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Sci Tech
Wheat variety for peninsular zone
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
The high- yielding wheat variety is ideally suited for growing in the rain fed season of the peninsular zone.
A HIGH-YIELDING wheat variety, which is ideally suited for the timely sown rain-fed conditions in the peninsular zone, has been developed by the scientists at the Genetics Division of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi.
The improved variety has been released for commercial cultivation by the farmers as `HD 2781'.The semi-spreading HD 2781 matures in about 103 days and grows to a height of about 64 cm. It has shown very good adaptation under higher temperature and moisture stress condition prevalent in the peninsular zone. This fact is apparent from its performance in the previous three cropping seasons, where it out yielded the best ruling varieties in the region, according to the scientists.
Its stability in performance has been established in the rain fed coordinated trials conducted during three years, and it has consistently scored over the check varieties in the field trials. It also has got very high degree of resistance to leaf rust, and stem rust and high degree of tolerance to foot rot disease.
The new variety has responded well to good nutrient management. Its grain weight and final yield increased significantly with the increased application of nitrogen. Wheat varieties developed for the rain fed belts in the peninsular zone will have to meet the special requirements of the region.
The major area under wheat in the peninsular zone is affected by higher temperature and moisture stress. Relatively higher temperature and short winter in the zone during rabi season causes reduced initial stand and rapid completion of developmental phases of wheat plant.
This results in reduction in tillering, lesser number of grains/ear, size and weight of the grain, reduced biomass and early senescence of plant parts. All these factors contribute to the total grain loss and poor yield.
The zone is replete with biotic stresses. The major crippling diseases such as stem and leaf rusts and foot rot are prevalent in the belt.
Although under rain fed conditions, the rust problem is not alarming, cultivation of rust-resistant varieties under timely sown rain fed season will not pose to be a source of inoculum for the irrigated crop, according to the scientists.
At present, only two bread wheat varieties, NI 5439 and K 9644, are popular among the growers, and they are grown extensively in the region. The new variety HD 2781 with its superior performance with respect to grain yield, better stability, disease resistance and grain type, will diversify the genetic base of bread wheat cultivars in the zone. The new improved variety has got `stay green' characteristics, and even under very high temperature and drought situations during terminal growth stage, it shows very late senescence.
With all its positive attributes, the new high yielding wheat variety has been well received by the farmers in the belt.
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