Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed a new wheat variety which can overcome the challenges arising out due to changes in weather patterns and rising heat levels. This new wheat variety called HD-3385 is amenable to early sowing, escaping the impact of heat spikes and can be harvested before March end.
ICAR Principal Scientist Rajbir Yadav explained the merits of this new variety and how the farmers can get good production by sowing this wheat variety.
Recently, in the wake of rising temperatures, the Centre’s announced to set up of a committee to monitor the situation arising from the increase in temperatures and its impact on the current wheat crop.
The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has registered HD-3385 with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA). It has also licenced the variety to the DCM Shriram Ltd-owned Bioseed for undertaking multi-location trials and seed multiplication.
“This is our first ever such public-private partnership experiment. By registering the variety with PPVFRA, we are ensuring full protection of our intellectual property rights,” said IARI’s director A.K. Singh.
The IARI scientists have developed three varieties, all of them incorporating genes that are responsible for the mild vernalisation requirement preventing premature flowering and early heading.
The first, HDCSW-18, was released and officially notified in 2016. Although having a potential wheat yield of over 7 tonnes per hectare – as against 6-6.5 tonnes for existing popular varieties such HD-2967 and HD-3086 – its plants grew to 105-110 cm. Being tall, compared to 90-95 cm for normal high-yielding varieties, made them prone to lodging or bending over when their earheads were heavy with well-filled grains.
The second variety HD-3410, released in 2022, has higher yield potential (7.5 tonnes/hectare) with lower plant height (100-105 cm).
But it’s the third one, HD-3385, which looks most promising. With the same yields as HD-3410, plant height of just 95 cm and strong stems, it is least lodging-prone and most amenable for early sowing. This variety, sown this time at IARI’s trial fields on October 22, has reached pollination stage – while the emergence of the earheads is yet to start for the wheat that was planted in the normal time.
This news of the new wheat variety developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and The Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) could be inspiring for others in a number of ways.
First, it could demonstrate the importance of research and innovation in addressing global challenges. As climate change continues to impact agriculture and food production around the world, developing new varieties of crops that are better adapted to changing weather patterns is crucial. The development of HD-3385 could inspire other research institutions and governments to invest in similar efforts to help secure the world’s food supply in the face of climate change.
Second, it could offer hope to farmers and communities that are struggling to adapt to changing weather patterns. By providing a wheat variety that is more resilient to heat and weather extremes, the development of HD-3385 could help farmers maintain their livelihoods and provide food security to their communities, even in the face of climate change.
Finally, it could highlight the potential benefits of collaboration and knowledge-sharing across borders. As climate change is a global challenge, solutions will need to be developed and shared across countries and regions. The development of HD-3385 could inspire greater collaboration and information-sharing among agricultural research institutions around the world, helping to accelerate progress towards more sustainable and resilient food systems.
Overall, the story of the new wheat variety developed by ICAR & IARI could be inspiring for others by demonstrating the importance of research and innovation in addressing global challenges, offering hope to farmers and communities, and highlighting the potential benefits of collaboration and knowledge-sharing across borders.