Genetics & Plant Breeding · Molecular Breeding · Seed Science & Technology · Plant Genetic Resources — from basic studies on plant genomes to the improved varieties grown by farmers across India.
The Crop Improvement Division was established in the VIII Plan, when the Directorate of Pulses Research attained the status of Indian Institute of Pulses Research on 5 September 1993. Research efforts on breeding improved varieties of pulses had, however, begun with the establishment of the Directorate of Pulses Research in 1984.
The Division undertakes a broad range of activities, from basic studies on plant genomes to the development of improved varieties. It leads pulses research with a group of scientists of diverse specializations — plant breeding, genetics, cyto-genetics, seed research and molecular breeding. Plant genetic resource management and quality seed production are integral parts of the Division.
77
Varieties released & notified
11
Mandate pulse crops
27
Genetic stocks & donors registered
10k+
Accessions in the active germplasm site
500q
Breeder seed produced annually
Thrust areas
Research strategies
Chickpea
Pigeonpea
Urdbean
Mungbean
Lentil
Field pea
Cowpea
77 varieties developed by the Division and released through the Central and State Variety Release Committees. Choose a crop to filter the catalogue.
Chickpea · 1998 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tolerant to moisture stress and lodging, wilt resistant, yellowish brown seed colour with small seed size (16.0g/100 seed weight)
Chickpea · 2009 (CVRC)
Special characters: Kabuli type, creamy white seed colour with large seed size (34.0g/100 seed weight), moderately resistant to wilt
Chickpea · 2010 (CVRC)
Special characters: Kabuli type, creamy white seed colour with large seed size (35g/100-seed wt.), moderately resistant to fusarium wilt
Chickpea · 2019 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistance to wilt and moderate tolerant to DRR, stunt, collar rot, light brown seed with small seed size (16.5g/100 seed weight) and higher protein content (>24%)
Chickpea · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistance to wilt, brown seed colour with large seed size (25.8g/100 seed wt.)
Chickpea · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistance to wilt, brown seed colour with medium seed size (20.2g/100 seed wt.)
Chickpea · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistance to wilt, brown seed colour with small seed (15.2g /100 seed weight), higher protein content (>26%)
Chickpea · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistance to wilt, brown seed colour with medium seed size (20.2g/100 seed wt.)
Chickpea · 2021, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Highly resistant to wilt, tolerant to DRR, Collor rot diseases, brown and medium seed size (18.5g/100 seed wt.)
Chickpea · 2021, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Highly resistant to wilt, moderately tolerant to DRR, brown and medium seed size (23.0g/100 seed weight)
Chickpea · 2021 (CVRC)
Special characters: Seed creamy beige colour with large seed size (28.7g/100 seed weight) and moderately resistance to fusarium wilt, dry root rot and collar rot, stunt diseases.
Chickpea · 2021 (CVRC)
Special characters: Drought tolerant MAS product. Seed light brown colour with small seed size (16.6g/100 seed weight) and resistance to fusarium wilt, collar rot, stunt diseases and moderately tolerant to dry root rot.
Chickpea · 2021 (CVRC)
Special characters: Fusarium wilt resistant MAS product. Seed brown colour with medium seed size (24.1g/100 seed weight).
Chickpea · 2024 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tall plants (>65.0 cm height & first podding height >28cm) with erect growth habit, lodging resistant, suitable for Machine harvest. Seed brown colour and medium seed size (14.7g/100-seed wt.).
Chickpea · 2023 (SVRC)
Special characters: Seed brown colour with angular shape and large seed size (29.1g/100-seed weight), Less incidence to pod borer, semi-erect growth habit with tall plant height, green foliage, tolerance to high temperature.
Chickpea · 2023 (SVRC)
Special characters: Seed creamy white colour of Kabuli chickpea variety with large seed size (32.2g/100-seed weight). Semi-erect growth habit with medium tall height (55.6cm), broad leaf size, light green foliage, tolerance to high temperature.
Pigeonpea · 2015 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic and tolerant to Phytophthora stem blight, light brown colour seed with medium-size seed (12-14 g/100-seed)
Pigeonpea · 2019, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistant to wilt and sterility mosaic, dark purple seed colour with medium-size seed (10- 11 g/100-seed wt.)
Pigeonpea · 2020 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to fusarium wilt and sterility mosaic, brown colour seed with medium-size seed (10-12 g/100 seed)
Pigeonpea · 2020 (CVRC)
Special characters: Hybrid variety resistant to wilt, brown seed colour with medium seed size (8- 8.54 g /100 seed wt.)
