RHB 273
The world's first three-way pearl millet hybrid — combining three parent lines rather than the usual two — bred jointly by ICRISAT and ICAR (via the AICRP centre at RARI/SKNAU Jobner) for stacked resistance across multiple diseases plus grain and fodder yield. Officially released 4 January 2026 for the A1 dryland zone (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana). Very recently released — commercial seed availability to ordinary farmers is not yet confirmed; see considerations before treating this as currently purchasable.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Bajra (Pearl Millet)
- Type
- Hybrid
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 78–80 days
- Expected yield
- ~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
- Suitable soil
- Sandy / light soil
- Release
- Bred by ICRISAT and ICAR via the AICRP Pearl Millet centre at RARI/SKNAU Jobner (work begun 2019); formally released and notified on 4 January 2026 for India's A1 dryland zone (parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana)
About this variety
RHB 273 was developed by ICRISAT in partnership with ICAR through the All India Coordinated Research Project on Pearl Millet (AICRP) centre at the Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute (RARI), part of Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU), Jobner — with breeding work on this three-way hybrid approach beginning in 2019. It is described by ICRISAT as the world's first three-way pearl millet hybrid: unlike conventional two-parent pearl millet hybrids, it combines three parental lines, which its breeders say gives better buffering against both disease and drought stress. It was formally released on 4 January 2026, when the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, notified 184 new crop varieties across 25 crops; RHB 273 was approved specifically for India's A1 dryland zones — parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana, where annual rainfall is below 400 mm. Across three years of multi-location testing (2022–2024, 30 sites in three states), it recorded an average grain yield of about 2,230 kg/ha (~22.3 q/ha), a reported 13–27% advantage over regional varieties, and roughly 28% higher yield than the widely grown check HHB 67 Improved, alongside resistance to downy mildew, blast and smut and — as a dual-purpose hybrid — improved fodder quality for livestock in these drought-prone belts. Because the release is only months old, exact agronomic details such as days-to-maturity and plant height were not found published in the sources checked in this pass, and — importantly — the Ministry's own release statement frames getting all 184 newly notified varieties to farmers as a three-year goal, so current commercial seed availability could not be confirmed.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
78–80 days
Expected yield
~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
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- World's first three-way pearl millet hybrid — combining three parent lines instead of two for, per its breeders, better buffering against both disease and drought stress
- Confirmed resistance to downy mildew, blast and smut, three of pearl millet's major disease pressures in dryland zones
- Across 2022–2024 multi-location trials (30 sites, 3 states), averaged ~22.3 q/ha — a reported 13–27% advantage over regional varieties and ~28% over the widely grown HHB 67 Improved — plus improved fodder quality for livestock in drought-prone belts
Things to consider
- AVAILABILITY — the single most important caveat: RHB 273 was released only on 4 January 2026 as part of a 184-variety batch, and the Ministry's own press release frames getting that batch to farmers as a three-year goal, not an immediate one. No seednet.gov.in listing, State Seed Corporation stock entry, or private-multiplier sale listing was found in this pass. Do not present this as seed a farmer can currently buy without checking current-season multiplication status directly with SKNAU Jobner, the Rajasthan State Seed Corporation, or ICRISAT.
- DURATION: "78–80 days" could not be confirmed against any primary source found in this pass (ICRISAT press room, PIB release) — neither source states an exact days-to-maturity figure. Not contradicted, just unverified; kept as-is rather than replaced with a guess.
- YIELD RANGE: the confirmed primary-source figure is a trial average of ~2,230 kg/ha (~22.3 q/ha). The "up to 28 q/ha" upper bound is a plausible implication of the reported 13–27% advantage over regional checks, but no source explicitly states a 28 q/ha trial result — flagged as an inference, not a sourced fact.
- PARENTAGE / PLANT HEIGHT: no source found in this pass names the three specific parent lines or gives an exact plant height — left unstated rather than guessed.
- STATES: corrected from Rajasthan-only to the full officially notified A1 zone (Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana) per the ICRISAT/ICAR release announcement.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Rajasthan
- Gujarat
- Haryana
Frequently asked questions
What makes RHB 273 different from other pearl millet hybrids?
It's a three-way hybrid, combining three parent lines instead of the usual two. According to its breeders, this gives it better buffering against both disease and drought stress than conventional two-parent hybrids.
Can farmers buy RHB 273 seed right now?
That's not yet confirmed. It was officially released in January 2026, and the government's own announcement treats getting newly released varieties to farmers as a multi-year process — so check current seed availability with SKNAU Jobner, your State Seed Corporation, or a licensed dealer before planning around it.
Sourced from: ICRISAT and ICAR Announce Release of the World's First Three-way Pearl Millet Hybrid — ICRISAT Press Room, श्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान ने आईसीएआर द्वारा विकसित 25 फसलों की 184 नई किस्में राष्ट्र को किया समर्पित — Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (source of the 3-year farmer-reach target and 4 Jan 2026 release date), World's First Three-way Pearl Millet Hybrid RHB 273 by ICRISAT and ICAR — Global Agriculture. editorial policy.