Ranchi: The three-day All India Wheat & Barley Research Workers' Meet which concluded at Birsa Agricultural University here has recommended wheat varieties HI-1612 & K-1317 for eastern India, including Jharkhand, for its performance under restricted irrigation and rainfed conditions.

Altogether 14 high-yielding varieties of wheat, seven each by Central Varietal Release Committee and State Varietal Release Committee, were released during 2017-18 which have tolerance towards major pests and diseases. The meet also recommended utilisation of genotypes HD-3219, PBW-752, HI-1617, WH-1202 and DBW-187 having heat tolerance in breeding programmes across the country.

Product specific varieties of wheat were recommended for further strengthening and utilisation. Varieties WH-1124, DBW-71, HD-3237 and PBW-757 were recommended for chapati quality while SW-1124, HD-2967, HD-3059, WH-1080, LT-2733, DBW-71, HD-3226 and PBW-752 were recommended for bread. Varieties HS-490 and DBW-168 were found suitable for biscuit and recommended for cultivation.

Under resource management, two sprays of Chlormequat chloride (0.2%)+tubuconazole (0.1%) at first node and flag leaf stages was recommended for higher wheat yield.

For barley, variety DWRB-137 was recommended for north eastern planes zone and central zone, variety RD-2899 for central zone and RD-2907 for salinity and alkalinity in north eastern and north western plane zones. Seed treatm-ent with Vitavax power 2g/kg + propiconazole spray @ 0.1% was found effective in managing foliar bright in barley.

The recommendations were presented by Ravish Chathrath, R.K. Sharma, D.P. Singh, Sewa Ram, A.S. Kharub and G.P. Singh, all from Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal.