FAISALABAD, June 6: The Wheat Research Institute has developed varieties which can produce 60 to 70 maunds per acre grains. Institute Director Dr Aqil Khan, speaking to the participants of a seminar on ‘research achievements and present activities of the institute’ held here at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute on Monday, said that the yield gap between progressive farmers and ordinary growers needed to be narrowed.

He described in detail the ongoing research projects, saying that the institute was screening different wheat lines for heat tolerance.

The research work is also being conducted to evolve the wheat varieties which are salt tolerant, he added.

He spoke of hybridization of bread wheat and crosses made in this context.

“The number of tillers, number of grains and grain size are the major components of wheat yield and the institute is making efforts to inculcate all these traits in new wheat varieties.”

The director said lodging of crop caused a tremendous loss in wheat yield and in order to avoid the loss, the institute was evolving varieties which were not susceptible to lodging. A technology was also being developed by the institute to maximize the yield from the late sown wheat.

Research Director Dr. Abdul Haq appreciated the efforts of the institute in developing high-yielding new wheat varieties. He lauded the work conducted at the institute in evolving the heat-tolerant varieties of wheat.

Renowned agricultural researchers said work on controlling wheat diseases was also being conducted at the institute.