Paiyur 2
TNAU's current standard rainfed horse gram variety for almost all of Tamil Nadu, bred by gamma-ray mutation of the older CO 1 line.
Quick facts
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Kharif
- Maturity period
- 100–105 days
- Expected yield
- About 870 kg/ha (rainfed)
- Suitable soil
- Poor, marginal, well-drained soils
- Release
- Released 1998 · Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Paiyur · notified SO.425(E), 8 June 1999
About this variety
Paiyur 2 is Tamil Nadu Agricultural University's 1998 horse gram release from its Regional Research Station at Paiyur, notified under SO.425(E) dated 8 June 1999, and developed by gamma-irradiation mutation breeding of the university's earlier CO 1 line — both the release details and the parentage are confirmed via TNAU's own crop production guide and its official cumulative variety register. It is a compact plant, 40-45 cm tall with 2-3 branches, pale-brown seeded, with a 100-seed weight of about 3.5 g and 50% flowering around 45-50 days after sowing. TNAU recommends it for rainfed, November-sown cultivation across essentially all of Tamil Nadu except the Nilgiris and Kanyakumari districts, where it has recorded a rainfed yield of about 870 kg/ha — making it the state's current standard horse gram variety and the direct successor to the older CO 1 and Paiyur 1 lines.
Key characteristics
Sowing & cultivation
- Sowing timeNovember (rainfed, on the retreating northeast monsoon in Tamil Nadu)
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
100–105 days
Expected yield
About 870 kg/ha (rainfed)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Not separately documented
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- TNAU's current recommended horse gram variety for rainfed cultivation across almost all of Tamil Nadu (outside the Nilgiris and Kanyakumari).
- A compact, 2-3-branched plant habit and documented 50% flowering at 45-50 days give it a predictable, fairly short cycle for a rainfed pulse.
Things to consider
- Specific disease-resistance ratings for Paiyur 2 were not found in available sources — standard field hygiene and the crop's general yellow mosaic virus and pod borer precautions apply.
- The documented 870 kg/ha yield figure is from rainfed trial/recommendation conditions; actual farm yield varies with rainfall and management, as with any rainfed pulse.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Tamil Nadu
Frequently asked questions
What makes Paiyur 2 different from the older CO 1 variety?
Paiyur 2 was bred by exposing CO 1 seed to gamma radiation and selecting an improved mutant line from it — the same variety-improvement approach used for several other Indian pulses. It has since become TNAU's standard recommendation, effectively replacing both CO 1 and Paiyur 1 in current cultivation guidance for Tamil Nadu.
Sourced from: TNAU — Crop Production Guide, Horsegram, TNAU — Crop Varieties Released from TNAU (1921–2024). editorial policy.