Karan Vandana:A new hybrid wheat variety

News:Government is planning to launch a new hybrid wheat variety named Karan Vandana across the country.

Facts:

About Karan Vandana

• It has been developed by the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research (IIWBR) under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
• It is also known as DBW-187.It is resistant to both yellow rust and white blast diseases.

Additional information:

Yellow rust:

• Yellow rust is a fungal disease which manifests as powdery yellow stripes on leaves. 
• These stripes hinder photosynthesis make the grains shrivel and stunt growth of the plant.
• It is a serious disease which has been threatening wheat cultivation in the country the past few years. 
• All the wheat growing states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, the tarai region of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and the low lying areas of Jammu and Kashmir are susceptible to the disease. 

Wheat Blast

• Wheat Blast is also a fungal disease.
• It prevents maturation of the actual grain which affects reproduction by causing the host to produce fewer seeds.

About ICAR:

• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare , Government of India.
• The Council is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences in the entire country.