Pigeonpea · 2021 (CVRC)
Special characters: Hybrid variety tolerant to Phytophthora blight, sterility mosaic and moderately resistant to wilt, medium seed size (9- 9.6 g/100-seed)
Pigeonpea · 2021 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tolerant to sterility mosaic, phytophthora blight and moderately resistant to wilt, medium brown seed size (9.5-10 g/100-seed)
Mungbean · 1987 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to yellow mosaic disease
Mungbean · 1987 (CVRC)
Special characters: Early maturity, large seeds, multiple disease resistance
Mungbean · 2001, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Early maturity, MYMV resistance, shining green seed
Mungbean · 2004 (CVRC)
Special characters: Early maturity, MYMV resistance
Mungbean · 2009 (CVRC)
Special characters: Photo and thermo-insensitive with highly resistance to YMD
Mungbean · 2011 (CVRC)
Special characters: Highly resistant YMD
Mungbean · 2016 (CVRC)
Special characters: Highly resistant to YMD, PM and CLS
Mungbean · 2016 (CVRC)
Special characters: Highly resistant to YMD, PM, CLS
Mungbean · 2018, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Highly resistant to YMD, PM, mod resistant to CLS
Mungbean · 2018, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Highly resistant to YMD, PM, resistant to leaf curl.
Mungbean · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistant to YMD, PM and cercospora leaf spot.
Mungbean · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistant to YMD, PM and CLS
Mungbean · 2020 (CVRC)
Special characters: Highly resistant to YMD, CLS and anthracnose
Urdbean · 1991 (CVRC)
Special characters: MYMV tolerant, good plant type
Urdbean · 1999 (CVRC)
Special characters: MYMV resistant, attractive plant type
Urdbean · 2008 (CVRC)
Special characters: MYMV and Powdery mildew resistant
Urdbean · 2019, SVRC (UP, MP)
Special characters: Dull black colour with medium large seed (4.3g/100 seed wt.) and high protein content (26%), resistant to MYMV, ULCV, PM, anthracnose and Cercospora leaf spot
Urdbean · 2019, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Shining black seed colour, medium large seed (3.82g/100 seed wt.) with high protein content (25%), highly resistant to MYMV, Cercospora leaf spots and resistant to ULCV, stem necrosis, web blight, BLB, anthracnose, PM
Urdbean · 2019, SVRC (UP, MP)
Special characters: Dull black seed colour, medium large seed (4.14g/100 seed wt.) with high protein content (26%), resistant to MYMV, Cercospora leaf spots, ULCV, stem necrosis, web blight, BLB, anthracnose, PM
Urdbean · 2021, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Disease resistance: Resistant to yellow mosaic virus, cercospora leaf spot, leaf crinkle, leaf curl virus, powdery mildew, bacterial leaf blight and web blight, Seed colour/weight: black seed colour, 3.35 gm/ 100 seeds, Tolerant to drought stress conditions.
Urdbean · 2023, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Disease resistance: Highly resistant to Mungbean Yellow Mosiac Virus and resistant to Urdbean Leaf Crinkle Virus, Leaf Curl Virus, Web Blight, Bactrerial Leaf Blight, Powdery Mildew and Cercospora Leaf Spots.Seed colour/weight: Attractive black seed colour, 4.87 g/100 seeds, Special Features: Suitable for Spring season
Urdbean · 2023, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Disease resistance: Disease resistance: Highly resistant to Mungbean Yellow Mosiac Virus and resistant to Urdbean Leaf Crinkle Virus, Leaf Curl Virus, Web Blight, Bactrerial Leaf Blight, Powdery Mildew and Cercospora Leaf Spots Seed colour/weight: black seed colour, 4.9 gm/100 seeds Special Features: Suitable for Spring season.
Urdbean · 2025, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Disease resistance: Highly resistant to Mungbean Yellow Mosiac Virus and resistant to Urdbean Leaf Crinkle Virus, Leaf Curl Virus, Web Blight, Bactrerial Leaf Blight, Powdery Mildew and Cercospora Leaf Spots, Seed colour/weight: black seed colour, 4.5 gm/100 seeds, Special Features: Suitable for Spring season.
Lentil · 1995 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to rust and tolerance to wilt
Lentil · 1997 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to rust and tolerance to wilt with large seeds
Lentil · 2000 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tolerant to rust and wilt, medium size seeds
Lentil · 2007 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tolerant to rust and wilt, extra-large seeds
Lentil · 2013 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistance to wilt and rust. Seed brown with red cotyledons and large (3.1g/100 seed wt.)
