Posted on March, 13, 2023 at 10:31 am
The scientists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IARI) have developed a new wheat variety that can withstand rising temperatures and produce a higher yield for farmers.
This is a significant development in the light of growing concerns about how the climate crisis-induced heat stress may affect India’s wheat crop.
Wheat crop experiences high temperature stress during flowering stages, which is termed “terminal heat stress”. Terminal heat tolerance means that the crop is able to withstand the heat at the flowering stage.
The ICAR-IARI wheat variety, called HD 3385, has got high temperature stress tolerance, particularly towards the end of its crop cycle, and has been developed particularly for terminal heat tolerance.
IARI director Ashok Kumar Singh told ThePrint Friday: “If you remember, last year, it was sometime around between 27 and 29 March that there was a wave of heat, and that had an effect on wheat production to a certain extent. That is why the government is very proactive this year to make sure that the crop does not shrivel up.”
Last year, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana and Jharkhand reeled under record heatwaves. And there’s unlikely to be any respite this year, warned the India Meteorological Department (IMD) earlier this month.
The wheat production fell to 106.84 million tonnes in 2021-22 crop year (July-June) from 109.59 million tonnes in the previous year due to heatwaves, according to official data.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting Monday to review preparedness for “hot weather”.
To protect wheat yields, early sowing without the danger of yield reduction is the key, and the new variety accommodates these needs, said Singh.
Source: The Print