The Indian scientific community is buzzing with the recent development of a new high-yielding, pest-resistant soybean variety, MACS 1407. Additionally, this variety has been localized to thrive under Indian agricultural conditions, positioning it as a major boon for the local farming industries. The creation of MACS 1407 was a joint effort between scientists from MACS- Agharkar Research Institute in Pune and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research in New Delhi.
MACS 1407: High-Yielding, Pest-Resistant Soybean
MACS 1407 was developed using traditional cross-breeding techniques. The result of this process is a decidedly high-yielding variation of soybean, producing up to 39 quintals per hectare. These plants showcase white colored flowers and yield yellow seeds with a black hilum. MACS 1407 takes an average of 43 days to reach 50% flowering, and approximately 104 days to mature from the date of sowing.
The seeds of MACS 1407 contain 19.81% oil content and 41% protein content, displaying excellent germinability. Additional advantageous traits include its thick stem, higher ground pod insertion (7 cm), and resistance to pod shattering, making it a suitable candidate for mechanical harvesting.
Geographic and Seasonal Suitability
MACS 1407 exhibits a high adaptability to rain-fed conditions, making it particularly well-suited for cultivation within north-east India. Specifically, the states of Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and the North Eastern states are ideal locations for cultivation.
This variety has shown resistance to numerous insect pests including girdle beetle, leaf miner, leaf roller, stem fly, aphids, white fly, and defoliators. The seeds of MACS 1407 will be made available to farmers for the 2022 Kharif season. Moreover, it can adapt to sowing periods from 20th June to 5th July without yield loss, rendering it resistant to unpredictable monsoon weather patterns.
Contributing to India’s Soybean Production
As of 2019, India had produced approximately 90 million tons of soybean. The legume is widely cultivated both as oil seeds and a cheap protein source for animal feed and many packaged meals. With the introduction of high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties like MACS 1407, India can further its ambition to be among the world’s major producers of soybean.
Understanding India’s Agricultural Seasons
Indian agriculture is characterized by three distinct seasons: Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid. Kharif crops are planted between June and July, with harvesting taking place between September and October. Some typical Kharif crops include rice, maize, jowar, bajra, tur, moong, urad, cotton, jute, groundnut, and soybean. These crops are generally sown in states like Assam, West Bengal, coastal regions of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra.
Rabi crops are sown from October to December and are harvested between April and June. Common Rabi crops include wheat, barley, peas, gram, mustard, etc., and they are usually grown in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
Between the Rabi and the Kharif seasons, there is a short Zaid season during the summer months, characterized by the cultivation of watermelon, muskmelon, cucumber, vegetables, and fodder crops. This information was sourced from PIB.