New seed push targets cotton revival, productivity gains across crops

Pulses also feature in the notification, though in smaller numbers compared with cereals and cotton. The government has notified around a dozen pulse varieties, including black gram (urad), green gram (moong), chickpea and groundnut-linked varieties, recommended for states such as Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar, as well as islands like the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Officials said the pulse varieties focus on yield improvement and adaptability, particularly for rain-fed and region-specific cultivation, supporting the broader objective of reducing import dependence and improving domestic protein availability.