Journal of Cereal Research (JCR ISSN: 2582-2675) serves as an official organ of Society for Advancement of Wheat and Barley Research (SAWBAR) for the peer-reviewed Publication of reviews, research papers, short communications as per Article 14.1 of the constitution and by-laws of the society. The Journal is sent free to its members. NAAS Rating (2025): 5.05 No. of Issues: Thrice in a Year (Peer-Reviewed)
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AKAW 5100: New High Yielding Climate Resilient Wheat Variety for Peninsular India
Wheat Research Unit of Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), Akola, India, released a new high-yielding and climate-resilient wheat variety, AKAW 5100, in 2024. This variety recorded a mean grain yield of 4940 kg ha-¹ and demonstrated a potential yield of up to 8400 kg ha-¹. Notably, it combines drought tolerance (DSI: 0.93) and late heat tolerance (HSI: 0.75), making it highly suitable under climate change scenarios. With its dual advantage of superior productivity and stress resilience, AKAW 5100 offers farmers in Peninsular India a reliable option for sustainable wheat cultivation and long-term food security.
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From Domestication to Genome Editing: The Evolution and Future of Barley Breeding
Barley is one of the world’s most important cereal crops, with critical roles in malting, animal feed, and human nutrition across diverse agro-ecological regions. Over the past century, barley breeding has evolved from phenotype-based selection to a highly data-driven technologies enabled by genomics and precision breeding. Recent phylogeography evidence indicated that domesticated barley possesses a mosaic genomic ancestry derived from multiple Hordeum vulgare ssp. spontaneum populations across the Fertile Crescent, Eastern Iran, Central Asia, and the Tibetan Plateau, challenging earlier single-origin domestication models. This genetic complexity highlights the continuing importance of wild and landrace as reservoirs of alleles for abiotic stress tolerance, disease resistance, and grain quality. It severs as a diploid model of the Triticeae tribe with relatively small genome (~5.3 Gb), resolved to near telomere-to-telomere continuity through the Morex V3 reference assembly. It has accelerated gene discovery, structural variant characterization, and the development of molecular breeding tools. This review synthesizes current knowledge on barley phylogeography and domestication, genomic architecture, breeding objectives, and technological milestones, with emphasis on modern barley improvement strategies including genomic selection, speed breeding, and genome editing. We also discuss future prospects for climate-resilient barley improvement in the era of artificial intelligence–assisted breeding and CRISPR-based precision genetics.
Hordeum vulgare, mosaic origins, Triticeae model system, doubled haploidy, marker-assisted selection, barley reference genome, genome editing
Marker Assisted Selection for Semi-Dwarf Trait in F2 Population of Basmati and Red Rice
The red rice variety HPR 2795 is susceptible to lodging due to tallness whereas, PB 3 is a basmati variety having semi dwarf gene sd1. The present study was undertaken to incorporate the semi-dwarfing gene into the red rice variety HPR 2795 with the aim to reduce lodging losses, and to transfer the red grain trait of HPR 2795 into a Basmati genetic background of PB 3. The marker assisted selection was performed on the 55 genotypes of F2 population derived from PB 3 X HPR 2795 using sd1 specific primers. The foreground selection revealed that 27 plants were homozygous for gene Sd1. These selected plants also carries red seed colour that can be further utilized for future breeding.
Exploitation of Gene Action and Heterosis for Improvement of Agronomic and Grain Quality Traits in Basmati and Red Rice under Mid-Hill Himalayas
Gene action, combining ability and heterosis estimates were worked out through Line × Tester analysis of 20 hybrids developed by crossing 10 basmati / aromatic lines with two red rice genotypes to determine the genetic architecture of various agronomic and grain quality traits for development of superior hybrids for Himalayan hill conditions. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among genotypes, F1 crosses, lines and testers for all the traits in the present studies. Preponderance of non-additive gene effect for all the traits, realized by ratio of σ2GCA / σ2SCA, was less than unity and magnitude of dominance variance was higher than additive variance. It was also supported by boxplot and PCA analysis. The association analysis revealed that grain yield improvement was primarily driven by enhanced tillering ability and panicle architectural traits, and also association with head rice recovery traits. It suggested the feasibility of simultaneous improvement of grain yield and quality. The estimates of GCA effects indicated that male parent “HPR 2795” and female parents “RYT 3178”, “HPR 2590”, “HPR 2800-2” and “Pusa Basmati 1121” were good general combiners for agronomic traits. Three heterotic cross combinations, HPR 2590 × HPR 2795, RYT 3178 × HPR 2720, and HPR 2800-2 × HPR 2795 were identified based on per se performance, SCA effects and standard heterosis that can be further utilized for commercial hybrid rice breeding.
