Pusa 1201
A newer ICAR-IARI release grown for both grain and fodder, valued where the stover is worth as much to a farmer as the grain. Not yet individually researched for a detail page.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Bajra (Pearl Millet)
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 75–78 days
- Expected yield
- 18–20 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
About this variety
Pusa 1201 is a pearl millet hybrid credited to ICAR-IARI's Division of Genetics, New Delhi — but unlike its stablemate Pusa Composite 701, no directly-fetchable IARI, ICAR or government variety-notification page could be found describing it in this research pass; IARI's own pearl millet variety/hybrid listing pages, fetched directly, name Pusa Composite 701 and several other Pusa hybrids and composites but not Pusa 1201 by that exact designation. What is available is a consistent set of figures repeated, in near-identical wording, across many independent secondary agriculture-news and seed-trade sources (including krushivikas.co.in): a maturity of 78–80 days, resistance to both downy mildew and blast, an average grain yield of about 2.8 t/ha with a reported potential up to 4.5 t/ha under good management, and biofortified grain — about 13–14% protein, roughly 55 mg/kg iron and 48 mg/kg zinc, both said to be above typical pearl millet levels (around 50 mg/kg iron, 35 mg/kg zinc). The same secondary description adds that it suits both the standard kharif window (June–July sowing) and a second, irrigated summer-bajra crop (February–March, after potato or mustard harvest, with 1–2 irrigations). Because no single page carrying this description proved directly fetchable and readable in this pass — every attempt returned either no result or a page not mentioning Pusa 1201 by name — these figures are reported here as widely-repeated-but-not-independently-verified, not as confirmed primary-source facts.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
75–78 days
Expected yield
18–20 q/ha
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Reviewed 2026-08-15: the higher yieldPotential figures (~28 q/ha average, up to ~45 q/ha) appear across many secondary sources, but in near-identical repeated wording — a sign of one uncorroborated original (e.g. a seed-trade listing) being copied, not independent confirmation — and no fetchable IARI/ICAR primary page names Pusa 1201 at all. Left as-is (18–20 q/ha) pending a primary source rather than adopting an unconfirmed higher figure.
- This record's existing duration (75–78 days) is close to, but not identical to, the widely-repeated secondary-source figure of 78–80 days — a minor, probably immaterial gap.
- This record's existing diseaseResistance states resistance to downy mildew only; secondary sources consistently add blast resistance as well — consistent in direction, not contradictory, but not yet reflected in this record's top-level field.
- A single, uncorroborated search result referred to a bajra hybrid by a name resembling this one as 'MH 1849,' notified in 2018 for the Delhi NCR region. This could not be corroborated by any second independent source and conflicts with the mainstream reported figures (78–80 days, wide A-zone recommendation) used elsewhere in this pass, so it is treated as unreliable and is not reflected anywhere in this record.
- No source found in this pass — primary or secondary — states Pusa 1201's exact parentage (A-line x R-line cross), a precise seed rate, or a spacing recommendation specific to this hybrid; left unstated rather than guessed.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Rajasthan
Frequently asked questions
Is Pusa 1201 a hybrid or an open-pollinated variety?
It's a hybrid (matching this record's own `type` field) — different from its stablemate Pusa Composite 701, which is an open-pollinated composite that farmers can save and resow seed from.
Is Pusa 1201 biofortified?
Multiple secondary sources describe it as naturally biofortified, with grain protein around 13–14%, iron around 55 mg/kg and zinc around 48 mg/kg — all above typical pearl millet levels — though this could not be verified against a directly-fetched IARI or ICAR primary page in this research pass.
Can Pusa 1201 be grown outside the kharif season?
Secondary sources describe it as suited to a second, irrigated summer-bajra crop (February–March sowing, after potato or mustard harvest, with 1–2 irrigations) in addition to the standard June–July kharif window.
What is the actual yield of Pusa 1201 — is it 18–20 q/ha or higher?
This record states 18–20 q/ha. Higher figures (~28 q/ha average, up to ~45 q/ha) circulate across secondary sources, but in near-identical repeated wording that points to one uncorroborated original rather than independent confirmation, and no fetchable IARI/ICAR page names Pusa 1201 at all — so the existing 18–20 q/ha figure is kept until a primary source turns up.
Where can a farmer buy Pusa 1201 seed?
Not confirmed in this research pass. IARI does sell seed of its own released varieties and hybrids through its Pusa seed sales counter and dealer network, but no listing specific to Pusa 1201 was found directly — check with IARI's seed sales counter or your State Seed Corporation before planning around it.