Why is it in the news?
- Government is planning to launch a new hybrid wheat variety named Karan Vandana across the country.
About
- This new hybrid variety wheat has been developed by the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
- It is also known as DBW-187.
- It is rich in protein and iron.
- It has high heat tolerance across the country.
- It is resistant to yellow rust and wheat blast which causes widespread losses.
- It will reduce unit costs for farmers as well as return higher yield than normal varieties.
- It can be cultivated only in areas under full irrigation support.
What is Yellow Rust?
- It is a fungal disease that manifests as powdery yellow stripes on leaves.
- These yellow stripes hinder photosynthesis and stunt the growth of the plant.
- Higher temperatures combined with rains during the wheat growing season aid the growth and spread of the disease.
- All the wheat-growing states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, the Tarai region of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the low lying areas of Jammu and Kashmir are susceptible to the disease.
Wheat Blast
- It is also a fungal disease.
- It prevents maturation of the actual grain which affects reproduction by causing the host to produce fewer seeds.
- It can infect huge areas of cultivation resulting in more than 75% yield loss.