Genotype × Environment Interaction Studies in Rainfed Durum Wheat (Triticum Durum L.) using AMMI and Regression Models
A set of diverse 23 durum wheat (Triticum durum sp.) genotypes were evaluated for their stable performance and genotype × environment (GXE) interaction in wheat under rainfed environments of peninsular zone of Karnataka during rabi 2023-24 and 2024-25. Environmental variance was highly significant for grain yield and quality traits studied. The data were analysed by regression analysis, Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI), and the Sites Regression (SREG) model. Results showed that ‘UASDW30395’ was the best yielder (3280 kg/ha) whereas, UASDW30615 had high sedimentation value (30.74 cm3) and yellow pigment (5.12 ppm). Genotypes UASDW30595, UAS DW-30377 and UAS DW-30508 performed stably in all the environments for grain protein (13.42%), grain iron (35.6 ppm) and grain zinc (35.06 ppm), respectively. AMMI considers the effects of G and G × E separately where, SREG model combines these sources of variation. This indicated that the AMMI and SREG/GGE Biplot Model are the most effective models to identify best ranked stable genotypes.
Seedling-stage Heat Stress Adaptation in Indian Dwarf Wheat (Triticum sphaerococcum Perc.): Implications for Wheat Improvement
Heat stress is a major limitation to wheat establishment and productivity, particularly under increasing global temperatures. Seventy Triticum sphaerococcum genotypes along with nine bread wheat checks were evaluated at the seedling stage for heat tolerance using physiological (root and shoot length, relative water content, membrane stability index, seed vigour) and biochemical (proline, total protein, nitrogen content) traits. Heat stress significantly affected growth, water relations, and metabolic stability; however, several TS lines, notably TS 70, TS 31, and TS 21, outperformed bread wheat checks, including C 306 and PBW 677. Correlation analyses identified root length, MSI, RWC, proline content, and seed vigour as key determinants of tolerance. K-means clustering effectively distinguished tolerant and sensitive genotypes. The results highlight the inherent adaptive potential of T. sphaerococcum and its utility as a genetic resource for breeding heat-resilient wheat. Elite TS lines identified in this study can serve as donor material in early-generation crossing programs aimed at developing cultivars capable of maintaining physiological stability and productivity under heat stress, contributing to climate-resilient wheat improvement.
Identification of Superior Combiners for Yield and Component Traits in Bread Wheat using Half-diallel Analysis Across F1 and F2 Generations
In a diallel cross (excluding reciprocals) involving ten wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) parents, 45 F1 and 45 F2 genotypes were evaluated for combining ability in relation to grain yield and associated traits. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences for both general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA). The magnitude of SCA variance exceeded that of GCA, suggesting that non-additive gene action played a predominant role in the inheritance of most traits across both generations. Among the parents, UAS 3011 (F1-1.409 and F2-2.154), MACS 6222 (F1-2.380 and F2-0.944) and GW 513 F1-1.722 and F2-1.415) emerged as strong general combiners for grain yield and its key contributing attributes, making them valuable candidates for hybridization programs aimed at developing superior segregants. Notably, the crosses WR 544 × DBW 187, UAS 3011 × DBW 187, CG 1029 × HI 1544, and MACS 6222 × GW 513 consistently showed favorable SCA effects for grain yield per plant in both generations. The crosses involving good general combiners and showing high SCA effects may be utilized for further breeding purposes and bi-parental mating and diallel selective mating would be useful to exploit both type of gene action (additive and non-additive).
Total Factor Productivity and Cost Dynamics of Paddy Cultivation in Tamil Nadu
Productivity growth is of central importance to economic growth. The Study examined the growth trends, instability, cost structure and Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth of paddy cultivation in Tamil Nadu using 25 years of time-series data from 1997–98 to 2021–22. The growth in paddy crops revealed distinct trends, the area under cultivation showed a slight decline (-0.69 per cent) due to factors such as water scarcity, urbanization, and crop diversification. Production remained stagnant (0.004 per cent) with high annual variability (25.4 per cent), largely influenced by rainfall variation and input fluctuation. In contrast, yield showed moderate improvement (0.29 per cent) suggesting better technology adoption and resource management by farmers. Total Factor Productivity of Divisia –Tornqvist theil index showed a modest but steady increase in productivity, with a growth rate of 35 percent and an average TFPI of 122.4. indicating a 22.4 per cent rise in productivity relative to the base year. The significant decline in Total factor productivity index were observed in years like 2002–03 (66.82) and 2015–16 (109.64), likely due to droughts or input supply disruptions, while years like 2001–02 and 2003–04 showed sharp gain due to higher output with stable input use. On average the Total Output Index (TOI -121.6) has grown more rapidly than the Total Input Index (TII -100.4), indicating the positive TFPI trend. Minimum Support Price (MSP) generally exceeded the Cost of Production (CoP), supporting farmer incomes, except during 2016–18 due to rising input costs. Post-2018, MSP grew faster than CoP, reflecting stronger government price support.
