Patna: Bihar has successfully tested new paddy and wheat crops which can withstand extreme weather conditions.
Authorities said the flood and heat resistant crops would limit the scale of crop destruction and prove to be a boon for Bihar where floods and drought are an annual phenomenon.
The flood-resistant paddy and heat-resistant wheat varieties have been developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Philippines.
Encouraging results
Officials said the newly evolved varieties of both the crops were successfully tested in districts like Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Khagaria, Banka and Bhagalpur with encouraging results.
All these districts scattered over in the north and eastern regions of the state are notorious for devastating floods and droughts, destroying the crops on a huge scale every year.
"The yield of these varieties equals that of other local varieties of the crops popular among the farmers," A. Doberman, Deputy Director, IRRI — who was here last week to hold meeting with the scientists of the Indian Council of Agriculture Research — said.
He added: "In the coming years, Bihar will emerge as a leading state in the production of rice and wheat."
