Scientists Develop 5 New High-yielding Wheat Varieties Approved By ICAR

Five new high-yielding wheat varieties have been developed by scientists at the Wheat and Barley Research Institute in Karnal and the best thing is that it has got approval from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

It will be made available to farmers from the upcoming sowing season in October.

According to scientists at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR), the varieties are resistant to climate and can produce up to 75 quintals per hectare, helping farmers to harvest 5 to 10 quintals more than the average yield of 20 to 22 quintals per acre.

These new varieties, named DBW-316, DBW-55 (d), DBW-370, DBW-371, and DBW-372, have been approved by the varietal identification committee of wheat and barley of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

All five new varieties will help to increase the income of farmers as all the varieties are high yielding, and the seed will be made accessible to farmers starting with the upcoming sowing season in October, according to Director of ICAR- IIWBR Gyanendra Pratap Singh, who is also Member Secretary of the Varietal Identification Committee Meeting.

DBW-370, DBW-371, and DBW-372 are three varieties that have been considered based on their superior yield and high yield potential. Due to its 75-quintal yield capability, these varieties have been suggested for early seeding.

While the DBW-316, a lateral variety with superior quality, has been identified and is advised for the north-eastern plains zone (NEPZ), which includes Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand.

Similar to this, DBW-55 (D) has been identified based on superior yield and resistance to brown and black rusts. Even, earlier developed DBW-303 variety has been recommended for area extension in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.

Officials involved in the research during the annual meeting of the All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on wheat and barley held from August 29 to 31 in Gwalior said 22 new wheat varieties were identified and recommended out of the total 27 wheat varieties proposals submitted for identification and area extension by the different research institutes of the country.

When asked what measures are being taken to protect farmers from losses after last year's wheat yield declined by 30 to 50% due to unfavorable weather and an early heat wave due to climate change, Singh said, "The scientists have been working on it for the past couple of years as out of total 22 recommended varieties, 10 are climate resilient. Even last year, when the total production fell to only 2 million tonnes from 109.6 million tonnes the year before, these weather-resistant and high-yielding varieties helped in reducing the yield loss.