Agronomic Traits

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

Yield Potential

• Average Yield: High, ranging from 5.0 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: Extra-long
• Grain Shape: Slender
• Grain Color: White
• Milling Quality: High, with excellent 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-1886 paddy variety is a high-yielding, premium Basmati rice cultivar known for its extra-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.