Effect of Genes Governing Photoperiod and Vernalization Response on Wheat Phenology and Adaptation
Flowering time in wheat is a complex trait that significantly influences total yield and adaption of wheat to different niches, and is primarily under the control of vernalization genes (VRN genes) and photoperiod sensitivity genes (PPD genes). Strategic changes in these alleles have yielded substantial gains in productivity. In the present study, different allelic combinations of vernalization (Vrn) and photoperiod sensitivity (Ppd) genes were identified in two back cross populations derived from winter wheat x spring wheat crosses and were evaluated under various sowing regimes. The BC1 F6 progenies for the crosses Chianti/WH1105//PBW698 and Aciento/2*PBW683 showed wide variation for days to flowering, ranging from 95 to 125 days and 90-115 days, respectively. Screening of parental lines for the Vrn1 and Ppd-D1 genes revealed that the parents of the cross Aciento/2*PBW683 were polymorphic for two Vrn1 genes viz. Vrn-B1 and Vrn-D1, while,those of the cross Chianti/WH1105//PBW698 were polymorphic for these loci as well as for the Ppd-D1 gene. The identified allelic haplotypes of Vrn and Ppd genes were evaluated for productivity and phenology across three sowing regimes. Different allelic combinations of Vrn and Ppd genes affected days to flowering, tiller number per plant, and thousand-grain weight. Spikelets per spike were not affected by allelic variation in Vrn1 gene. However, this trait was influenced by allelic variation at the Ppd-D1 gene. These findings provide valuable guidance for wheat breeding programs in India to strategically deploy Vrn and Ppd alleles for developing varieties with improved phenological adaptation and higher productivity under diverse sowing environments.
Broad-leaved Weed Control with Combination of Halauxifen-methyl with Florasulam or Fluroxypyr in Wheat
Field experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of combination of halauxifen-methyl with either florasulam or fluroxypyr-methyl for control of diverse broad-leaved weed flora in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In first experiment, the bio-efficacy of a premix of halauxifen-methyl + florasulam at 7.66 (3.91+3.75), 10.21 (5.21+5.00) and 12.76 (5.51+6.25) g/ha, applied with and without surfactant, was evaluated and compared with carfentrazone (20 g/ha) and metsulfuron (4 g/ha). In second experiment, premix of halauxifen-methyl + fluroxypyr methyl at 160.4 (4.8+156.6), 200.6 (6.1+194.5) and 240.66 (7.3+233.4) g/ha, along with halauxifen-methyl (7.3 g/ha), fluroxypyr (233.4 g/ha), metsulfuron (4 g/ha), metsulfuron + carfentrazone (5+20 g/ha), hand weeding, and an untreated control were evaluated. Halauxifen-methyl alone was poor for control of Rumex dentatus. However, combination of halauxifen-methyl and florasulam at 10.21-12.76 g/ha and halauxifen-methyl and fluroxypyr at 200.6-240.66 g/ha effectively controlled the diverse broad-leaved weed flora (Rumex dentatus, Medicago denticulata and Coronopus didymus). The efficacy of halauxifen-methyl + florasulam was better when applied along with surfactant. Halauxifen-methyl + florasulam at 10.21 g/ha along with surfactant was superior to metsulfuron methyl 4 g/ha and carfentrazone 20 g/ha. Halauxifen methyl + fluroxypyr methyl had similar efficacy as the standard treatment metsulfuron + carfentrazone combination at 5+20 g/ha. Studies clearly indicated effectiveness of halauxifen-methyl + florasulam and halauxifen-methyl + fluroxypyr-methyl for control of diverse broad-leaved weed flora in wheat and these treatments resulted in 30.9-77.9% higher wheat grain yields compared to weedy control.
Assessment of Triticosecale-Derived Wheat Introgressions for Karnal Bunt (Tilletia Indica Mitra) Resistance
Karnal bunt (KB) caused by Tilletia indica is a quarantine disease of wheat that reduces grain quality and hinders international trade. Rye (Secale cereale) has long been harnessed as a valuable source of resistance to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. Its transfer into bread wheat is facilitated through triticale (Triticosecale), which often carries KB resistance. The present study involves evaluation of 337 introgression lines for KB under artificially created epiphytotic conditions during two consecutive crop seasons (2020-21 and 2021-22). The lines were developed by introgressing KB resistant triticale accessions (TL 2908, TL 2065, TL 3021 and TL 3048) into elite wheat cultivars (PBW 343, PBW 550 and DBW 17) serving as recipient backgrounds. Screening for KB resistance revealed that 26 lines were highly resistant (HR) and 151 lines were resistant (R). The highest proportion of highly resistant (HR) lines was observed among the introgression lines derived from the cross TL 3048/2*CS(S)//PBW 343 (15.05%), followed by TL 3021/2*CS(S)//PBW 550 (13.11%). In contrast, the maximum proportion of resistant (R) lines was recorded in introgressions derived from TL 2908/2*CS(S)//DBW 17 (83.33%) and TL 3048/2*CS(S)//PBW 550 (70.00%). To determine the chromosomal basis of resistance, the 177 lines identified as highly resistant (HR) and resistant (R) were further analyzed using expressed sequence tag (EST)-based markers specific to rye chromosomal regions. Marker analysis resulted in identification of 4 lines carrying both 4RL and 4RS chromosome arms, while 53 lines possessing introgressed segments of 4RL. These results indicate that the rye chromosome arms 4RL and 4RS may contribute to KB resistance in the evaluated material. The findings therefore suggest that 4RL and 4RS are potential carriers of KB resistance loci. These rye chromosomal regions could be further validated and fine-mapped to identify the genetic determinants underlying KB resistance. Moreover, the identified KB resistant introgression lines will be a valuable pre-breeding material and potential donor sources for the development of KB resistant wheat cultivars in future breeding programs.
