UPSC Articles
High-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean developed
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Economy
In news
- Indian Scientists have developed a high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean.
- Scientists from MACS- Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) have developed this variety.
Key takeaways
- This newly developed variety is called MACS 1407.
- It is suitable for cultivation in Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and North-Eastern states.
- Its seeds will be made available to farmers for sowing during the 2022 Kharif season.
- In 2019, India produced around 90 million tons of soybean.
- Soybean is widely cultivated as oil seeds and a cheap source of protein for animal feed and many packaged meals.
- India is striving to be among the world’s major producers of soybean.
- High-yielding, disease resistant varieties of the legume can help achieve this target.
