Abstract: The wheat variety Pirsabak Barani-05, having the parentage MUNIA/CHTO/ / AMSEL, was first tested at CCRI Pirsabak during 2001-02 in HRWYT (High Rainfall Wheat Yield Trial) trial received from CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo) Mexico. The line was selected on the basis of high yield and disease resistance and was included in the advance yield trials B-VI for further testing at CCRI (Cereal Crops Research Institute) Pirsabak and at ARI (Agricultural Research Institute) Tarnab during 2002-03. This line was again selected on the basis of high yield and disease resistance and was included in microplot or regional wheat yield trials for testing at different locations i.e., CCRI Pirsabak, ARS (Agricultural Research Station) Serai Naurang and at ARS Buffa in the North-West Frontier Province during 2003-04. This line was included in the Rainfed National Uniform Wheat Yield Trial (NUWYT) during 2004-05 where it showed excellent yield disease resistance performance. The results of HRWYT, advance yield trials (B trial), regional yield trial (MPT) and the NUWYT from 2001-02 to 2004-05 confirmed its superiority in higher yield and resistance to yellow and leaf rusts because of which this line was approved by the Provincial Seed Council as a new wheat variety for cultivation in the rainfed areas of NWFP. It has been named as Pirsabak Barani-05 and is recommended for sowing from November 1st to December 15th in NWFP.
INTRODUCTION
The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan comprises of several agro-ecological zones having different climates. In mountainous areas such as upper Swat, Hazara, Aurakzai and Chitral, neither true spring wheat nor winter or facultative types of wheat give high yield. In plain areas such as Swabi, Mardan and Peshawar, spring wheat is grown but popular wheat cultivars are susceptible to most common wheat diseases, particularly the yellow and leaf rust. Furthermore, in NWFP more than 60% of the area where wheat is grown is rainfed. The success or failure of the crop depends on sufficient and well-timed precipitation. Due to these constraints, the average grain yield of wheat is the lowest in NWFP among all four provinces of the country (Agricultural Statistics of Pakistan, 2004) and the province where the staple food is wheat has always to import it from other parts of the country.
Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI) Pirsabak has the mandate to produce wheat varieties suitable for the irrigated and rainfed areas of the province through indigenous hybridization and national and international nurseries obtained from international non-profit research organizations like the CIMMYT (Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo) Mexico and ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas) Syria etc. The broad genetic make-up of the CIMMYT/ICARDA material has made it possible for researchers to select lines adapted to the climatic and edaphic conditions of different countries (Anonymous, 1979, 1980). Penjano 62, Lermarojo-64, Mexipak-65, Pak-81, Sarhad-82, Pirsabak-85 and Khyber-87 were selected from the genetic material obtained from CIMMYT for general cultivation in NWFP (Mohammad et al., 1990a, b; 1992a, b). These varieties revolutionized the wheat cultivation not only in NWFP but also in the neighboring countries Afghanistan and Iran as well. Recently Saleem-2000 and Haider-2000, also selected from CIMMYT material, have proved superior cultivars in the NWFP (Subhan et al., 2004a,b). The present variety, named as Pirsabak Barani-05 was also selected from the genetic material obtained from CIMMYT Mexico. The variety gave high yield and showed resistance to yellow and leaf rusts in various tests. We hope that it will increase the grain yield of wheat at farmer’s field and will bridge the gap between the wheat consumption and production in the irrigated areas of NWFP generally and its rainfed areas particularly.
| Table 1: | Grain yield of wheat lines in High Rainfall Wheat Yield Trial (HRWYT) conducted at CCRI, Pirsabak during 2001-02 |
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The first cross was made at CIMMYT Mexico among MUNIA/CHTO/ /AMSEL and the line was received at CCRI for testing in the High Rainfall Wheat Yield Trial (HRWYT) during 2001-02. The HRWYT comprised of 50 white grain high yielding lines including check was planted at CCRI Pirsabak in a Randomized Complete Block design (Gomez and Gomez, 1983) with four replications during 2001-02 for yield and disease resistance. Each plot consisted of six rows 25 cm apart and 5 m long.
| Table 2: | Grain yield response of selected entries from B-VI Trials (normal) planted at CCRI, Pirsabak and ARI, Tarnab during 2002-2003 |
Out of the 50 entries received from CIMMYT Mexico, 20 were selected for further testing (Table 1). Data on grain yield, disease reaction and other desirable characteristics were recorded. Disease reaction, plant type and other characteristics of these lines were in acceptable range.
