Why in News:

• Indian Agriculture Research Institute has successfully tested two new dwarf varieties — Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1638 and Pusa Narendra Kalanamak 1652

About

• Kalanamak, a traditional variety of paddy with a black husk and a strong fragrance, which is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of the Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment.
• Grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of northeastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal, the traditional variety has been prone to lodging, a reason for its low yield.
• The traditional Kalanamak rice is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag system.
• It’s recorded in the GI application that Lord Budhha gifted Kalanamak paddy to the people of Sravasti so that they remembered him by its fragrance.

Read about GI at https://officerspulse.com/geographical-indication-3/ 

What is lodging of rice?

• Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation, the stem becomes weak, and the plant falls on the ground.
• Addressing the problem, the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) has successfully developed two dwarf varieties of Kalanamak rice.
• The problem with the traditional variety of Kalanamak paddy is that it’s tall and prone to lodging, which badly impacted grain filling and quality.
• The yield of the new varieties is double that of the traditional variety.
• Dwarfness into the variety make the plant sturdy so prevent lodging

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/agriculture/fragrant-and-nutritious-kalanamak-rice-buddhas-gift-to-people-gets-new-powers-and-name/article66069818.ece