abstract
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Development of high yielding, disease resistant and climatic resilient wheat genotypes are the top priorities of the wheat improvement program of Cereal Crops Research Institute Pirsabak, Pakistan. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important cereal crops vital for global food security. It is cultivated on wide range of environmental conditions across the world. Many countries including Pakistan are facing the major challenges of biotic and a biotic stresses. Drought is one of the most common environmental stresses that affect growth and development of plants resulting in less production and reduced yield. Among other abiotic stresses, late planting and sudden variable climatic changes like heat stress at sowing time and increase in temperature at the terminal stages of crop are the major threats that seriously affecting wheat production. Pakistan is among the top ten countries of the world vulnerable to climatic changes. To cope with climatic changes, developments of climatic resilient varieties are prerequisites. The broad genetic make-up of the CIMMYT material has made it possible for researchers to select lines adapted to different climatic conditions of many countries. Wheat breeding team of Cereal Crops Research Institute Pirsabak, Pakistan evaluated CIMMYT germplasm and selected elite lines for different climatic conditions. Three new wheat cultivars i.e. Khaista-2017, Wadaan-2017 and Paseena-2017 for irrigated, rainfed and late planting conditions, respectively were approved by Provincial Seed Council for general cultivation. These new cultivars are high yielding, disease resistance (yellow and leaf rusts) and have superior chapati making quality. These new cultivars will not only enhance wheat production but also improve the socio economic conditions of the poor farmers and drought prone areas of the Erstwhile FATA, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. These cultivars have the potential to perform better under the changing climatic conditions and will ensure food security in Pakistan.