WHEAT RESEARCH

Introduction

It was a stroke of good luck for Lokbharti that Dr. Zaverbhai Patel ( a Retd. Plant Breeder and former Deputy Director of Bombay State Agriculture Department, had done his doctorate in Plant Breeding in America) came at Lokbharti in 1967 for carrying out Wheat Research Experiments.

Dr. Haward family and Dr. Pal have initiated some research work in Wheat before independence but no rust resistant variety was developed. Mostly local variety of N. P. Series were sown, we had to import the Wheat from abroad. Self sufficiency in Wheat was the demand of the age.

After carrying out the experiment for 12 years, LOK -1 Variety was developed by the institute. This variety was a cross breeding of S -308 ( Sonalika) and S-331 (Chhoti Larma). These varieties S-308 and S-331 were the original Mexican Varieties gifted by the Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug to our nation. The LOK-1 Variety was recognized by the Govt. of Gujarat for cultivation in 1979 and the Govt. of India has also released this varieth for the Central Zone i. e. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and some parts of U. P. in 1982.

In 2000-2001 "LOK-1" variety is distributed in 31.6% area i.e. 20 to 25 Lakhs hectors of Central Zone while it is also spread in other State like Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh etc.

"LOK-1" is also being grown in the neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and Indonesia.

The seeds of "LOK-1" has reached to U.S.A. Mexico, Russia, Indonesia, Guyana and Argentina.

The most important thing is that the Wheat Research Work is being carried out by the under Graduate and Post Graduate Students of Lokbharti as a part and parcel of their curriculum. Their hands, hearts and heads are developed by doing this work. All operations are being done by the students. The good results are due to the dedication of students and staff members.  we are spending the sum of Rs. 1 Lakh for the Wheat Research program and still we have achieved a great success.

The other outstanding feature is a active involement of beneficial farmers in Wheat Research Work by various ways.