DEVELOPMENT OF TURNIP NEW VARIETY SHAHKAR-1 NEW STRAIN’S SUITABLE DURING THE HOT MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST IN THE PLAINS OF PUNJAB

Turnip is an important Rabi vegetable cultivated in the Punjab region of Pakistan and consumed as both fresh and cooked, providing almost all essential minerals required for human health. The turnips a cool-season crop and the variety "Purple Top" faced significant challenges when sown during the summer. The new turnip strain "Shahkar-1" (Agata Purple Top) proved a superior yielder compared to the standard variety, Purple Top. On average, Shahkar-1 showed a remarkable increase in root and leaf yield by 37.27% in Sahiwal, 52.66% in Bahawalpur, and an impressive 97.83% in Sheikupura. One of the major benefits of this new strain’s ability to produce root crops during the hot months of July and August in the plains of Punjab, where exotic varieties typically fail to develop proper roots. Consequently, Shahkar-1 can fetch higher prices for the farming community, providing them with an economic advantage.