India's Agriculture Ministry has notified Improved Pusa Basmati-1 variety in a move to replace the extant Pusa basmati-1 in the coming years in view of its improved quality and competitiveness.

Improved Pusa Basmati-1 variety was developed “by pyramiding bacterial leaf blight resistance genes through marker assisted backcross breeding. It has a strong aroma, less chalky grains and other quality attributes on par with recurrent parent Pusa Basmati-1.

Pusa basmati-1 today accounts for more than 60 per cent of basmati rice exports from the country and is likely that the newly notified improved Pusa Basmati-1 variety would increasingly replace the extant Pusa basmati-1 in the coming years in view of its improved quality and competitiveness.