On the basis of high yielding performance and disease resistance, the line (MUNIA/CHTO/ /AMSEL, CMSS 93B00729S-23Y-010M-010Y-010M-7Y-1M-0Y) along with other selected lines was advanced to B-VI test (Advance Screening trial) to compare it with other high yielding lines in 2002-03 (Table 2). This test had 20 lines and was planted in a Randomized Complete Block design with 3 replications at two different locations, i.e., CCRI Pirsabak and Agricultural Research Institute, Tarnab. The line was further advanced and was put in regional testing program (Microplot trial or MPT) on the basis of its performance during the year 2003-04. In MPT, it was planted at three locations i.e., CCRI Pirsabak, ARS, Serai Naurang and ARS, Buffa (Mansehra) in a Randomized Complete Block design having three replications. Each entry was sown in plots having six rows 5 m long and 25 cm apart. Fertilizer was applied at the rate of 120-90 NP in all the trials through out the testing of the line from 2001-02 to 2003-04. The line, which was now named as PR-83, was sent to NARC Islamabad for inclusion in the rainfed National Uniform Wheat Yield Trial (NUWYT Rainfed) in 2004-05. Its performance was tested throughout Pakistan including 8 different locations of NWFP in the NUWYT Rainfed during 2004-05.
For yield determinations four rows of 5 m lengths were harvested in all tests conducted for the selection of this line. All cultural practices were kept the same during the study period of this line in all trials and locations. Statistical analyses were conducted according to the standard procedures using MSTAT-C computer program.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The results of HRWYT conducted at CCRI Pirsabak during 2001-02, demonstrated that the yield of this line (entry No. 32) was equal to that of the local check variety, Bakhtawar-92 (Table 1). Both of them produced grain yield of 4900 kg ha-1. Entry No. 32 was selected on the basis of high yield in HRWYT and was included in the Advance Yield Trial (B-trial) as entry No. 17 during 2002-03. In B-VI test, this line (entry No. 17) produced grain yield of 5767 kg ha-1, while the local check varieties Fakhre Sarhad and Saleem-2000 produced grain yields of 4527 and 5547 kg ha-1 grain yield at CCRI, Pirsabak, respectively. Thus the grain yield of this line was 27 and 4% higher than the checks Fakhre Sarhad and Saleem 2000, respectively, at CCRI Pirsabak during 2002-03 (Table 2). The yield of this line (entry No. 17) was 3 and 48% higher than the checks Fakhre Sarhad and Saleem-2000 i.e., 2813 versus 2733 and 1907 kg ha-1, respectively during the same year in B-VI test at ARI Tarnab (Peshawar) (Table 2). Due to its excellent grain yield performance, this line (entry No. 32) was selected in B-trials and was included in regional yield trial, which is also called the microplot or MPT during 2003-04.
| Table 3: | Grain yield performance of advance line PR-83 in MPT (Rainfed) trial conducted at CCRI, Pirsabak during 2003-04 |
In MPT, it was sown at three different locations i.e., CCRI Pirsabak, ARS Serai Naurang and ARS Buffa in NWFP. The data shows that grain yield (4333 kg ha-1) of this line (entry No. 11 in Table 3) was significantly higher than the grain yields of all other entries including the local check variety Haider-2000 which produced a grain yield of 4000 kg ha-1 (Table 3). The disease reaction recorded at CCRI, Pirsabak indicated that this line is resistant to yellow and leaf rust.
During 2004-05, the line was included in NUWYT Rainfed as PR-83. In NWFP, the average grain yield of 8 locations showed that PR-83 produced 4372 kg ha-1 grain yield which was only 4 kg ha-1 smaller than the grain yield of DN-44, which produced the highest grain yield of 4376 kg ha-1 (Table 4). Local check variety produced average grain yield of 3486 kg ha-1. Similarly, PR-83 produced average grain yield of 3531 kg ha-1 and ranked 5th among 12 lines throughout Pakistan (average of 19 locations). The highest grain yield of 3620 kg ha-1 was produced by NRL-2017 while the local check produced an average grain yield of 3186 kg ha-1 (Table 4).
Disease reaction data (Relative Resistance Index RRI) (Hussain, 1997; Loegering, 1959) recorded on PR-83 at 12 different locations in Pakistan (Sindh 3, Punjab 4, NWFP 3, Baluchistan 1 and Islamabad 1) (Anonymous, 2005) are given in Table 5. PR-83 recorded a desirable RRI of 8 for leaf rust and 9 for yellow rust (Anonymous, 2005).
Because of its yield performance and resistance to the most killing diseases of yellow and leaf rusts, the line PR-83 having the parentage and pedigree of MUNIA/CHTO//AMSEL, CMSS 93B00729S-23Y-010M- 010Y-010M-7Y-1M-0Y was approved by the Provincial Seed Council for cultivation in the rainfed areas of NWFP.
| Table 4: | Average grain yield (kg ha-1) of PR-83 in Rainfed National Uniform Wheat Yield Trial (NUWYT Rainfed) at various locations of NWFP and Pakistan (including NWFP) during 2004-05 |
| Table 5: | Response of PR-83 as compared with other lines showing desirable and acceptable Relative and Resistance Index (RRI) in National Uniform Wheat Yield Trial (NUWYT Rainfed) conducted at various locations in Pakistan during 2004-05* |
| *Table 5 adopted from Anonymous et al. (2005) | |
It has been named as Pirsabak Barani-05. It is recommended for sowing throughout NWFP from 1st November to 15th December.