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.
Quick facts
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 75–78 days
- Expected yield
- 18–20 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Disease resistance
- High resistance to downy mildew
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
Pusa 1201 is a pearl millet hybrid credited to ICAR-IARI's Division of Genetics, New Delhi. No IARI, ICAR or government notification page we could reach describes it, unlike its stablemate Pusa Composite 701. IARI's own pearl millet variety/hybrid listing pages, directly, name Pusa Composite 701 and several other Pusa hybrids and composites but not Pusa 1201 by that exact designation. What is available is one set of figures, repeated in near-identical wording across many agriculture-news and seed-trade sources (including krushivikas.co.in). They give a maturity of 78–80 days and resistance to both downy mildew and blast. The average grain yield is put at about 2.8 t/ha, with a potential up to 4.5 t/ha under good management. The grain is called biofortified — about 13–14% protein, roughly 55 mg/kg iron and 48 mg/kg zinc. That is 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). None of this is confirmed by a government page, so treat these figures as widely repeated trade information rather than official data, and ask your dealer or KVK before you plan a big area on them.
Should you pick this variety?
Pick Pusa 1201 if the stover is worth as much to you as the grain. It is an ICAR-IARI hybrid of 75–78 days with 18–20 q/ha and high resistance to downy mildew, grown for grain and fodder together, and recommended for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Secondary sources also describe it as naturally biofortified (about 13–14% protein, 55 mg/kg iron, 48 mg/kg zinc) and as fit for a second irrigated summer crop sown February–March; neither could be checked against an IARI or ICAR page, so treat both as useful but unconfirmed. If you want seed you can resow, Pusa Composite 701 is the open-pollinated stablemate from the same institute. If the monsoon is very short, HHB 67 Improved at 65–70 days is the safer sowing.
Sowing & cultivation
Advantages & considerations
Things to consider
- Higher yields are quoted in the trade — about 28 q/ha average and up to 45 q/ha — but always in the same copied wording, and no government page names Pusa 1201 at all. So the cautious 18–20 q/ha is the figure to plan on. Plan on that and treat anything more as a good year.
- One set of sources gives 75–78 days, trade sources say 78–80 days. The gap is small — expect roughly 75–80 days in your own field.
- No government seed portal we could check lists Pusa 1201, so confirm stock with the IARI seed sales counter or your state seed corporation before you plan area on it, and be careful with any shop selling it under a similar-sounding name.
- No source found — 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
Grain in the sack, fodder in the shed: splitting one crop
Pusa 1201 is grown where the stover is worth about as much to the household as the grain, and on a farm with animals that is most of the bajra belt. The grain side is straightforward: 75–78 days, 18–20 q/ha, high resistance to downy mildew, recommended for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The fodder side is why you would pick it over a grain-only hybrid — plan on cutting and stacking the stover properly, not leaving it in the field, because that is half of what you grew.
Two of the figures given above come from secondary sources, not from an IARI or ICAR page: the biofortification figures (about 13–14% protein, 55 mg/kg iron, 48 mg/kg zinc) and the February–March irrigated summer crop with 1–2 irrigations. Both are plausible and both are useful, but treat them as unconfirmed. If the nutrition matters to you, it matters at home and in the animal shed, because no mandi price we could find pays extra for it. If the summer crop interests you, try one small plot first and see what your water and the heat actually allow.
Where the planting material comes from
This is a hybrid, so seed kept from your own harvest will not breed true. The next crop comes up uneven in height, maturity and yield. Buy fresh certified seed every season and keep the bag tag until harvest.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Bajra (Pearl Millet) variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HHB 67 Improved | The shortest rains — grain in under 70 days | 65–70 days | 20–25 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat |
| Pusa 1201this page | Grain plus fodder, and a second summer crop | 75–78 days | 18–20 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan |
| Pusa Composite 383 | Keeping your own seed in the dry tracts | 70–75 days | 16–20 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Pusa Composite 701 | Downy mildew and blast cover, with seed you can resow | 78–82 days | 20–23 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi |
| RHB 177 | The highest yield here, with bird-resistant earheads | 78–80 days | 25–28 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana |
| RHB 273 | The widest disease cover — once the seed reaches you | 78–80 days | ~22 q/ha average (2,230 kg/ha) in multi-location trials; up to ~28 q/ha implied by the reported 13–27% advantage over regional checks, though no trial explicitly reports that upper figure | Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Bajra (Pearl Millet) is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Bajra (Pearl Millet) plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Bajra (Pearl Millet) variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Bajra (Pearl Millet) into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Bajra (Pearl Millet) in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Bajra (Pearl Millet) rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Bajra (Pearl Millet) seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pusa 1201 a hybrid or an open-pollinated variety?
It's a hybrid (matching the `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 an IARI or ICAR primary page.
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?
The safer figure is 18–20 q/ha. Higher figures circulate across secondary sources — about 28 q/ha average and up to 45 q/ha. But they appear in near-identical wording, which points to one unconfirmed original rather than independent checks. No IARI or ICAR page we could open names Pusa 1201 at all. So the 18–20 q/ha figure stays until a primary source turns up.
Where can a farmer buy Pusa 1201 seed?
Not confirmed. 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.
How does Pusa 1201 compare with Pusa Composite 701?
Both are from ICAR-IARI, and the real difference is the seed. Pusa 1201 is a hybrid: 75–78 days, 18–20 q/ha, high downy mildew resistance, new seed every year. Pusa Composite 701 is an open-pollinated composite: 78–82 days, 20–23 q/ha, resistant to downy mildew and blast, recommended across seven states, and you can keep your own seed. Choose 1201 for the fodder and the summer-crop option, 701 if the yearly seed bill matters.
Should I expect a better price for the higher protein and iron?
No. Nothing we could find records a separate mandi price for high-iron or high-protein bajra, and the nutrition figures themselves come from secondary sources, not an IARI page. Treat the grain quality as a gain for your own household and your animals, not as extra income. If a mill or an FPO near you does test and pay for quality, ask them first and get the terms in writing.
Is the summer bajra crop worth trying?
It can be, if you have water. The reported system is a February–March sowing after potato or mustard with 1–2 irrigations, on top of the usual June–July kharif window. The source for that is secondary, so start with a small plot in one season and see what the heat and your water supply allow before you plan on two crops.
Should I plan 75–78 days or 78–80 days for Pusa 1201?
One set of sources gives 75–78 days, while trade sources say 78–80 days. The gap is small, so expect roughly 75–80 days in your own field and count back from the date you want the field free, with a few days to spare. Rain, sowing date and soil move the number more than the difference between sources.
What seed rate and spacing should I use for Pusa 1201?
No source we found gives a seed rate or spacing for Pusa 1201 itself, so no figure is invented for it. Follow your state's general recommendation for hybrid bajra, and ask the seed seller or your KVK whether the seed lot comes with its own advice. Pusa 1201 is a hybrid, so buy fresh seed each season.