Pant varsity scientists develop high-yielding barley variety for 12 states
The new variety is expected to enhance barley production across several Indian states, while also offering improved nutritional value.
The variety was officially released by the central sub-committee on crop standards under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and has been notified by the Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare for cultivation across the plains of 12 Indian states – including eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and the northeastern region.
JP Jaiswal, coordinator of the wheat and barley research project at the university, said, "Pant Barley 1106 has consistently outperformed existing varieties in national trials conducted by ICAR-Indian Wheat and Barley Research Institute, Karnal. In the northeastern states, it recorded 19.94% and 10.32% higher yields than HUB 113 and DWRB 137, respectively."
The variety is resistant to brown and yellow rust, and shows improved resistance to blight and lodging — making it ideal for irrigated, timely sown conditions.
It also boasts superior nutritional quality with 12.3% protein content, surpassing HUB 113 (11.7%) and DWRB 137 (11.2%). "With its resistance traits, high productivity, and better grain quality, UPB 1106 is set to boost barley production and promote better health outcomes," Jaiswal added.
Barley, rich in beta-glucan fiber, is increasingly valued in multi-grain diets for its ability to reduce body fat, control weight, and manage diabetes—making the launch of UPB 1106 especially timely.
Anil Hafeez, an agri-scientist said, "The states targeted for these crops fall largely under humid to sub-humid tropical and subtropical zones, with annual rainfall ranging between 1,000 to 2,000 mm. The Indo-Gangetic plains have deep alluvial soils, rich in nutrients and well-draining, which is ideal for cereal crops like barley, especially in the Rabi season," he said. He also noted that improved farming techniques are making the acidic, organic-rich soils of Assam and other northeastern states increasingly viable for barley cultivation.
Farmers who have sown the new variety reported encouraging results. Ramesh Yadav, a farmer from Jafarpur village, said, "My friends in eastern UP said that they have seen a visible difference. The grains are fuller, the plants stand strong even after irrigation, and the yield has gone up. This variety has truly boosted their confidence. We will use this variety this year in our farms."
Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Kartarpur village, said, "There's better disease resistance and the protein content is excellent.
It's helping us grow both income and health."
The new variety was developed by university scientists JP Jaiswal, Swati, and Anil Kumar. University vice chancellor Manmohan Singh Chauhan, director of research AS Nain, and dean of agriculture Subhash Chandra lauded the team for their remarkable achievement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
35 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Customers may bear some cost of U.S. tariff rise, says Natco Pharma CEO
For Indian pharma industry, there is bound to be disruption initially in the event of the U.S. imposing tariff but over time the drugmakers will look to pass on some of the impact to the customers, a top executive of a well known company said. With the U.S. market accounting for a significant part of the portfolio, the industry, however, has to brace for it, Natco Pharma vice-chairman and CEO Rajeev Nannapaneni responded to queries on the impact, in the event of the levy, during an earnings call recently. who had earlier this year highlighted how it is important for drugmakers to get a front-end manufacturing foothold in the U.S. as a counter measure, said the company needs to readjust strategy based on the policy. U.S. is still the most important pharmaceutical market in the world, particularly for some products that account for around two-third of the business. 'You can't ignore 60-70% of the business and run your business,' he said, while pointing out at Natco Pharma's ongoing efforts to build a business outside U.S. The Hyderabad-based firm had recently announced it will be acquiring 36% stake in South African pharmaceutical company Adcock Ingram Holdings (AIHL) for $226 million (around ₹2,000 crore). Over time, the investment will contribute to a 'significant part of our base earnings'... I would believe South Africa will easily be about 15-25% of the base earnings. So we are diversifying away from the U.S. as well. It's not that we are not. But again, you can't ignore U.S. at the same time. So you have to play both the cards,' he said. To another query related on impact of tariffs, sought to explain how it would not be easy to pass through immediately considering the contracts and pricing. But, in the long run, 'we would like to pass it on to our customers because the margins that we work on most of our products are very low. So, there will be some little bit of disruption initially, but I think eventually we will figure out after a quarter.'
