Pusa Basmati 1121

Field view of Pusa Basmati 1121. Cooked grains are shown inset

Pusa Basmati 1121 is an essentially derived Basmati rice variety, evolved through the process of hybridization over a long breeding process. The variety of basmati rice was developed by Padma Shri awardee Dr Vijaipal Singh at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. It was released for commercial cultivation in kharif season of 2003 as Pusa 1121 (Pusa Sugandh 4). By 2007, the variety has become widely popular with farmers.

Breeding history

Pedigree of Pusa Basmati 1121

During the 1990’s Indian Agricultural Research Institute was actively pursuing the Basmati varietal development programme with several hybridisations under evaluation. One among these was a cross, Pusa 614 derived from several intermediate crosses made between Basmati 370 and Type 3, two traditional cultivars. With the objective of improving grain length and linear cooked kernel elongation among the progenies of Pusa 614, another hybridisation was done using two sister lines, Pusa 614–1-2 and Pusa 614–2–4-3. Selections made during Kharif 1992, from the F2 population of this cross, resulted in one line that showed exceptionally long milled rice kernels and high linear cooked kernel elongation. Further selections in the ensuing generations resulted in a superior line, Pusa 1121–92–8-13-3. Evaluated with the number IET 18004 in the National Basmati Trials under the All India Coordinated Research Improvement Project on Rice in 2002, the variety was identified for release for commercial cultivation in 2003 as Pusa 1121 (Pusa Sugandh 4) and notified vide Gazette of India S.O. 1566(E) dated 5 November 2005 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. Initially it was released for the national capital region of Delhi. Following the redefinition of Basmati, the cultivar was renamed as Pusa Basmati 1121 and released for the states of Punjab and Haryana in 2008, vide gazette notification no. S.O. 2547(E), dated 29th October, 2008.

Special features

Pusa Basmati 1121 is photo-insensitive, requires less water, matures early and yields 19–20 quintals of paddy per acre as compared to 9–10 quintals for traditional tall basmati. It is well known for its extraordinary kernel (grain) length, which can be as much as 8.4 millimetres (0.33 in) for a single grain. It has very high kernel elongation ratio ranging from 2 to 2.5, i.e. length of cooked rice kernel/length of uncooked kernel. When cooked, the rice does not turn sticky, and hence has a lower glycemic index than most rice varieties, possesses minimum breadth-wise expansion, and is aromatic with intermediate alkali-spreading value and amylose content. As of 2013 Pusa Basmati 1121 had spread over 84% of the total basmati area in Punjab, 78% in Western Uttar Pradesh, 68% in Haryana, 30% in Uttrakhand, 8% in Jammu and Kashmir and grown over a 1000-ha area in hill state of Himachal Pradesh. It is an important export commodity. Its export has enhanced India's annual basmati foreign exchange earning from ₹5000 crores in 2009 to ₹27597.87 crores in 2014–15 (Source: DGCIS Annual Export). Pusa 1121 has major share of ~70%.