Pant varsity scientists develop high-yielding barley variety for 12 states
Rudrapur: In a significant breakthrough, scientists at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar have developed a high-yielding, six-row barley variety named UPB 1106 (Pant Barley 1106), after 12 years of research.
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.
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