Chandrashekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology has made significant strides in agricultural innovation by developing a new variety of barley that is both climate-adapted and disease-resistant. Dr. Vijay Kumar Yadav, Director of Barley Seed and Sector at the university, announced this groundbreaking achievement on Wednesday.
The newly developed barley variety, named Azad Barley 34 (KB 2031), has received a recommendation for release from the Central Species Release Committee, scheduled for October 2024. Currently, India produces 19.2 lakh metric tons of barley across 6.28 lakh hectares, with a productivity rate of 30.4 quintals per hectare.
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In Uttar Pradesh, the state produces 5.82 lakh metric tons on 1.70 lakh hectares, yielding 34.13 quintals per hectare.
Benefits for Barren Lands
Dr. Yadav emphasized the potential of this new barley variety to thrive in barren lands, stating that its introduction will significantly enhance barley production in less fertile areas.
The variety matures in 134 days, features well-shaped grains, and contains a protein content of 12.15%. Additionally, it demonstrates tolerance to blanch spot disease and can produce up to 38 quintals per hectare in saline and alkaline soils.
Collaborative Effort
The development team included Dr. Vijay Kumar Yadav, Dr. PK Gupta, Dr. Somveer, Dr. PK Singh, Dr. Jitendra Kumar, Dr. Javed Bahar, and Dr. Charul Kanchan, alongside technical assistants Rajesh Kumar and Pankaj Kumar, all of whom made vital contributions to this project.
Vice-Chancellor Dr. Anand Kumar Singh congratulated the team on their achievement and expressed optimism that this climate-adapted barley variety will lead to a substantial increase in barley production in the future.
