Punjab Agricultural University develops five varieties of 3 crops

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 23

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has developed and recommended three new varieties of wheat and one each of berseem (clover) and oats for cultivation in Punjab. These include PBW 803, PBW 824 and PBW 869 of wheat, BL 44 of berseem and OL 15 of oats.

The varieties were approved during the meeting of the State Variety Approval Committee held under chairmanship of Dr Sukhdev Singh Sidhu, Director, Agriculture.

As per Dr Navtej Singh Bains, director (Research), and Dr Jaskarn Singh Mahal, director (Extension education), PAU, PBW 803 has been recommended for cultivation in the south-western region (Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Mansa and Muktsar) under irrigated timely sown conditions. “Its average height is 100 cm and it matures in about 151 days. It is fully resistant to brown rust and moderately to yellow rust. Its average yield is 22.7 quintals per acre,” said Dr Bains.

He said PBW 824, recommended under irrigated timely sown conditions, had 104 cm average height and matured in about 156 days.

The PBW 869 variety has been recommended for sowing with happy seeder/super seeder in in-situ rice residue-managed fields, based on research and adaptive trials conducted by the Borlaug Institute for South Asia and PAU. Its average height is 101 cm and it matures in about 158 days. It is fully resistant to brown rust and moderately to yellow rust. Its average yield is 23.2 quintals per acre.

Clover variety BL 44 grows quickly and has more number of tillers. The OL 15 is single-cut oats variety for irrigated areas of Punjab. Its plantsare tall, have long and broad leaves with more leafiness and tillering ability.