TG develops high-yield, early harvest cowpea variety

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University has developed a new high-yielding vegetable cowpea variety that has been approved for cultivation by the Telangana Agriculture Department. The approval was granted by the State Variety Release Committee, chaired by K. Surendra Mohan, Chairman of the State Seed Sub-Committee and Secretary of the Agriculture Department.

The newly developed variety is a short-duration, bush-type and photo-insensitive crop that can be cultivated during both Kharif and Rabi seasons. It is ready for its first harvest in just 50 to 55 days and produces an average yield of 7 to 8 tonnes of fresh vegetable pods per acre within 85 days.

The light green pods measure 15 to 20 centimetres in length and are stringless, making them suitable for vegetable markets. The variety is also resistant to yellow mosaic virus, a major disease affecting cowpea crops.

According to the university, the pods contain about 22% protein and are rich in fibre, iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium. They also have high phenol content, enhancing their nutritional value.

This is the first vegetable variety released by the university since the formation of Telangana. The variety was developed by a team led by Dr. Pidigam Saidaiah, Professor of Genetics and Plant Breeding, along with scientists Dr. Nikhil and Dr. Anitha Kumari.

Vice-Chancellor Dr. Danda Raji Reddy said the new variety combines early maturity, high productivity and superior nutritional quality, helping farmers earn better profits through year-round cultivation.