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
The lessons for India from the plastics treaty
In 2025, it is no longer up for debate: Plastics are polluting our planet — and our bodies. Microplastic fibres have been found in our lungs, breast milk, food, air, and oceans. Plastics are no longer just an environmental nuisance; they've become a public health crisis. Over 16,000 chemicals are used to manufacture plastics, most of which are unregulated and untested. More than 4,000 are already flagged as hazardous to human and environmental health. These have been linked to a wide range of illnesses — cancers, hormonal disruption, heart conditions, infertility, autoimmune diseases, and more. While the need for a Plastics Treaty is widely accepted, most countries refused to commit to binding global targets to reduce plastic production. (AFP) The Lancet Countdown on Health and Plastics, released on August 4, estimates that plastics cause disease and death across all age groups and cost the world over $1.5 trillion in health-related economic losses each year. That's a bill no country can afford. In response to mounting evidence, the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) began negotiating a Global Plastics Treaty in 2022. The sixth round of talks (INC-5.2) in Geneva just concluded. Unfortunately, the treaty process has highlighted the deep failures of multilateralism. The treaty's stated goal — to end plastic pollution, including its impacts on the marine environment, while safeguarding human health and ecosystems — has been interpreted so differently by different nations that it has lost its clarity. Not everyone agrees that reducing plastic production is necessary. But without reducing the pollutant, it's impossible to prevent pollution. Article 6, which goes to the heart of production and reduction, also failed to achieve consensus. While the need for a treaty is widely accepted, most countries refused to commit to binding global targets to reduce plastic production. That failure undercuts the entire agreement. A meaningful treaty would have tackled the full life cycle of plastics — from production to disposal. It would have included stronger bans on single-use plastics, plans to phase out toxic additives, and investment in safe, affordable alternatives. None of that made it through. That said, the treaty does support a just transition for those affected. An estimated 20 million people globally, many of them in poverty, earn a living as wastepickers. A study by Chintan, Plan the Ban, found that 41-60% of wastepickers' income in some Indian cities comes from plastic waste. As plastics are phased out, we must help these workers transition into new, green jobs. India's Namaste scheme, recently extended to wastepickers, could play a key role. So could Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), by offering formal employment or support for new roles in decentralised waste systems. We also need to plan for others who depend on plastics — like fisherfolk who rely on nylon nets. A just transition needs to be intentional, inclusive, and well-resourced. Which brings us to the question of money. Who will fund this transition? Who will support the shift to safer alternatives and clean up existing plastic pollution? It's clear that financing is essential — from enabling a green economy for the poor to investing in innovation and scaling sustainable alternatives. If the climate finance struggle has taught us anything, it's to manage our expectations. But we also know that without timely, adequate, and accountable funding, nothing will change. Global corporations with outsized plastic footprints must step up first. The disappointing outcome of the Plastics Treaty mirrors a broader global crisis: Profound loss of empathy, a lack of leadership, and an inability to act in the face of overwhelming evidence. But India must not get trapped in this wishy-washy treaty. We have too much at stake. India's plastic consumption is rising, and our 7,000-kilometre coastline remains dangerously exposed. We showed intent by banning several single-use plastics in 2022. But now we must take the next leap. Using fiscal tools to nudge behaviour and shift away from plastics is the most powerful — and difficult — step ahead. Strengthening our state pollution control boards to actually enforce existing rules is obvious. Investing in R&D for viable, scalable alternatives — especially for hard-to-recycle plastics like multilayer packaging, soiled plastics, and polymer-based textiles — is critical. Supporting innovators working on plastic-free technologies and greening public procurement must become core strategies. Locally, empowering wastepicker-run Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) can help improve waste segregation and recovery, while giving wastepickers better access to material and markets. These efforts must be backed by Mission LiFE — putting traditional Indian ideas of sustainability to work for modern challenges. We've made good progress in downstream waste management. But the time has come to confront the upstream challenge. India needs a mission-mode plan, with clear and measurable outcomes. This is no longer just about pollution. Our health and lives are on the line. Bharati Chaturvedi is founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group. The views expressed are personal
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
High standards in manufacturing vital for nation's growth, says BIS official
Manufacturing products with the highest standards is key to national development, said Meenakshi Ganesan, Deputy Director General (South), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), while inaugurating a Faculty Development Programme (FDP) on 'Standardisation and Conformity Assessment' at AU College of Engineering on Tuesday. She said standards strengthen institutions and systems, and the three-day FDP would give faculty exposure to Indian and international benchmarks. BIS experts will cover testing, inspection and certification. She noted that AU, which signed an MoU with BIS in 2023, has since undertaken joint programmes and research, and appreciated the faculty for nurturing talent. AU Vice-Chancellor G.P. Raja Sekhar announced plans to introduce a course on standardisation and conformity assessment, besides expanding BIS student chapters already active in three departments. Principal G. Sasibhushana Rao termed the programme significant in the centenary year of the college. FDP coordinator C.N.V. Satyanarayana Reddy said a dedicated section with BIS publications has been set up in the library, and over 120 participants have applied. BIS scientist M.A.J. Vinod and others also spoke.
