‘VL Bosi Dhan’ an Early Duration, High Yielding Rice Variety for Cultivation under Medium Elevation of Northern Hills

Abstract

VL Bosi Dhan is an early-duration rice variety, well-suited for irrigated transplanted cultivation in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. It was developed by ICAR-Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora, Uttarakhand. The variety was officially released and notified by the Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties for Agricultural Crops, New Delhi, through notification S.O. 4388(E) dated 8th October 2024. This variety has performed consistently well during three years of testing under AICRP trials in the medium hills of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir. It recorded an average grain yield of 4,907 kg ha-1, which is significantly higher than the national check VL Dhan 86 (3,896 kg ha-1), regional check Shalimar Rice 3 (2,467 kg ha-1), and the local check (3,852 kg ha-1). It showed a yield advantage of 25.95 %, 98.92 %, and 27.38 %, respectively, over these checks. Additionally, it outperformed the qualifying varieties by 9.57 % and 22.04 %, respectively. VL Bosi Dhan is a cross between VL 31290 and Oryza minuta. It matures in 115–120 days and attains a plant height of 110–115 cm. The plant type is semi-erect, intermediate, and non-lodging. It has a green basal leaf sheath, and its panicle is semi-erect, well-exerted, and awless. The variety has shown excellent grain quality. It records 80.8 % hulling, 71.1 % milling, and 64.1 % head rice recovery. It has an intermediate alkali spreading value (ASV) of 4.0, amylose content of 23.53%, and gel consistency of 22 mm. Chalkiness is observed only occasionally. The grains are long and bold, with a kernel length of 6.08 mm, kernel breadth of 2.20 mm, and Length/Breadth ratio of 2.77. VL Bosi Dhan has shown moderate resistance to major diseases such as leaf blast, neck blast, brown spot, sheath blight, and bacterial leaf blight. It also responds well to both low and normal nitrogen levels, making it adaptable to various hill farming conditions. Overall, VL Bosi Dhan is a high-yielding and quality rice variety that offers a promising solution for yield stabilization and varietal diversification in irrigated rice cultivation across the hill regions.