HD-3385

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Context

• Scientists have developed three varieties of wheat, all of them incorporating genes that are responsible for the mild vernalisation requirement preventing premature flowering and early heading.

HDCSW-18

• 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.

HD-3410

• The second variety HD-3410, released in 2022, has higher yield potential (7.5 tonnes/hectare) with lower plant height (100-105 cm).

HD-3385

• 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.

Further steps being taken

• Indian Agricultural Research Institute has registered HD-3385 with the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA).
• It has also licensed the variety to the DCM Shriram Ltd-owned Bioseed for undertaking multi-location trials and seed multiplication.
• This is their first ever such public-private partnership experiment. By registering the variety with PPVFRA, they are ensuring full protection of our intellectual property rights.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/icar-scientists-wheat-that-can-beat-the-heat-8459154/