Bayer launches hybrid chilli seed ‘Indu’ in AP & Telangana

Bayer India’s Vegetable Seeds business has launched its hybrid hot chilli variety: ‘Indu’, in key markets of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While, Indu has been available in Madhya Pradesh since 2013, it will now make its fiery presence felt in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. These three states are India’s largest producers of hot chilli peppers and major contributors of chilli exports.

Indu belongs to the small size chilli segment and has excellent colour value as measured in the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) units and pungency as measured in Scoville heat units (SHU). In addition, Indu is a reliable plant variety with intermediate resistance to the Chilli Leaf Curl virus, which is the biggest problem faced by chilli growers.

Chillies grown using Indu seeds measure about 8 - 10 cms in length and 1 cm in breadth. They are suitable for both fresh consumption and dry purposes. Indu’s vigorous secondary branching habit and fruit bearing capacity ensure yields better than most competitors in the market. The fruits are firm and shiny and have good shipping ability.

Chillies are an important ingredient in many cuisines around the world as it adds pungency, taste, flavor and colour to dishes. Indian Chilli is considered to be world famous for two important commercial qualities: colour and taste. They are also rich in vitamins, potassium, magnesium and iron. Chilli has been long used for pain relief, extracts of chilli peppers are used for alleviating the pain of arthritis, headache, burns and neuralgia. India is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of chilli peppers and contributes about 36% of world’s production.