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Pusa Basmati 1509 Photo: Sheikh Basharat · Pexels License · source ↗

Pusa Basmati 1509

Pusa Basmati 1509 (PB 1509) is a short-duration semi-dwarf basmati rice variety bred at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, and notified in 2013. It was developed to give Punjab and Haryana basmati growers a 30-day-shorter window than Pusa Basmati 1121 so that fields are cleared by mid-October, leaving adequate time for timely wheat sowing and reducing the urgency that drives Rice Stubble Burning Punjab Haryana.

Key characteristics

  • Released by: ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, 2013 (notified for Punjab, Haryana, western UP, Uttarakhand, Delhi, J&K, HP)
  • Duration: 115-120 days (about 30 days shorter than PB 1121)
  • Plant type: semi-dwarf (95-100 cm), lodging-tolerant
  • Grain: extra-long slender, kernel 8.0-8.4 mm; cooked grain elongates to ~19 mm
  • Aroma: classical basmati 2-AP aroma
  • Yield: 4.5-5.5 t/ha at standard agronomy

Cultivation

Nursery is raised in early- to mid-June and 18-22 day seedlings are transplanted (Transplanting Paddy) in late June and early July. Because of its short duration and semi-dwarf habit, PB 1509 takes a tighter nitrogen schedule than PB 1121 - 90-100 kg N/ha split into three or four doses, with care to stop late N at booting to retain grain quality. The variety is well-suited to direct seeding (Rice Dsr Direct Seeded Rice Punjab) and is widely chosen by Punjab DSR adopters.

Pest and disease profile

PB 1509 is moderately susceptible to bacterial leaf blight (Bacterial Leaf Blight Paddy) and to false smut (False Smut Paddy) when flowering coincides with continuous rain. Yellow stem borer (Yellow Stem Borer Paddy) and gall midge (Gall Midge Paddy) carryover from the previous crop must be managed pre-transplant. The semi-dwarf architecture eliminates the lodging problem that affects PB 1121 under high N.

Adoption and use

PB 1509 is the second-most planted basmati variety in India after PB 1121 and is the preferred line for farms that want to vacate fields in time for wheat sowing. Grain is sold to the same APEDA-registered basmati export chain and graded for the GI-tagged "Basmati Rice" trade to the Gulf and EU. Mill conversion is comparable to PB 1121 but the milled grain commands a slightly lower price premium because it has not been aged as long in trade stocks.

See also Pusa Basmati 1121, Pusa Basmati 1718, Rice Dsr Direct Seeded Rice Punjab, Rice Stubble Burning Punjab Haryana, Transplanting Paddy.

Sources

  1. Pusa Basmati 1509: A New Early-Maturing Basmati Variety. ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute.
  2. Basmati Rice. APEDA Basmati Export Development Foundation.