Milestone Achievements
Milestone Achievements
Rice Research Station, Tirur has released 14 rice varieties since its inception, out of which three varieties TKM 6, TKM 9 and TKM 13 are very popular and worth mentioning.
Rice variety: TKM 6
The variety TKM 6 released from this research station is a cross between the first fine grain rice variety GEB 24 and Co 18. This variety attained global importance for its multiple resistance and widely used as a good donor in most of the hybridization programmes in International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines in view of being fine grain quality coupled with resistance to Stem borer, Green Leaf Hopper, Brown Plant Hopper, Leaf folder, Thrips, Bacterial Leaf Blight, Rice Tungro Virus and Grassy Stunt resulted in new IRRI varieties viz., IR 20, IR 26, IR 30, IR 32, IR 38 and IR 40. To honor this variety, a monument was installed at IRRI. In India, this variety was used by the rice breeders and high yielding varieties such as TKM 8, Co 35, Ratna, PUSA 2-21 (Kannagi), Suma, Madhu, Parijat, Vikas, Saket 4, Ramakrishna, Sasysree were developed.
Rice variety: TKM 9
The variety TKM 9, a hybrid derivative of the cross TKM 7 / IR 8, is yet another high yielding rice variety released from this station which has performed wonderfully both under semidry and wet conditions throughout Tamil Nadu. TKM 9 popularly known as red rice is grown in major areas of Thiruvallur, Kanyakumari, Nagapattinum, Thtanjavur and Thtiruvarur districts and also larger area in Kerala. During the State Agriculture Department Centenary celebrations held during November, 1981, a momento was presented by the Thanjavur farmers for the release of this variety.
Rice variety: TKM 13
TKM 13 was released by this Station in the year 2015. The variety BPT 5204 is widely grown for its fine grain quality and high market preference. But the variety is susceptible to major pests and diseases. This necessitates developing suitable fine grain rice variety with tolerance to major pest and diseases as an alternate for BPT 5204. Efforts were made at Rice Research Station, Tirur to evolve high yielding, medium duration fine grain rice variety with desirable grain qualities and tolerance to major pest and diseases. Medium duration fine grain rice culture TM 07275, a cross derivative of WGL 32100 / Swarna was released as Rice TKM 13 by State Variety Release Committee (SVRC) during 2015 as an alternate variety to BPT 5204. This variety has recorded a overall mean grain yield of 5938 kg/ha in 159 locations which was 6.2 and 10.1 per cent increase over the check varieties CO (R) 49 (5592 kg/ha) and BPT 5204 (5390 kg/ha) respectively. Cooking quality and organoleptic characters are comparably similar to BPT 5204. In National trials conducted in 101 locations, TKM 13 has recorded a grain yield of 5201 kg/ha which was 11.2 per cent increase over the national check variety IR 64. In the year 2017, based on its superior performance, the variety was released by Central Variety Release Committee (CVRC) for the western states viz., Gujarat and Maharashtra .