Quantification of the Seed Vigour in Maize (Zea mays L.) using a Universal Scale
Seed vigour is a crucial trait determining seed performance in the field, corresponding to germination rate and seedling establishment. However, accurate assessment of seed vigour and its relationship with field emergence remains challenging due to variations in seed moisture content, storage duration and environmental conditions among seed lots, and difficulties in maintaining uniform field conditions during evaluation. The present study was conducted to determine seed quality parameters of different maize varieties and seed lots for vigour characterization and to establish their relationship with field emergence. MaizeMaize seeds of two varieties, V1 (Bajaura Makka) and V2 (Girija), from five seed lots (L1–5) collected from different regional stations were evaluated in four replications. The experiment aimed to assess the effect of variety, seed lot, and their interaction on seed quality parameters. Observations were recorded, and correlations were calculated between seed quality parameters and field emergence at 5% and 1% significance levels. ANOVA revealed that all observed seed quality parameters were significantly and positively correlated with field emergence. Variety V1 (Bajaura Makka) and seed lot L3 (from the Department of Seed Science and Technology) showed maximum germination (96.45%), vigour indices (VI-I: 3446.95, VI-II: 6993.05), and field emergence (88.75%). The study establishes that quantifying vigour through laboratory seed quality parameters and relating them to field emergence can be reliable for identifying high-performing maize varieties and seed lots, enhancing crop establishment, productivity, and yield under variable environmental conditions.
Edge - AI for Transforming Plant Disease Identification and Monitoring with Major Focus On Cereal Crops - An Overview
Plant diseases represent a persistent threat to global agricultural productivity, with annual crop losses of 20–40% threatening food security and farmer livelihoods worldwide. Particularly in the early stages of infection, when intervention is most effective, traditional visual inspection techniques continue to be subjective, laborious, and unreliable. Although automated, image-based disease categorization has been made possible by recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL), the majority of solutions rely on cloud infrastructure, which is a significant drawback in rural agricultural areas with poor connectivity. A viable substitute is Edge AI, which applies AI inference directly to nearby devices (such as smartphones, drones, and microcontrollers) and provides real-time analysis, lower latency, improved data privacy, and offline capabilities. Significant obstacles still exist, nevertheless, in the areas of computing effectiveness, model generalization, and real-world application across numerous agricultural contexts. The current level of Edge AI for plant disease detection is critically examined in this article, with a focus on cereal crops, which are essential to the world’s food security. In order to facilitate deployment on devices with limited resources, we thoroughly examine the Edge AI frameworks (TensorFlow Lite, OpenVINO, ONNX Runtime, Edge Impulse), hardware architectures (Google Edge TPU, NVIDIA Jetson, Intel Movidius, Raspberry Pi), and optimization strategies (quantization, pruning, knowledge distillation). We find important gaps through a thorough analysis of applications specific to cereals, including a lack of standardized evaluation procedures, dataset homogeneity that jeopardizes model robustness, limited field validation under variable environmental conditions, and inadequate integration of temporal and environmental data. Although Edge AI shows technological viability, lightweight systems can achieve >90% accuracy on controlled datasets, it is still difficult to translate to diverse field circumstances. To achieve the potential of Edge AI in precision agriculture, we conclude that: (1) domain-adaptive models trained on a variety of multi-location field datasets must be developed; (2) sensor systems and evaluation benchmarks must be standardized; (3) multimodal sensing (spectral, temporal, and environmental) must be integrated to improve diagnostic reliability; (4) few-shot learning and transfer learning must be explored to reduce data requirements; and (5) emerging technologies, such as large language models (LLMs) for farmer-accessible interfaces and federated learning for privacy-preserving model improvement, must be investigated. The detection of Fusarium head blight in wheat, blast surveillance in rice, and rust disease monitoring systems are priority topics for cereal crops in particular. These diseases have a significant economic effect and intricate symptomologies that require advanced edge-based solutions.
