Approximately 2,500 farmers from various districts in Punjab arrived at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley (IIWBR) to pick up the biofortified wheat varieties they had reserved through an online portal.
Wheat varieties DBW-327, DBW-303, and DBW-332 were preferred by farmers. Aside from these, the farmers preferred DBW-187 and DBW-222. Farmers and seed growers in the region are interested in the biofortified wheat varieties DBW-303, DBW-327, and DBW-332 developed by scientists at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (ICAR-IIWBR), Karnal.
According to the Dr. GP Singh, Director of the ICAR-IIWBR, the DBW-187 variety is also a biofortified variety with higher iron content that can be grown in any wheat growing situation. "The DBW-222 variety is a lodging tolerant variety that is suitable for northern plain regions, with an average yield of 61 quintals per hectare in timely sown conditions," he continued.
The distribution of these varieties' seeds began recently. Farmers from Patiala, Bathinda, Mansa, Amritsar, Barnala, Firozpur, and other districts flocked to the site to collect the seeds. Farmers from the remaining districts have been invited to attend the meeting on Monday.
"We have asked the farmers to arrive here on time, as determined by the institute scientists." Following Punjab, farmers from Haryana were summoned on Tuesday (11th Oct). The director then invited farmers from other states, including Uttar Pradesh, MP, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
He went on to say that each farmer was given 10 kg of seeds so that they could produce their own seed the following year.
Farmers praised the seed distribution system and said the varieties produced good results. "I travelled from Bathinda to get seeds of the DBW-303 variety. I cultivated it and got a good yield even in a harsh environment," farmer Satnam Singh said.
