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Wheat Information Service
Number 82: 1-7 (1996)

I. Articles

A unique wheat variety-Raj 3077

V.K. Bhatnagar and S.N. Sharma

Wheat Breeding Scheme, Rajasthan Agricultural University, Agricultural Research Station, Durgapura, Jaipur 302018, India



Summary

A new wheat variety, Raj 3077 was developed from three genetically diverse cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) in three way cross (HD 2267 / Raj 1482// Raj 1802). This variety exhibited a higher level of productivity both under optimum and sub optimum environments. It also possesses superior grain quality along with other desirable quality parameters and fairly high degree of resistance to rusts. Genetically it is blessed with Lr23+, Lr10+ and Yr2+ for rust resistance and Rht1 gene for reducing height. It is a robust and reliable wheat variety that offers good degree of tolerance to saline/alkaline conditions., This variety was recommended for normal sowing (1987), late sowing (1988) for North Western Plains Zone and saline/alkaline condition (1992) for whole of the country by Wheat Varietal Release Committee (AICWIP). It is envisaged that this variety will open up new vistas of boosting wheat production and alleviate the socioeconomic status of the subsistent Indian farmers.


Introduction

Wheat, the world's most extensively grown crop, is the second most important source of staple food in India. The increasing annual population growth rate of more than 2.1% along with rising nutritional standards on the one hand and stagnating productivity on other, have become a major concern to the fragile food security system of the country. Therefore, sustained research efforts are needed to keep on upward trend in wheat, well above the population growth. The upsurge in production and productivity could be achieved by the wide spread adoption of semi dwarf, lodging and disease resistant, photoinsensitive and fertilizer responsive varieties amenable to improved agronomic practices.

Recently, a new wheat variety, Raj 3077 has been developed in India which has a genetic potential for excellent performance under different situations in the major wheat growing mega environments of North Western Plains Zone of India. This paper describes the development, performance, resistance and quality aspects of this marvelous wheat variety.


Materials and methods

Three genetically diverse cultivars of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), namely, HD 2267, Raj 1482 an d Raj 1802 were selected for hybridization. Three way cross (HD 2267 / Raj 1482 // Raj 1802 ) was attempted among these selected parents. The pedigree method was used for handling different generations under artificial epiphytotic condition of rusts at Agricultural Research Station, Durgapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Based on yield tests, reaction to important diseases and other attributes of agronomic and grain quality value, the most promising homozygous lines including strain Raj 3077 were entered into different varietal yield evaluation trials for three years at different locations of North Western Plains Zone (NWPZ) of India under the All India Coordinated Wheat Improvement Project (AICWIP). Natural field under saline / alkaline conditions (pH above 7.0 and not beyond 3-4 Ece) was also used for this test. In first year (Initial varietal trial) the trial was conducted in double lattice design and onwards (Advance varietal trial) randomized block design was used for varietal testing programmes at all locations across the zone. The mean averaged over locations for different traits has been given only for Raj 3077 and check varieties for interpretation of the results in this paper, although a number of other varieties were also tested in the coordinated trials.

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