Indian Council of Agricultural Research

New Delhi, 12^th January 2016

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is pursuing the development of improved crop varieties and recently has given due emphasis to improve the nutritional quality traits of various crops. ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi has developed a low erucic acid Indian mustard variety namely Pusa Mustard-30 (PM-30).

This variety is low in erucic acid (<2%) and has the best combination of other desirable fatty acids besides high yield potential. Higher erucic acid content leads to diseases like myocardial fibrosis in adults and lipidosis in children, thereby affecting the human health.

The normal mustard varieties possess erucic acid more than 40% and the team of scientists at ICAR-IARI has developed Indian mustard variety with <2% erucic acid using conventional breeding method. Besides, the quantity of other essential fatty acids like Oleic acid has also improved to make the oil healthier with enhanced shelf life.

The two other two essential fatty acids viz., Linoleic and Lenolenic  acids, which are not synthesised by human body, hence are supplemented by diet only, are also present in very balanced proportion. The new variety possesses oil content of 38% oil and composition of fatty acids is as follows:

Erucic acid: <2%; Oleic acid: 45%; Linoleic acid: 29%; Lenolenic acid: 14% and Ecosenoic acid: 3%.

This variety is already in the commercial cultivation and has been licensed to M/S Arpan Seeds Private, Ltd., Rajasthan under Public Private Partnership mode. ICAR-IARI has been mentoring to develop a new edible oil brand which is one of very essential component under Make in India initiative of Govt. of India.

Large scale commercial cultivation at Farmer fields is supported by the South Asia Biotechnology Centre. This is first of its kind effort by ICAR-IARI under PPP mode to launch an indigenously developed health value product with improved oil quality.

(Source: anil.cpro@gmail.com)