DBW443 (Karan Saanvi): A High Yielding, Biofortified Bread Wheat Variety for Irrigated TimelySown Conditions of Peninsular Zone, India
The variety DBW443 is an indigenously developed biofortified wheat genotype from a cross of NW1014 /7th HLBSN 21. DBW443 was identified by the Varietal Identification committee during the in 63rd Annual Group Meeting of the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Wheat and Barley held at ANDUA&T, Ayodhya from September 11-13, 2024. This variety was later released by the Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards, Notification, and Release of Varieties, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India vide Gazette Notification No. S.O. 2128 (E) dated 13th May, 2025. The variety was released for irrigated timely sown conditions of Peninsular zone comprising states of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Early Maturing Wheat Genotypes for Better Integration in Rice-Wheat Cropping Systems in Kashmir Valley of Western Himalayas
Wheat productivity in the temperate Himalayan region of the Kashmir Valley remains low due to recurring early-season cold stress, which delays phenological development and disrupts the timely rice–wheat cropping system. To address this challenge, 20 diverse wheat genotypes, including two regional checks (Shalimar Wheat-1 and Shalimar Wheat-2), were evaluated across five cropping seasons (2020–2025) under temperate field conditions at Wadura, SKUAST-Kashmir. Eight key agro-morphological traits—days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, spike length, spikelets per spike, grains per spike, estimated grain yield, and thousand-grain weight, were assessed to quantify phenotypic and genetic variation. Pooled ANOVA revealed significant effects of genotype, environment, and genotype × environment interaction for most traits, highlighting substantial diversity and environmental influence. Considerable phenotypic variation was recorded across all traits. Genotypes WW-103, WW-101, and WW-102 consistently exhibited the earliest flowering and maturity, with WW-103 achieving the highest yield (4.69 t ha⁻¹), outperforming the checks. PCV values exceeded corresponding GCV values, indicating environmental modulation, while high heritability (76.97 to 97.37 %) confirmed strong genetic control. Positive correlations among spike-related traits and yield emphasized their importance under temperate conditions. Overall, WW-101, WW-102, and WW-103 show strong potential as early-maturing, high-yielding candidates suited to the Kashmir Valley’s cold-prone climate and for strengthening rice–wheat cropping system adoption.
Wheat, Early maturity, High yield, Rice-wheat cropping system, Kashmir valley
Utilisation of Durum Grains for Producing Wheat Grits for Dalia Preparation
Wheat grits are considered to be broken/ cut/ chopped/ cracked wheat pieces, which are consumed after cooking. In the present study, wheat grits obtained from three durum wheat varieties (DDW 47, DDW 48 and DDW 55) using chakki were evaluated for physicochemical and sensorial attributes. The colour values in terms of Hunter colour attributes (L, a, b) for grits obtained varied from 59.7-62.8, 4.7-6.8, and 19.7-24.7, respectively. Further, the yellow pigment content of wheat grits varied from 5.53 to 6.65 ppm. Grits also contained 9.12-10.4% protein and 1.33-1.43% mineral content. Wheat grits manufacturing via milling also contributed towards the generation of by-product, containing about 10.98-11.01% protein and 2.13-2.42% ash content, which has the potential to fulfil dietary needs via appropriate value addition. Further, the cooked sweetened milk-based dalia was liked by the sensory panellists, both as hot and cold desserts, with overall acceptability scores of 7.00-7.17 and 7.33-7.42, respectively. Durum-based wheat grits can be utilised as a mode to encourage value addition and product diversification.
Biochemical Composition and Technological Applications of Cereal Bran: A Multisectoral Review
Cereal bran, generated in large quantities during grain milling, has historically been regarded as a low-value byproduct and mainly directed toward animal feed or disposal. Increasing evidence regarding its rich compositional profile encompassing dietary fiber, high-quality proteins, lipids, essential micronutrients, and diverse bioactive phytochemicals has prompted renewed scientific and industrial interest. These constituents impart desirable functional properties and contribute therapeutic effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and glycaemic-regulatory activities. Advances in processing and extraction technologies, particularly ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, and enzyme-assisted methods, have enhanced the efficient recovery of bran-derived bioactives while reducing challenges associated with antinutritional factors and limited digestibility. Within the framework of a circular bioeconomy, the strategic valorization of cereal bran supports sustainable resource utilization, waste minimization, and the development of high-value products across food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biomaterial sectors. Therefore, cereal bran represents a renewable and multifunctional resource with strong potential to contribute to global nutrition, health promotion, and environmentally responsible industrial innovation.
Wheat Rust Epidemiology Across Various Sowing Windows at Two Agroclimatic Locations of Punjab
Yellow and brown rust severities were studied in three wheat varieties viz., PB 725, HD 2967 and HD 3086 sown on different dates (14th-15thOctober, 8th-9th November and 3rd-4th December) with two microclimate modification levels M1 (recommended irrigation) and M2 (additional water sprays). Yellow rust severity was reported to be highest in variety HD 2967 while brown rust severity was highest in variety HD 3086 in early date of sowing and M2 microclimate modification level. The yellow rust disease progression was slow at Ludhiana than Gurdaspur while brown rust disease progression was slow at Gurdaspur than Ludhiana. A significant positive correlation was found between maximum temperature, minimum temperature, sunshine hours with yellow and brown rust disease severities. Morning relative humidity and evening relative humidity had negative correlation with disease severities. Rainfall was negatively correlated with yellow rust severity. From regression analysis, it was concluded that minimum temperature, morning relative humidity, sunshine hours and rainfall were found to be important in rust spread in wheat.
