FNB News - New varieties of high-yielding, bio-fortified wheat

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TECHNOLOGY

New varieties of high-yielding, bio-fortified wheat

Saturday, 27 October, 2007, 08 : 00 AM [IST]

Sabyasachi Samajdar, New Delhi

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has developed a newly durum wheat variety ( HI 8663) which is excellent with high carotene content of 6.5 ppm (part per million) showing remarkable stability over growing seasons and collations.

According to ICAR, it is recommended for release in the southern parts of the country particularly in Karnataka and Maharashtra . It can serve as naturally bio-fortified food and can be used for dual purpose. Because of its high and stable carotene, high sedimentation value, high protein content of 11.6% and high levels of micro-nutrients. It can be used for nutritive chapati and is also good for quality pasta preparations for improving nutritional security especially in the southern part of the country, having pre-dominance of rice in their diet. Also, it has higher levels of other important micro-nutrients like iron 47.0 ppm and manganese 28.0 ppm.

HI 8663 is a novel genotype characterised by excellent grain quality, high stable yield and high resistance to stem and leaf rusts.

The Ludhiana-based Punjab Agricultural University has also developed a new wheat variety PBW 550 which combines high grain yield with high degree of resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust. The yield of PBW 550 under irrigated and timely sown condition is 48 quintal per hectare. PBW 550 will replace HD 2687, PBW 343, PBW 502 and WH 542 and will be an alternative for DBW 17. It is been recommended for cultivation in north-western plains zone.

Major problem in the north-western plains zone is susceptibility of predominant varieties to leaf rust and stripe rust.

The farmers of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will get an improved wheat variety HI 1544. Despite being earliest in heading and maturity compared to other varieties, HI 1544 yields 6.3% higher than GW 190, and 8% over LoK-1 and equally good yield compared to GW 322 and GW 366. It will save irrigation water, a precious input in the central parts of the country. HI 1544 will help in harvesting better yield even under deficient irrigation availability. Having high yield of 51.4 q/ha and wider adaptability, it combines high levels of field resistance to stem and leaf rusts and seedling resistance to all the pathotypes. Its early maturity and medium bold lustrous grains will provide better alternative to the identified variety GW 366 in improving the productivity and profitability of farmers of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

LoK-1 and GW 322, the currently popular bread wheat cultivars in Central India, are susceptible to a number of pathotypes. HI 1544, developed by the Regional Station of Indian Agricultural Research Institute located at Indore, has bold lustrous grain, which will fetch a premium in the market and making wheat cultivation in the central zone more profitable.

Another wheat variety, namely HD 2932, has been developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. It can be grown under late sown irrigated condition of the central zone. The variety has very wide adaptability and recommended for release in MP, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, Kota & Udaipur of Rajasthan and Jhansi of UP.

WH 1021, a high-yield potential variety having high degree of disease resistance and better in quality characters is suitable for late sown, high fertility and irrigated conditions of north-western plain zone part of the country. It is developed by CCS Haryana Agricultural Chaudhary Charan Singh University at Hissar. WH 1021 has medium height, high biomass, large number of spike lets and more grains per spike.

Vivekanand Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan at Almora develops nutritionally rich and highly rust resistant variety, VL 892. It is recommended for late sown restricted irrigation conditions in the northern hills zone. It will prove as an ideal alternative to HS 420 and replacement of HS 295 and Sonalika for cultivation in the northern hills zone. VL 892 provides better nutritional quality wheat owing to the higher content of zinc, copper and manganese.

Palampur located CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya has also developed a wheat variety HPW 251 with high yield potential under rainfed early sown conditions in northern hills zone. HPW 251 combines with high degree of resistance against major diseases such as yellow rust, brown rust and loose smut. It gives a yield of 39.9 q per ha compare to other popular varieties VL 616 and HS 277 having yielding of about 37 quintal per ha.

These decisions were taken in the 46th All India Wheat and Barley Research Workers' meet held at the College of Agriculture at Pune recently. More than 200 wheat and barley workers associated with research and developmental activities in the country attended the meet.