DRR Dhan 90 (IET 29581): A Nitrogen Use Efficient Rice Variety Adapted to Low Soil Nitrogen Input Conditions
Neeraja CN*, Kalyani MB, Anantha MS, Senguttuvel P, Surekha K, Sundaram RM, Veerendra Jaldhani, Seman K, Sai Prasad SV, Raghuveer Rao P, Mangruthia SK, Sanjeeva Rao D, Prasad MS, Mahender Kumar R, Padma Kumari AP, Prasad Babu MBB, Mangal Deep Tuti, Jyothi Badri, Santosha Rathod, Akshay S Sakhare, Brajendra Parmer, Subrahmanyam D, Amtul Waris, Divya Balakrishnan, Chaitanya U, Srinivasa Rao D, Ramulu K, Subhakara Rao I, Bollam Srikanth and Bathula Srikanth.
ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500030.
*Corresponding author Email: cnneeraja@gmail.com
Volume 19-(1), 2026 ; https://doi.org/10.58297/HNQU6833 Click here for Pdf
Received: 5th April, 2026; Accepted: 13th April, 2026
Abstract
DRR Dhan 90 [IET 29581 (RP6255-BV-RIL-1696)], a low soil nitrogen (N) tolerant rice variety with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), was developed from the cross of BPT5204/Varadhan. The entry was evaluated in All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice (AICRPR) multi-location Low Nitrogen Tolerance Trials (LNT) during 2021-2024 under 0% N application and 50% of recommended N dosage conditions. DRR Dhan 90 consistently outperformed the checks in Zone VII under low N conditions. Under 50% N condition, the mean grain yield in Zone VII was 4590 kg/ha with superiority over Improved Samba Mahsuri (14%), Rasi (22%) and Varadhan (39%). Under 0% N condition, the variety recorded a mean grain yield of 4098 kg/ha with superiority of 26%, 2% and 46% over the respective checks. The variety exhibited moderate resistance to leaf blast, neck blast, sheath rot and moderate resistance to brown plant hopper, white-backed plant hopper, stem borer and whorl maggot. DRR Dhan 90 possesses desirable grain and cooking quality traits with short bold grains, intermediate amylose content (22.7%) and head rice recovery (64.7%). Based on its consistent multi-environment superiority for yield and adaptability to low N condition, DRR Dhan 90 was released for commercial cultivation in the irrigated ecosystems of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka by the Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification and Release of Varieties for Agricultural Crops vide S.O. 6123 (E) dated December 31, 2025 (CG-DL-E-31122025-268976).