Genetic Characterization of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Germplasm for Moisture Stress Tolerance Using in-vivo and in-vitro Techniques
ABSTRACT The present investigation entitled “Genetic characterization of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) germplasm for moisture stress tolerance using in vivo and in vitro techniques” was carried out during rabi, 2023-24 at the Rice and Wheat Research Centre, Malan. The experiments were laid out in α lattice design with three replications under both rainfed (E1) and irrigated (E2) and experimental lines were also evaluated at different levels of osmotic stress by using PEG-6000 (C1: control; C2: -3 bar; C3: -6 bar: C4: -9 bar) under controlled condition. The experimental material comprised 40 wheat genotypes including five checks. The data were recorded for various agro-morphological traits viz., days to 50 % flowering, days to 75% maturity, peduncle length, plant height, biological yield/plant, grain yield/plant, harvest index and 1000-grain weight. In lab conditions, data were recorded for various germination and seedling traits viz., germination percentage, root length, shoot length, root-shoot ratio, coleoptile length and seedling vigour index under different osmotic stress levels. Analysis of variance revealed that mean squares due to genotypes were significant for all the characters under both field and controlled conditions indicating the presence of adequate amount of variability among wheat genotypes. For different traits, high heritability coupled with moderate to high genetic advance was observed for plant height, peduncle length, biological yield/plant, grain yield/plant, 1000-grain weight and harvest index indicating their importance in the improvement of grain yield. Grain yield/plant was found to be positive and significantly associated with biological yield/plant, harvest index and 1000-grain weight under both the environments. Under controlled conditions, high heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for shoot length, coleoptile length and seedling vigour index at different osmotic stress levels. The seedling and germination traits showed significant and positive correlation among themselves The seedling traits viz., germination percentage and seedling vigour index (for all stress levels) showed positive correlation with grain yield/plant. Based on the drought susceptibility index, HPW 368 was found to be the most drought-tolerant genotype, because it exhibited the lowest DSI value (-1.67) followed by HPW 493 (-1.56), VL 2053 (-0.76), RIL 45 (-0.56), VL 2041 (-0.51), TYRM 2 (-0.31), PBW 752 (-0.21, PBW 725 (-0.10), PBW 872 (0.14), DBW 187 (0.18) and so on. PW 2201, HPW 490, Sharbati, HPW 489, HPW 491, SKW 368 and SKUAW 102 were identified as better-performing genotypes for in vivo and in vitro traits. Based on lower drought susceptibility index values, these genotypes were categorized as drought tolerant. The positive rank correlation between the various in vivo (rainfed) and in vitro stress (-6 bar) conditions indicated that the performance of a genotype under field conditions was similar to its performance under laboratory conditions. Hence, the selection for a crucial and complex trait like drought tolerance in wheat can be enhanced in vitro by including selection criteria along with evaluation under field conditions.
Influence of Packaging and Storage Duration on Seed Quality of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Varieties
An 18‑month study (April 2019–November 2020) investigated how packaging materials—specifically gunny bags versus high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags—and storage duration affected several seed quality traits in two wheat varieties, WH 1105 and WH 1124. Researchers measured germination rate (%), vigor indiex I and II, field emergence (%), final plant stand, moisture content (%), and time to reach a 2 mm radicle length (hrs). Results showed that both packaging type and storage length and their interaction significantly impacted seed quality for both varieties. Notably, after 18 months in High density polyethylene bags (HDPE), WH 1124 seeds exhibited superior performance compared to WH 1105, with higher first count (90.75%), germination (91.50%), vigor index I & II scores (2063.30 and 1294.75), field emergence (79.25%), and final plant stand (79.25%).
Impact of Foliar Application of Potassium Silicate on Growth and Productivity of Wheat by Alleviating High Temperature Stress
High temperature stress significantly affects the crop at every zodiac stage either directly or indirectly by altering hydration status. To evaluate the role of potassium silicate to mitigate high temperature stress in wheat, the study was conducted during Rabi 2021-22 & 2022-23 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. An experiment laid out in split plot design comprised of four environments i.e. 25th October (D1 ), 5th November (D2 ), 15th November (D3)and 25th November (D4) in main plots and eight potassium silicate (K2SiO3) treatments i.e. control (T1), 2% potassium silicate (K2SiO3 ) at boot leaf (T2), 2% K2 SiO3 at anthesis (T3), 3% K2SiO3 at boot leaf stage (T4), 3% K2SiO3 at anthesis (T5,) 2% K2SiO3 at boot leaf stage + anthesis, (T6) 3% K2SiO3 at boot leaf stage + anthesis (T7 ) and 2% KNO3 at boot leaf stage + anthesis (T8) in sub-plots. The study found that D1 planting results in 8-11 and 6-7 per cent increase in leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter accumulation (DMA), respectively, whereas 20-26 per cent LAI increase was recorded with foliar spray of 3% potassium silicate at boot leaf + anthesis stages contributed for yield enhancement. It is concluded that early sowing of wheat on 25th October, combined with foliar application of 3% potassium silicate at booting + anthesis stages, effectively mitigates the adverse effects of high-temperature stress and contributes to improved growth, yield attributes, and overall productivity of wheat.
