NIAW 917 - New variety of bread wheat

Abstract

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is an important cereal crop after rice in India. In Maharashtra, it occupies second position next to sorghum and is cultivated on an area of about 7.557 lakh ha with the total production of 10.163 lakh M.T., having average productivity of 1345 kg/ha as against the national productivity of 2742 kg/ha (2004-05). India is occupying the second position next to China in wheat production from last ten years. India achieved an all time record production of 76.37 million tonnes in the year 1999-2000. In the Peninsular region of the country which comprises the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, and plains of Tamil Nadu, the wheat growing season is comparatively short and leaf and stem rusts are the important diseases. Keeping this fact in view, NIAW 917 has been developed from a cross between two genetically diverse genotypes GW 244 and Bob White following pedigree method of selection. NIAW 917 has been found suitable for commercial cultivation under timely sown high fertility condition of peninsular parts of the country. The principle qualitative characteristics viz., grain appearance score, hectoliter weight, protein content, sedimentation value, high molecular weight glutenin, phenol test and chapatti quality of NIAW 917 have been observed superior to check varieties. The other distinguishable characteristics of NIAW 917 are: medium plant height, dark green medium waxy foliage, good tillering, intermediate leaf width and earhead with normal awn length. It has medium bold, amber, hard grains with round cheeks, narrow crease width and ovoid shape.