- A team of Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI)in Pune, Maharashtra, have developed ‘MACS 4028’, a biofortified wheat variety, which shows high-protein content of around 14.7% good nutritional quality having zinc 40.3 ppm, and iron content of 40.3ppm and 46.1ppm (parts per million) respectively.
Key Points:
- The development done by the scientist has been published in the Indian Journal of Genetics and Plant Breeding.
- MACS 4028, a semi-dwarf variety, matures in a period of 102 days and has a very good yielding ability of 19.3 quintals per hectare. This variety also shows a better resistance to crop disease like stem rust, leaf rust and common pests of dryland wheat including foliar aphids, root aphids, brown wheat mite.
- It has been included under the Biofortified category by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) during the year 2019.
What is the biofortified variety?
- Fortified varieties are developed to provide the crop with the right amount of essential nutrients.
- The quantities of iron, Zinc, Vitamin A &D in these varieties are increased through changes in genes.
