Calcutta: Scientists at the North Bengal Agricultural University in Cooch Behar have developed a new variety of ginger called Mohini that they say has a "natural sweet aroma" and offers higher yields than conventional ginger.

"The Union agricultural department announced the new product through a gazette notification in January after its performance was tested in Bengal and elsewhere," vice-chancellor Chirantan Chattopadhyay told The Telegraph.

B. Rajender, a joint secretary in the Union agricultural ministry, said: "The ministry has cleared it (Mohini) for commercial production after the Central Variety Release Committee confirmed it has certain advantages over the traditional varieties."

Soumendra Chakraborty, who developed Mohini with his colleagues after more than a decade of research, said the new variety is more resistant to various plant diseases than ordinary ginger.

"Its yield is almost twice that of traditional varieties - 14 tonnes per hectare compared with 6 to 10 tonnes per hectare. More important, it has a natural sweet aroma," he said. "We expect it to be ready for cultivation by farmers within a year or two."

Mohini was developed from a variety of ginger found in Morolpara, Alipurduar. The new research has been published in the International Journal of Science, Environment and Technology.

Some 70 per cent of India's ginger comes from Kerala. The crop is grown also in Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal, Bengal and Sikkim.

"Mohini has been recommended for all the ginger-growing states," said Ashok Choudhury, director of research at the university.