Lentil · 2015, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Tolerance to wilt and rust diseases, seed attractive with large size (3.0 g/100 seeds) and red cotyledons
Lentil · 2018 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistance to rust, wilt and stemphylium blight, brown seed coat with orange cotyledon and small seeded (2.4g/100 seed wt), high Zn& Fe content
Lentil · 2018, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistant to wilt with large seeded
Lentil · 2019, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistant to rust and tolerant to wilt. Seed brown colour with orange cotyledons and large size (2.9 g/100 seed-weight)
Lentil · 2019, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Early maturing, Resistance to rust, wilt and stem phylium blight. Seed brown with red cotyledons and large size (3.2g/100 seed wt.)
Lentil · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Highly resistance to rust and wilt diseases and small seeded (2.1 g/100 seeds), brown dotted seed coat and red cotyledons
Lentil · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistance to rust and wilt diseases and large seeds (2.9g/100 seeds) with brown dotted seed coat and red cotyledons
Lentil · 2023, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistance to rust and wilt diseases and small seeded (2.3 g/100 seeds) with red cotyledons, tan and dotted seed coat
Lentil · 2025, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Resistance to major diseases including rust, Fusarium wilt and stemphylium blight and large seeds (3.0 g/100 seeds) having brown color with red cotyledons, good for dal.
Lentil · 2025, SVRC (MP)
Special characters: Resistance to major diseases including rust, and Fusarium wilt and large seeds (3.2 g/100 seeds) having brown colour with red cotyledons good for dal
Fieldpea · 2000 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tall, Powdery mildew resistance
Fieldpea · 2005 (CVRC)
Special characters: Dwarf, Powdery mildew resistance
Fieldpea · 2006 (CVRC)
Special characters: Large seeds, Powdery mildew resistance
Fieldpea · 2009 (CVRC)
Special characters: Powdery mildew resistance, tolerant to rust
Fieldpea · 2010, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Powdery mildew resistance, tolerant to rust
Fieldpea · 2014 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to powdery mildew, Dwarf type, green seeds
Fieldpea · 2016 (CVRC)
Special characters: Creamy white with round seeded, resistant to powdery mildew disease and moderately tolerant to pod borer
Fieldpea · 2016, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Round seeded & creamy white seed coat colour with resistant to powdery mildew, tolerant to rust
Fieldpea · 2017 (CVRC)
Special characters: White and round seeded with resistant to powdery mildew disease, pod borer and moderately resistant to aphids and leaf miner
Fieldpea · 2018 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tan colour mottled seed with resistant to powdery mildew
Fieldpea · 2020 (CVRC)
Special characters: Round and green seeded variety with resistant to powdery mildew disease
Fieldpea · 2019, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Round and creamish white colour seed variety with resistant to powdery mildew disease
Fieldpea · 2020, SVRC (UP)
Special characters: Resistant to powdery, Downey mildew and rust disease, medium seed size with round, smooth and white seed colour
Rajmash · 1987 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tolerance to BCMV and variegated red seeds
Rajmash · 2002 (CVRC)
Special characters: Resistant to BCMV & leaf crinckle
Rajmash · 2005 (CVRC)
Special characters: Tolerance to BCMV, Cold tolerance, attractive seed colour
Rajmash · 2007
Special characters: Tolerance to BCMV, attractive dark red medium seeds
No varieties listed for this crop.
| Crop | Genetic stock / donor / population | Trait for which registered |
|---|---|---|
| Chickpea | ICC 12315 (INGR 21142) | Post emergence herbicide tolerance (Imazethapyr) |
| IPC 2020-198 (INGR 21141) | > 2 seeds per pod in ≥30% pods per plant (mean seeds per pod = 2.62) | |
| ICC 15925 (INGR 21144) | Heat tolerance | |
| IPC 2010-121 (INGR) | Resistance to fusarium wilt | |
| DCP 92-3 / ICC 92944, n=210 | Mapping population developed for heat tolerance | |
| Pigeonpea | IPAC 79 (INGR 20023) | Tolerance to waterlogging stress |
| IPAV 16-1 (INGR 20025) | Wilt resistance and extra large seed size | |
| Urdbean | IPU 19-27 (registered line) | Early maturity, suitable for high rainfall areas and for spring / summer / kharif |
| Mungbean | IPM 205-7 (INGR11044) | Extra early maturing genotype (52–55 days) |
| IPM 409-4 (INGR11043) | Extra early maturing genotype (52–55 days) | |
| IPM 604-1-7 (INGR21104) | Yellow seed coat colour, early maturity | |
| V. glabrescens (INGR21143) | Photo- and thermo-period insensitive | |
| V. umbellata (INGR21226) | Photo- and thermo-period insensitive | |
| V. vexillata (INGR22039) | Resistant against Callosobruchus maculatus | |
