Agronomic Traits

• Maturity: Medium duration (typically around 135-140 days from sowing to harvest)
• Plant Height: Medium (typically around 100-110 cm)
• Growth Habit: Erect
• Tillering: Excellent, with a high number of productive tillers

Yield Potential

• Average Yield: High, ranging from 5.5 to 6.5 tons per hectare under optimal conditions

Disease and Pest Resistance

• Diseases: Resistant to major diseases such as blast (Pyricularia oryzae), bacterial leaf blight (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae), and sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani)
• Pests: Moderate tolerance to common pests like brown planthopper and stem borer

Grain Quality

• Grain Size: Long
• Grain Shape: Slender
• Grain Color: White
• Milling Quality: High, with good head rice recovery
• Cooking Quality: Superior, known for its aroma, elongation, and excellent taste
• Amylose Content: High, contributing to the preferred cooking quality of Basmati rice

Adaptation

• Climate: Suitable for subtropical to tropical regions with moderate to high rainfall
• Soil Type: Performs well in well-drained clayey loam soils but adaptable to a variety of soil types
• Sowing Time: Best sown in the Kharif season (June to July)

Management Practices

• Seed Rate: Recommended seed rate is about 25-30 kg per hectare
• Fertilizer Requirements:
  • Nitrogen (N): 100-120 kg/ha in split applications (e.g., basal, tillering, and panicle initiation stages)
  • Phosphorus (P2O5): 40-60 kg/ha
  • Potassium (K2O): 40-60 kg/ha
• Water Management: Requires proper water management with sufficient irrigation during critical growth stages like tillering, panicle initiation, and grain filling
• Weed Control: Requires timely weeding, either manually or through herbicides, to prevent competition for nutrients

Special Features

• Lodging Resistance: Good, due to strong stem structure
• Shattering Resistance: Resistant to grain shattering, ensuring better harvest efficiency
• Heat Tolerance: Good, suitable for regions with occasional high temperatures during the growing season
• Drought Tolerance: Moderate, can withstand short periods of water stress

Harvesting

• Harvest Time: Typically harvested when grains reach full maturity, with moisture content around 20-22%
• Threshability: Easy to thresh, minimizing grain damage

Uses

• Primary Use: Premium quality table rice due to its superior cooking qualities and aroma
• Secondary Uses: Suitable for high-quality rice-based products such as Basmati rice flour

Conclusion

PB-1718 paddy variety is a high-yielding, premium Basmati rice cultivar known for its long grains, superior aroma, and excellent cooking quality. Its good disease resistance, adaptability to different soil types and climates, and high yield potential make it a valuable choice for farmers aiming to produce high-quality Basmati rice. Proper management practices and timely inputs will ensure optimal performance and high-quality yields.