EVOLUTION OF WHEAT BREEDING RESEARCH IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

There is remarkable history of wheat breeding research in the country. The initial enrichment work on wheat crop in Punjab is dated back to the year 1893 when Willium James Farrer in Australia distributed a number of crosses for trials at Lahore Botanical Garden but results were very discouraging. An Experimental Farm at Lyallpur was opend in 1901 and some trials of wheat were started there. Agricultural College and Research Institute at Lyallpure was established in 1906. Mr. D. Miline, first Economic Botanist of Punjab became the Head of the Botany Section of the College in 1907. First survey of main wheat growing tracts of the Punjab was made in 1907 and Mr. D. Miline gave out T9 as the first wheat variety in 1911 from the local collection while 8A (approved in 1919) was the first wheat variety to be placed on the Departmental list of Approved Seeds. In 1926, a separate post of Cerealist was created and the work on the improvement of wheat became the sole responsibility to the Cerealist. From 1911 to 1944, eight wheat varieties were approved. Quality was a guiding factor in wheat breeding in the region of Punjab throughout the colonial era. No new wheat variety could be resealed during first decade after independence. Two varieties C271 and C273 were evolved and released in 1957. First high yielding wheat variety, Mexi-Pak, was approved in 1965. It revolutionized wheat production and Pakistan became pioneer of Green Revolution in wheat production in the region. After Mexi-Pak many world famous varieties like Chenab-70, Lyallpur-73, Yecora, Pak-81, Inqilab-91, Bhakkar-2002, Seher-2006, Faisalabad-2008, Dharabi-11, Glaxy-2013, Bhakkar Star, Ghazi-19 and Akbar-19 were developed and approved from time to time keeping in view the ever changing biological scenario, climate change and prospective consumers/markets. The province is now fastly moving towards Hybrid Wheat though in the trial phases.