Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
In a significant breakthrough, scientists at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in Pantnagar have developed a high-yielding, six-row barley variety, UPB 1106 (Pant Barley 1106), after 12 years of rigorous research. The variety has now been officially released by the Central Sub-Committee on Crop Standards under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and notified by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for cultivation in the plains of 12 Indian states.
These states include Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam, and the North Eastern region.
According to JP Jaiswal, Coordinator of the Wheat and Barley Research Project at the university, “Pant Barley 1106 has consistently outperformed existing varieties in national trials conducted by ICAR-Indian Wheat and Barley Research Institute, Karnal. In the North Eastern states, it recorded 19.94% and 10.32% higher yields than HUB 113 and DWRB 137, respectively.”
The variety is resistant to brown and yellow rust, shows improved resistance to blight, and is lodging tolerant—making it ideal for irrigated, timely sown conditions. Notably, UPB 1106 also boasts superior nutritional quality with 12.3% protein content, surpassing HUB 113 (11.7%) and DWRB 137 (11.2%).
“With its resistance traits, high productivity, and better grain quality, UPB 1106 is set to boost barley production and promote better health outcomes,” Jaiswal added.
Barley, rich in beta-glucan fiber, is increasingly valued in multi-grain diets for its ability to reduce body fat, control weight, and manage diabetes—making the launch of UPB 1106 especially timely.
The new variety was developed by university scientists JP Jaiswal, Swati, and Anil Kumar. Vice Chancellor Manmohan Singh Chauhan, Director of Research A.S. Nain, and Dean of Agriculture Subhash Chandra congratulated the team for their remarkable achievement.
