The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has bestowed “Dr GS Khush Distinguished Professor Chair Award” upon Dr Gurjit Singh Mangat, Principal Rice Breeder. With 35 years of expertise in rice breeding, Dr Mangat has played a pivotal role in the development/introduction of 33 rice varieties, significantly impacting the agricultural landscape in Punjab and surrounding states. The national food security depends greatly on assured rice harvests from the states of Punjab and Haryana. However, the sustainability of rice cultivation in these states faces challenges of depleting natural resources, particularly underground water, residue management, resistance to biotic stresses and grain quality. Dr Mangat’s leadership in the development of short-duration, low-biomass rice cultivars has contributed towards the recommendation of 13 rice varieties in the past one decade (PR 126 to PR 132 and Punjab Basmati 3 to Punjab Basmati 7). These varieties address the sustainability issues on account of their shorter duration, greater resource use efficiency, durable resistance via gene pyramiding, optimal biomass production as well as suitable grain quality attributes. During Kharif 2012, in the non-Basmati category, long duration varieties (Pusa 44, PR 118, etc.) covered more than 40 per cent area and there was around 33 percent area under PAU recommended rice varieties. However, with the release of the new high-yielding, short duration bacterial blight resistant varieties PR 121 and PR 122 during 2013 and others onward, the area under short/medium duration varieties rose to 90.0 per cent during Kharif 2024. The variety PR 126 on account of its short duration saves on inputs, fits well in multiple cropping systems and provides sufficient window period for residue management. Moreover, the newly released rice variety PR 132 gives higher yield at 75% N level. The variety PR 126 is the most popular variety; it was grown on more than 7.0 lakh ha (43.0 percent) area during Kharif 2024. The PAU released varieties are also popular in the adjoining states as well. In Haryana, PR 114 and PR 126 are very popular. Similarly, PR 113 is very popular in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Congratulating Dr Mangat for winning this prestigious award, Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU, said that the adoption of these varieties has led to quantum jump in productivity and production of rice in the state. The high productivity, shorter growth duration has started paying rich dividends to all the stakeholders, he added, while divulging that the productivity of rice in Punjab was highest in the country.
Applauding Dr Mangat for making unparalled contribution to the food security, Dr AS Dhatt, Director of Research, disclosed that during the past one decade (2015-16 to 2024-25), there has been 12.49 per cent increase in the average state-wide paddy yield (5933 to 6674 kg/ha). “Dr Mangat has successfully led multi-institutional projects, mentored postgraduate students, and contributed to the scientific community through research publications in high impact journals,” he informed. In the present set of rice varieties, milling quality issues were thoroughly investigated and these varieties possessed excellent physio-chemical and milling traits, and have been well-accepted by the industry, as a result of which during the last 10 years, the sheller number has jumped from 3,168 (2013-14) to more than 5,000 (2023-24), shared Dr Dhatt.
Dr MS Bhullar, Director of Extension Education, hailed Dr Mangat for being proactive in translating research outcomes into practical solutions through publications, extension services, and participatory programs with the farmers and stakeholders.