PUSA-44

PUSA-44 is a paddy variety developed by the Delhi-based Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). As this crop is sown before the onset of monsoon, it is a major consumer of groundwater. It takes around 145 to 150 days to mature, leading to a shorter window for wheat sowing after the harvest. This results high crop residue.

Due to these disadvantages, the Central government’s department of agricultural research has asked Punjab to cease the cultivation of this variety. It is one of the oldest crops to be cultivated in the northern state, accounting for at least 16 per cent of the its total agricultural land.