18 Indian Farming ‘Pusa Whea ‘Pusa Whea ‘Pusa Whea ‘Pusa Whea ‘Pusa Wheat 109’ (‘HD 2894’) t 109’ (‘HD 2894’) t 109’ (‘HD 2894’) t 109’ (‘HD 2894’) t 109’ (‘HD 2894’) – A new wheat variety B S Malik 1 , A P Sethi 2 , Vinod Tiwari 3 , Rajbir Yadav 4 , R K Sharma 5 , V C Sinha 6 , B K Misra 7 and G P Singh 8 Division of Genetics, IARI, New Delhi 110 012 A substitute to ‘PBW 343’, the new variety ‘Pusa Wheat 109’, has become essential as ‘PBW 343’ has become susceptible to both brown and yellow rusts. The new variety ‘Pusa Wheat 109’ (‘HD 2894’) released for the state of Delhi would serve the purpose of containing the pathogenicity of leaf rust through gene deployment in the most economically important wheat growing zone. This variety has recorded 10.6% higher yield than ‘PBW 343’ and 17.1% over the most recent variety ‘PBW 502’, which has also become susceptible to leaf rust, and possesses better chapati and bread making qualities than these varieties. Although the variety ‘Pusa Wheat 109’ has been released for the state of Delhi, it can be easily cultivated in the whole national capital region and adjoining areas having similar agro-ecological conditions. T HE role of wheat in the food security of the country is well established. The cultivation of wheat variety ‘PBW 343’, released in 1996, in about 50% of the wheat growing area of the North West Plains Zone has led to a sort of monoculture of this variety in the ‘wheat bowl’ of the country. ‘PBW 343’ is now suscep- tible to both brown and yellow rusts. To contain the build up of inoculum and stabilize the pathogenicity of rusts, it is most desirable that there should be a mosaic of genetically diverse varieties in this vast and economically important wheat growing zone. A basket of new varieties gives the farmers an oppor- tunity to choose new genotypes. A new wheat variety ‘Pusa Wheat 109’ (‘HD 2894’) was released in 2008 for the irrigated, timely sown condition in Delhi state. This variety was developed at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. It includes both Mexican and Indian varieties in its parentage - ‘TURACO’/‘PRINIA’// ‘DL788-2’/ ‘DW 871’, to bring in the required variability for yield, disease resistance and quality attributes needed to boost wheat production in this area. This new variety has shown yield advan- tage and higher level of tolerance to both brown and yellow rusts under artificial as well as natural conditions in comparison to the check varieties. Although the variety ‘Pusa Wheat 109’ has been released for the state of Delhi, it can be easily cultivated in the whole national capital region and adjoining areas having similar agro- ecological conditions. Yield superiority The new variety ‘Pusa Wheat 109’ (‘HD 2894’) yielded an average of 5.2 tonnes/ha during the three years of testing (Table 1). It has shown yield superiority over all the check varieties. It has recorded 10.6% yield advantage over ‘PBW 343’, registered a gain of 17.1% in yield over the most recent variety ‘PBW 502’ and an increase of 8.6% and 15.6% over the previous variety ‘HD 2687’ and ‘WH 542’, respectively. New rust resistance gene In this region brown rust and to some extent yellow rust are the only two yield-limiting diseases of wheat. The genetic vulnerability to rusts in the wheat varieties always necessitates a constant search for new genes imparting resistance and also devising strategies for combating the spread of these very important yield affecting pathogens. All presently cultivated varieties in the region carry a similar leaf rust resistance gene Lr26, whereas the new variety ‘HD 2894’ possesses a different gene (Lr13), as compared to the ones postulated in presently cultivated varieties ‘PBW 343’, ‘HD 2687’ and ‘PBW 502’. Since, all the currently cultivated varieties have become susceptible to leaf rust, the presence of the gene Lr13, which is an adult plant resistance (APR) gene, in the new variety ‘HD 2894’ will lead to deployment of rust resistance gene and thus act as a buffer against spread of brown rust in the zone.