy sowing in 2026 kharif season falls 3.71% to 421.82 lakh hectares in KarnatakaEarly monsoon sowing in July, optimum spacing of 45 × 10 cm, timely inter-culture and weed management enabled the crops to utilise residual moisture efficiently.These varieties, the result of over a decade of breeding for developmental plasticity, begin flowering around 30 days after sowing and adjust maturity according to available soil moisture — an advantage in Rajasthan’s unpredictable climate, the statement added. Seed multiplication is underway on seven hectares at CAZRI to meet the 23.32 quintals indented via the Saathi Portal for 2026. Wider adoption could cover a significant share of the state’s moth bean area.Dr M L Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, said the climate-resilient varieties could help make the Thar desert more prosperous and boost farmers’ incomes while advancing self-reliance in pulses. He stressed that genetic gains must be paired with best management practices to realise their full potential under stress, the statement added.

Source: Deccan Herald