| V. umbellata (INGR22041) | Resistant against Callosobruchus maculatus | |
| IPM 526-11 (INGR22046) | Highly resistant to yellow mosaic disease caused by Mungbean yellow mosaic India virus | |
| V. stipulaceae (INGR22040) | Early flowering (20 DAS) and early maturity (49 DAS) | |
| Fieldpea | P-637 (INGR19075) | Post emergence herbicide (Metribuzin) tolerant genotype |
| IPFD 18-14 (INGR21140) | Extra early genotype that matures in less than 85 days | |
| IPF 2014-13 (INGR21227) | Resistant to rust | |
| IPF 2014-16 (INGR 22043) | Resistant to rust | |
| IPFD 18-26 (INGR 22044) | Dwarf, green seeded and extra early genotype | |
| EC 564816 (INGR 22045) | Intact / extended funiculus accession | |
| EC 0414478 (INGR21225) | Intact / extended funiculus accession | |
| Rajmash | IC 360831 (INGR21136) | Highly resistant to BCMV disease, high grain yield |
| IC 340947 (INGR21103) | Highly resistant to BCMV disease, high grain yield | |
| Cowpea | EC 762384 (INGR21222) | Dense pubescence |
A pre-breeding garden has been established at IIPR consisting of wild accessions of different pulse crops. It includes 126 accessions of chickpea (C. pinnatifidum, C. judaicum, C. echinospermum, C. reticulatum, C. chorassanicum, C. bijugum and C. cuneatum) and 121 wild accessions of lentil belonging to five species and subspecies (Lens nigricans 7, L. culinaris ssp. orientalis 78, ssp. tomentosus 1, ssp. odemensis 13, and L. ervoides 13 accessions).
A further 57 wild accessions of Vigna — V. delzelliana, V. glabrescens, V. hainiana, V. mungo var. mungo and var. sylvestris, V. pilosa, V. radiata var. radiata, var. setulosa and var. sublobata, V. trilobata, V. umbellata, V. unguiculata, V. vexillata and V. trinervia — collected from the Western Ghats and procured from NBPGR are being maintained.
National Active Germplasm Site
IIPR maintains more than ten thousand accessions of the mandate crops in a medium-term cold module (4 °C, 40% relative humidity), where they can be held for four to five years without losing viability. Accessions are rejuvenated regularly, and this active collection is available for sharing with research workers across the country under a proper MTA for research use.
Molecular breeding laboratory
The Division has excellent facilities for basic research on molecular marker-assisted breeding and bioinformatics — well-equipped laboratories, medium-term cold modules, rainout shelters, glasshouses, environment-controlled chambers and net houses. Equipment includes a thermal cycler, gel documentation system, advanced research microscope, UV-VIS spectrophotometer, ultracentrifuge and tetrad PCR.
High-throughput hybridization facility
The Division has an excellent high-throughput hybridization facility for carrying out hybridization work round the year under controlled conditions. It is especially suited to short-statured crops such as mungbean, urdbean, chickpea and lentil.
Plant growth chamber
The Division has a plant growth chamber for experiments under controlled conditions, again especially suited to short-statured crops such as mungbean, urdbean, chickpea and lentil.
Solar bubble dryers
The Division has eight solar bubble dryers, which are of great importance for drying bulk harvested seed to a safe storage moisture content. They matter most in the kharif season, when ambient moisture is usually very high and pulses such as mungbean, urdbean and pigeonpea can be dried far faster.
Quality seed production
The Institute provides nucleus seed of high-yielding varieties of different pulse crops to ensure genetic purity. More than 500 quintals of breeder seed of six crops — chickpea, pigeonpea, mungbean, urdbean, lentil and fieldpea — is produced annually, besides truthfully labelled seed.
Dr. P. K. KatiyarHeadUrdbean breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Jitendra KumarPrincipal ScientistConventional and molecular plant breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Yogesh KumarPrincipal Scientist (Plant Breeding)Chickpea breedingView full profile ›
Dr. A. K. SrivastavaSenior ScientistChickpea breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Ashok K. PariharSenior Scientist — Plant Breeding and GeneticsFieldpea and pigeonpea breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Uday Chand JhaSenior Scientist (Senior Scale)Chickpea breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Debjyoti Sen GuptaSenior Scientist (Senior Scale)Urdbean, lentil and rajmash breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Abhishek BohraSenior ScientistPlant male sterility and heterosis breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Biswajit MondalScientistMungbean, pigeonpea and chickpea breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Vishal DinkarScientistMungbean breedingView full profile ›
Dr. Ashok K. Parihar
Senior Scientist — Plant Breeding and Genetics
Area of specialization
Fieldpea and pigeonpea breeding
Current area of research
Major research achievements
Awards and recognitions
Publications
