Abstract
Currently commercial wheat varieties are losing their resistance to sustain the yield due to impediment of photosynthetic activities in the leaves of wheat plant due to rust attack. However, approval of Subhani-21 by the Government gives new hope to reshape food security to the farmers of irrigated areas of Punjab to enhance wheat yield by tolerance the unexpected disease peril. The genotype of Subhani-21 having parentage of ACHU/SAUAL*2/5/ SERI.1B // KAUZ/ HEVO /3/AMAD*2 /4/ KIRITATI was selected in South Asian Bread Wheat Genomic Prediction Yield Trial (SABWGPYT) received from the material of Centro Internationale de Majero Minto Y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico during 2015-16 along with other trials/nurseries. The mentioned genotype with the code of HYT 55-33 was evaluated for yield and other traits against national check varieties in regular, provincial and national yield trials conducted at Wheat Research Institute, Faisalabad during 2017-2020. In regular yield trial, this line produced towering yield of 11.29 and 30.04% against check varieties of Faisalabad-08 and Ujala-16, respectively at station yield trials. In provincial uniform wheat yield trial (PUWYT), the proposed line out yielded 1.74% against check variety over 21 locations including rain-fed areas in Punjab. However, for wider adaptability alongwith yield stability testing in national uniform wheat yield trial (NUWYT), the candidate line excelled the check varieties of Faisalabad-08, Pakistan-13 and local check by 0.3, 1.35 and 11.43%, respectively in Punjab during 2018-19. In the second year of NUWYT, the HYT 55-33 (Subhani-21) gave more yield of 5.71, 14.45 and 15.47% than Ghazi-19, Pakistan-13 and local check, respectively over 20 locations in Punjab in 2019-20. Rust resistance index was very good as 8.6 and 6.8 against leaf rust and yellow rust, respectively. This new variety was medium tall (110-115 cm) and without anthocyanin pigment at seedling stage. It took 110-119 days to complete heading while duration to get maturity was medium (145-155 days) and possesses good tillering capacity (400 tillers per m2 ). Its glume was about 8.60 mm in length and 5.8 mm in width and its attachment was strong. Its test weight (75.7 kg/hl), thousand grain weight (40-50 g), protein content (14-16 %), starch content (53.9 %) and gluten content (32.7%) were recorded appreciable to fulfill the quality standards for wheat grain when compared with the commercial varieties. The yield potential of this new variety (Subhani-21) was declared as 7000 kg/ha. In short, this variety could be sown to get more yield with no disease attack without compromising the yield/nutrition status of produce as compared to local varieties.