Characterization of Salubrious Germinated Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Laddus for Physico – Nutritional Attributes and Shelf Life Stability
Cereals form significant part of global diet and most developing nations rely heavily on rice as a staple food. Rice (Oryza sativa L) is one of the important cereals with easy digestibility and therapeutic properties. The laddu prepared using raw rice as control, germinated siddi and BPT 5204 rice-based health mixes were analyzed for the physico-chemical parameters and shelf stability. The colour difference of siddi laddu to control for L*, a*, b*, ∆E, C* and h* were less than 10.0%. There was statistically significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 between the samples for total sugars, total starch, amylose and amylopectin. The total sugars, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total starch, amylopectin and amylose contents were more or less similar for both experimental and control laddus. The control and experimental laddu showed water activity content of 0.77±0.06 and 0.68± 0.09%, moisture content of 7.84±0.19 and 7.35±0.17%, ash of 1.74±0.00 and 1.84±0.01%, protein 15.37±0.42 and 16.81±0.12%, fat 7.41±0.12 and 8.16±0.18%, crude fiber 1.49±0.00 and 1.42±0.02%, carbohydrates 66.31±0.23 and 62.22±0.13% and energy 388.1±0.09 and 385.70±0.08 Kcal/100g respectively with statistically significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 for the samples except for ash and crude fibre. Better results were for laddus with germinated siddi rice than germinated BPT 5204 rice like longer shelf life. The microbial quality assessment of laddus revealed increased total bacterial count that were within safer limits and zero mould growth during storage period of 15 days at ambient temperature and 30 days under refrigeration in air tight containers.
Comparative Susceptibility of Wheat and Rice Grains to Rice Weevil, Sitophilus oryzae (L.)
An experiment on susceptibility of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) grains to rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae L. Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was carried out at Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal. The study revealed considerable differences in adult emergence, grain damage percentage and weight loss percentage between wheat and rice grains. Wheat experienced higher grain damage (0.95%) and weight loss (0.48%) despite fewer adult emergences (66), while rice supported a greater adult population (132) but lower damage rates (0.53% grain damage, 0.23% weight loss). When tested for susceptibility to S. oryzae, in wheat and rice, as per the parameters, the number of adults emerged (66 & 132) and average developmental days (31.167 & 39.05), the susceptibility index obtained was 13.442 & 12.498 for wheat and rice. Thus, the results showed that wheat is comparatively more susceptible than rice.
Dissecting Heat Tolerance in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): A Quantitative Trait Analysis via Correlation and Path Coefficients
The study was undertaken to estimate genotypic and phenotypic correlation coefficients and path analysis for grain yield per plant and its components by using 48 genotypes of wheat. The grain yield per plant has significant and positive genotypic and phenotypic correlations with biological yield per plant and harvest index under timely sown (D1) condition. Under late sowing (D2)) condition, grain yield per plant had highly significant and positive genotypic and phenotypic correlation with harvest index and biological yield per plant. Chlorophyll content at anthesis was significantly but negatively correlation with grain yield per plant at both levels. The path coefficient analysis revealed that the biological yield per plant, harvest index, days to 50% flowering and grain filling period showed high and positive direct effect on grain yield per plant under timely sowing condition. While, in case of late sowing condition, path coefficient analysis revealed that, biological yield per plant, harvest index and days to 50% flowering exhibited high and positive direct effect on grain yield per plant. Thus, these characters were identified as the most important yield components and due emphasis should be placed on these characters while selecting for high yielding genotypes in wheat.
Augmenting Seed Potato Yield Through Nutritional Protocols and Investigating Their Residual effect on Spring Maize
Punjab, contributing over 85% of India’s seed potato demand, faces a paradox of high production area but suboptimal productivity due to imbalanced nutrient management, particularly phosphorus. A field study was conducted over two years (2019–2020) at two sites (Ludhiana and Jalandhar) to evaluate the effect of integrated phosphorus management—using organic amendments (farmyard manure and biofertilizer) and graded phosphorus levels—on the growth, yield, and seed efficiency of potato and its residual impact on subsequent spring maize. Results revealed that farmyard manure (FYM) significantly enhanced dry matter accumulation, tuber bulking rate, and seed tuber yield, with average increases in medium-sized tuber yield by 21–28% and total tuber yield by 16–22% over the unfertilized control. Phosphorus application at 125 kg P₂O₅ ha¹ further improved yield attributes, resulting in 14–19% higher total tuber yield compared to lower P levels. Seed production efficiency was maximized (up to 38.72) under FYM and high phosphorus regimes, indicating improved resource utilization. Notably, the residual phosphorus from potato treatments positively influenced spring maize, with FYM plots showing 8.2–11.5% yield enhancement over the control, highlighting sustained soil fertility benefits. The findings underscore the value of integrating organic and mineral phosphorus sources for sustainable seed potato production while maintaining productivity in succeeding maize crops.
Barley β-Amylase: Effect of Genotype and Growing Location
Barley (Hordeum vulgare) β-amylase is a key starch-degrading enzyme with essential roles in seed germination, malting, and brewing and contributes significantly to the malt diastatic power. The Indian malt industry needs barley varieties with higher diastatic power especially for brewing with adjuncts. There is need to generate information on status of β-amylase activity under sub-tropical climates. In this article an attempt has been made to find out the effect of genotype and growing location on β-amylase activity. Both genotype and growing location significantly affected the grain and malt β-amylase activity. Among the genotypes ICARDA-8 has been found to possess significantly higher β-amylase activity and can serve as useful source for malting quality improvement from diastatic power point of view for the Indian malt barley improvement programme.
