In a significant step towards developing wheat-hybrids and efforts to increase output by around 20 per cent to over 100 million tonnes, Karnal-based Directorate of Wheat Research (DWR) has been granted a process patent to use a chemical agent for imparting sterility in the crop. | |
| Patent has been granted by the Indian patent office for the chemical used in hybrid wheat seed production, DWR project director Jag Shoran said here. |
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| He said patent application is also pending in the us patent and trademarks office since march, 2002. |
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| Dwr is working on hybrid wheat through "cha" approach. After elaborate screening and evaluation it has identified suitable chemicals for male sterility induction "" ch9701 and ch9832. Specific combination of ch9701 and ch9832 exhibited lower female sterility and higher seed setting. |
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| After identifying a suitable chemical, patent application for cha used in hybrid wheat seed production were submitted in collaboration with national chemical laboratory, pune in september 2002. |
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| So far, 2,129 based experimental hybrids have been produced through cha. Mechanised seed production on a large scale was attempted for 12 cross combinations. |
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| Shoran said this was possible because of tractor mounted cha spray machine which could spray one-acre area per hour "" making it 8-10 acres a day. This is a step towards commercialisation, he added. |
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| Most suitable stage for cha spray was 7-10 mm of spike length, which is attained 40-50 days after germination in most of the genotypes, he said adding hybrid wheat is one of the most important crops likely to overcome food problems in the near future. |
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