• The main mandate of RARS, Palem is to develop farming situation specific technologies in dry land agriculture, enhancement of productivity levels of castor, sorghum, pearl millet, groundnut, redgram and horsegram through development of high yielding varieties, biotic/

  abiotic stress resistant cultivars and to provide extension support to the farmers and Department of Agriculture officials for demonstration of improved crop production technologies.

  Sorghum:

  • Development of high yielding dual purpose sorghum varieties/hybrids with tolerance to grain mold disease.
  • Development of high yielding sorghum varieties/hybrids with pre and post flowering droughttolerance.
  • Improvement of grain yield and fodder qualities of locally grown yellow pericarp sorghum in Southern Telangana Zone.
  • Popularization of improved varieties of sorghum through breeder seed production.

  Castor:

  • Identification of genetic resources for important agro-economic traits and in built Resistance to major biotic and abiotic stresses
  • Development of high yielding varieties and hybrids with disease and pest tolerance/ resistance and high oil content.
  • Reduction of crop duration from 180 days to 120-130 days with synchronous maturity to fit into different cropping systems.
  • Development of stable pistillate and potential monoecious lines with multiple resistances to pests (Spodoptera, semilooper and sucking pest complex) and diseases (wilt complex and botrytis)
  • Production and supply of nucleus and breeder seed of castor hybrids and varieties.

  Millets:

  • Development of early maturing varieties/Hybrids to escape drought.
  • Development of lodging resistant varieties/Hybrids by breeding for short, stout stalks with good thickness of rind and freedom from insects or diseases damaging and weakening the stalk.
  • Development of abiotic stress resistant varieties/Hybrids.
  • Development of long bristle varieties/Hybrids to protect the crop against damage from birds.
  • Development of good seed quality Hybrids by developing lustrous, bold, pearly-amber grains.

  Groundnut:

  • Development of high yielding early maturity groundnut varieties with foliar fungal and soil borne diseases tolerance/resistance.
  • Development of high yielding early maturity groundnut varieties with fresh seed dormancy.
  • Development of bold seeded / confectionery varieties
  • Seed production and supply of popular groundnut varieties to supply quality seed to the farmers.

  Pulses:

  • Development of short and medium duration high yielding and terminal moisture stress resistant varieties in redgram.
  • Development of Fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic disease resistant varieties in redgram.
  • Development of high yielding varieties of greengram and horsegram with resistance to powdery mildew and yellow mosaic virus.

  Others:

  • Maintenance breeding of released varieties/hybrids of rice, pulses, castor, groundnut, cotton and their breeder seed production.
  • To identity profitable farming systems in an integrated mode.
  • Transfer of technology.

Infrastructure Facilities Available :

• Yarko autoclave vertical
• Pressure Sprayer (5Lit)
• Pressure Sprayer (2Lit)
• Hot air oven
• Refrigerator & Stabilizer
• Stereo Microscope
• Refrigerator (LG 282 lts) &
• V-guard stabilizer
• NSE Calton BOD incubator
• Trinocular microscope with photographic attachment

Varieties Developed:

• Eight in sorghum (CSV-41, PYPS-2, PSV-1, Palem-2, PSH-1, ASH-1,SPV-2122(Palamuru Jonna) and PSV-56(Srisaila), one in groundnut (JCG-2141), three in pearl millet (Muktha, Mallikarjuna and PHB-3), two in ragi (Maruthi and PRS-2), four in red gram (PRG-100, PRG-158, PRG-176 (Ujwala) and ICPH-2740 (Mannemkonda kandi),two in horsegram (Palem-1andPalem-2) and seven in castor (Kranthi, Haritha, Kiran, PCH-1, PCH-111, PCH-222 and PCS-262 (Pragathi) have been released from RARS, Palem. 

Hybrids Developed:

• Nine hybrids namely CSV-41, PYPS-2 of sorghum, PHB-3 of pearlmillet, PRS-2 of ragi, PRG-176and Mannem Konda kandi of redgram, Haritha, PCH-111 and PCS-262 (Pragathi) of castor are in active seed production chain.

Agro technologies developed:

• Sowing time and spacing, weed management, mechanization benefits, insect pest management, integrated pest management (IPM) and disease management in Castor.
• Cropping system and preceding crops, spacing under different irrigation methods, irrigation and fertigation management and nitrogen fertigation schedule in rabi castor.
• Recommended sowing time, shoot fly and stem borer management intercropping and soil moisture conservation in sorghum
• Organic farming package, spacing and fertilizer recommendation suitability of transplanting method in sorghum
• Integrated pest management (ipm), irrigation and fertigation through drip, use of growth regulators in groundnut.
• Cropping system with farm pond irrigation, life-saving irrigation techniques, land configuration methods and pot watering for crop establishment under dryland agriculture.

Outreach Programs

• Field Diagnostics Visits: Multidisciplinary teams regularly visits to guide farmers.
• Farmers outreach programmes: Farmers’ fairs, field days, kisan melas, and Rythu Sadassus.
• Training & Capacity Building: Short-term training programs are organized for farmers, women, and rural youth on various agricultural topics.
• Farmer-Scientist Interaction: Platforms are created for direct feedback from farmers to scientists for refining research and extension activities.
• Conducting advisory councils (ZREAC)
• Media Outreach: Agricultural information is disseminated via radio, TV, print, and digital platforms to reach a wider audience.
• Village Adoption: Targeted rural development through faculty-led, village-level interventions,

Station In-Charge (Name & Designation):Dr. Lavuri Krishna
Associate Director of Research, RARS, Palem

Mobile Number : 8332970257