Barley, β-amylase, Malt, Diastatic Power, sub-tropical climate
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Assessing Heterosis for Grain Yield and Related Traits in Six-Row Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under Varying Sowing Conditions
The present study was conducted to assess the magnitude of heterosis for grain yield and its component traits in six row barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) using a modified Triple Test Cross analysis with fifteen lines and three testers (RD 2508, RD 3005, and their F₁ hybrid RD 2508 × RD 3005). A total of 63 barley genotypes, including 15 lines, 3 testers, and 45 F₁ crosses, were evaluated during the 2022–23 Rabi season under three sowing environments (early, normal, and late) using a randomized block design with three replications. Pooled ANOVA showed significant genotypic differences across all traits studied. Across all environments, the crosses BG 105 × RD 2508, DWRUB 64 × RD 2508, PL 751 × RD 2508, RD 2035 × RD 2508, RD 2552 × RD 2508, BH 959 × RD 3005, HUB 113 × RD 3005, JB 110 × RD 3005, RD 2552 × RD 3005, RD 2907 × RD 3005, BG 105 × F₁, DWRUB 64 × F₁, DWRB 137 × F₁, RD 2035 × F₁, RD 2552 × F₁, and RD 2660 × F₁ exhibited significant heterobeltiosis for grain yield per plant in all three environments. These crosses can therefore be considered promising for enhancing barley yield under early, normal, and late sowing conditions.
Unveiling the Potential of Fungal Endophytes for Abiotic Stress Mitigation in Wheat
The study investigates the role of endophytic fungi in enhancing wheat tolerance to abiotic stresses, a critical area of research in the context of global climate change and food security. Fungal endophytes are known to support plant health and productivity under stress conditions. In this work, we explored the effects of two stress-tolerant fungal endophytes on wheat growth and abiotic stress mitigation. The experiments were conducted at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research–Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (ICAR–IIWBR), Karnal. Our results provide evidence that these endophytes significantly improve stress adaptive traits in wheat, with potential implications for sustainable agriculture across diverse agroecological zones. We believe this study offers valuable insights for enhancing wheat resilience and contributes to the broader goal of ensuring food security under changing environmental conditions.
Exploit Physiological Efficiency to Overcome Planting Time Barrier in Wheat and Develop Varieties Suitable for per day Productivity
Varieties evaluated by All India Coordinated Research Programme on Wheat and Barley (AICRPWB)during the period 2000-23 were assessed in four zones of Indian plains. The purpose was to test whether the timely and late sown genotypes were really exclusive for these two production conditions. Physiological efficiency was used as the primary distinguishing tool in Advance Varietal Yield Trials of timely sown and late sown conditions. Application of six physiological parameters made it amply clear that most of the varieties were physiologically efficient in overcoming the hurdles of planting time in three zones namely North Easter Plains Zone (NEPZ), Central Zone (CZ) and Peninsular Zone (PZ). Situation was quite different in the most productive wheat land of the country i.e. North Western Plains Zone (NWPZ). Although majority of the timely sown varieties did qualify for late-sown condition in this zone but only few late-sown varieties could meet the efficiency level of timely sown condition. This analysis suggests that the pre-released varieties of both sowing conditions should be tested together under both sowing dates against the popular checks of both sowing conditions. Assessment on the basis of per day productivity has also suggested as an alternate pathway. The predictors have been suggested for each zone to formulate an ideotype-based breeding strategy.
Genetic Diversity Analyses of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Genotypes using Microsatellite Markers
Genetic diversity studies of germplasm form the basis of genetic improvement in crop plants. Around 900 wheat germplasm lines collected from different national and international germplasm repositories were subjected to repeated cycles of selection for earliness, yellow rust resistance and other agronomic traits over five years under research programme of department and under a University Grant Commission funded research project to ultimately constitute a set 26 most promising candidate genotypes. These twenty six wheat germplasm lines were studied for genetic diversity using forty-two previously developed microsatellite markers. The study revealed the overall size of PCR products amplified ranged from 100-330 bp, highest polymorphic information content (PIC) value of 0.67 for Xgwm120 while lowest value of 0.19 was observed for Xgwm155 with an overall average of 0.48. For gene diversity, lowest value of 0.22 was observed for Xgwm155 while highest value of 0.72 was observed for Xgwm120 with an overall average of 0.56. The cluster analysis based on molecular analysis of twenty-six selected genotypes revealed that genotypes WS-25 and WS-6 were found most diverse genotypes with dissimilarity index of 0.724 and the genotypes WS-15 and WS-17 were reported to be similar with 0.209 dissimilarity index value. The dendrogram generated using molecular data of polymorphic markers grouped 26 wheat genotypes into 3 distinct main clusters and 10 sub clusters. The understanding of these diverse genotypes can be helpful for selection of parental lines to breed for important agronomic traits.