ICRISAT, ICAR release world’s first three-way pearl millet hybrid in India

INDIA – The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), working with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) through the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet (AICRP) at the Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), has developed RHB 273, the world’s first three-way pearl millet hybrid.

The hybrid has now been officially released for cultivation in India’s most water-stressed regions.

On 4 January 2026, India’s Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, announced the release of 184 improved crop varieties across 25 crops.

RHB 273 was among the notified varieties and has been approved for cultivation in A1 dryland zones, which include parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana. These areas are characterised by annual rainfall of less than 400 mm and face chronic production risks due to heat stress and water scarcity.

Unlike conventional pearl millet hybrids, which are developed using two parental lines, RHB 273 is a three-way hybrid.

This breeding approach enables the integration of multiple traits within a single hybrid, including higher grain yield, drought tolerance and improved fodder quality.

According to ICRISAT, this design provides greater resilience under stress-prone environments typical of arid and semi-arid regions.

“Millets are a lifeline for drought-prone regions in Asia and Africa. Pearl millet, in particular, is known for its ability to withstand high temperatures and low water availability,” said Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT.

He added that the ICRISAT–ICAR partnership has delivered several “World’s-first” and “India’s-first” Pearl Millet varieties. We are pleased to add yet another milestone, “World’s First Three-way Pearl Millet Hybrid” in partnership with RARI.”

RHB 273 demonstrated strong adaptability during three years of multi-location testing between 2022 and 2024.

Trials were conducted across 30 sites in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana. The hybrid recorded an average grain yield of about 2,230 kg per hectare, delivering a yield advantage of approximately 13–27% over regional checks.

It also outperformed the widely grown HHB 67 Improved by around 28%. In addition, the hybrid showed good resistance to major pearl millet diseases, including downy mildew, blast and smut.

Dr Tara Satyavathi, Director of the ICAR-Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), Hyderabad, said, “RHB 273 is an innovative hybrid, and its adoption—especially in the A1 belt will significantly strengthen pearl millet production in drought-prone states of north-western India, contributing to food, nutrition and fodder security.”

Representatives from partner institutions, including Dr P. S. Chauhan, Vice-Chancellor of SKNAU, Jobner; Dr Ummed Singh, Director of Research at SKNAU; and Dr S. K. Jain, In-charge of AICRP on Pearl Millet at RARI, highlighted the hybrid’s potential to address persistent food and fodder deficits in arid regions.

Fodder availability remains a critical constraint in the arid and hyper-arid belts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, where water shortages frequently reduce biomass production. Beyond grain output, RHB 273 provides improved fodder yield and quality, supporting livestock productivity and household resilience in mixed crop–livestock systems.

Dr S. K. Gupta, Principal Scientist for Pearl Millet Breeding at ICRISAT, explained that the “Three-way hybrids offer better buffering capacity against biotic and abiotic stresses, making them well-suited to stress-prone ecologies.

“We initiated this novel work in pearl millet in 2019 with our partners, and the results we see today validate the approach. This dual-purpose hybrid delivers a integrated solution, from higher farm yields to improved nutrition and better fodder for livestock,” he said.

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