ICAR-IIWBR: New Wheat Varieties with High Yield and Disease Resistance

The Better Farming Desk

New Delhi. ICAR-IIWBR has developed three new varieties of wheat, which will not only give excellent yield but are also resistant to several diseases like rust.

As the temperature is increasing year by year, it is also affecting wheat production. In such a situation, scientists are engaged in developing such varieties, which can give good yields and also remain unaffected by rising temperatures.

ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana, has developed three such new bio-fortified varieties – DBW 370 (Karan Vaidehi), DBW 371 (Karan Vrinda), and DBW 372 (Karan Varuna) – which have much higher yields than the earlier varieties.

ICAR-IIWBR’s Principal Scientist Dr. Amit Kumar Sharma told The Better Farming about the special features of these wheat varieties, “As the temperature is rising, we are developing heat-tolerant varieties so that wheat production is not affected. These three varieties are such types. All these are bio-fortified varieties, which have many more qualities.”

The northern Indo-Gangetic plains are the most fertile and highest wheat-producing areas of the country. This region includes the main wheat-producing states such as Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan (excluding Kota and Udaipur divisions), Western Uttar Pradesh, the Terai region of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Una district of Himachal Pradesh, and Paonta Valley.

• What are the specialties of these three varieties: DBW 370 (Karan Vaidehi), DBW 371 (Karan Vrinda), and DBW 372 (Karan Varuna) – all three varieties have been developed for early sowing under irrigated conditions in the north-western plains of India.

• DBW 371 (Karan Vrinda): Developed for early sowing in irrigated areas. This variety can be cultivated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan (excluding Kota and Udaipur divisions), Western Uttar Pradesh (excluding Jhansi division), Jammu and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, Una district of Himachal Pradesh, Paonta Valley, and the Terai region of Uttarakhand. Its production capacity is 87.1 quintals per hectare and average yield is 75.1 quintals per hectare. Plant height is 100 cm, maturity duration is 150 days, and 1000 grain weight is 46 grams. This variety has 12.2% protein content, 39.9 ppm zinc, and 44.9 ppm iron.

• DBW 370 (Karan Vaidehi): Its production capacity is 86.9 quintals per hectare and average yield is 74.9 quintals per hectare. Plant height is 99 cm, maturity duration is 151 days, and 1000 grain weight is 41 grams. This variety contains 12% protein, 37.8 ppm zinc, and 37.9 ppm iron.

• DBW 372 (Karan Varuna): Its production capacity is 84.9 quintals per hectare and average yield is 75.3 quintals per hectare. Plant height is 96 cm, maturity duration is 151 days, and 1000 grain weight is 42 grams. This variety has 12.2% protein content, 40.8 ppm zinc, and 37.7 ppm iron. Its plants are 96 cm tall, which helps them withstand strong winds without lodging.

• These three varieties are resistant to many diseases: These varieties have been found resistant to all pathotypes of yellow and brown rust. DBW 370 and DBW 372 have also shown high resistance to Karnal bunt disease.

• Where to get the seeds: For the Rabi season 2023–24, seeds can be obtained from the seed portal of ICAR–Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana.