Punjab Agricultural University Creates A Novel Wheat Type To Help Control Blood Sugar And Obesity

The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) appears to be shifting its research focus from quantity to quality and from food security to nutritional security.

The Ludhiana-based institution, which played a vital part in making India surplus in foodgrains during the Green Revolution by producing high-yielding strains, has produced a new wheat variety with high amylose starch content, which is known to minimise risks of type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Eating chapatis prepared from this wheat, known as PBW RS1, with RS standing for resistant starch, will not result in an instant and quick rise in glucose levels. Instead, the high amylose and resistant starch content ensures that glucose is delivered into the bloodstream more slowly. Slower digestion also enhances satiety; a person who would normally have four chapatis from regular wheat might now feel full after only two.

It contains nearly the same amount of total starch as other wheat types (66-70%). However, it possesses 30.3 per cent resistant starch content, compared to 7.5-10 per cent for other kinds, such as PBW 550, PBW 725, HD 3086, and PBW 766, according to PAU studies done over four years. The other kinds have 56-62 per cent non-resistant starch, whereas PWB RS1 has nearly half (37.1 per cent). Similarly, PBW RS1 contains 56.63 per cent amylose, whereas other kinds include just 21-22 per cent.

A team of wheat breeders led by Dr V S Sohu, head of the Department of plant breeding and Genetics, worked on the variety for ten years. PAU is the first to generate this variety by combining five unique alleles (genes) controlling resistant starch levels.

PAU had previously introduced two kinds on nutritional lines - PBW Zn1 with high zinc content and PBW1 Chapati with premium chapati quality that kept fresh for a long time - but none had the same attributes as PBW RS1.

"Yes, decreasing production is an issue. However, PBW RS1 should be designated as a special-trait variety with a high enough price to entice farmers to produce it. "We pitched the idea to Markfed (the Punjab State Cooperative Supply & Marketing Federation) to market it as a special quality flour," Gosal said, adding that PBW RS1 is the country's first enhanced wheat type cultivated for quality rather than quantity.

Sharma stated that seeds for the new type will be available to farmers in September, allowing them to sow during the forthcoming rabi season. PBW RS1 is "completely resistant" to yellow rust and "moderately resistant" to brown rust fungal infections, in addition to its nutritional qualities.