PBW RS1: New Wheat Variety

Context:  Punjab Agricultural University Develops PBW RS1 Wheat Variety for Nutritional Security. About PBW RS1 Wheat Variety:

• The new variety called PBW RS1, with RS being short for resistant starch.
• The variety has been developed over a period of 10 years by a team of wheat breeders led by Dr V S Sohu, head, department of plant breeding and genetics.
• The high amylose and resistant starch ensure that glucose is released slowly into the bloodstream, preventing an immediate rise in glucose levels and reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
• It has a total starch content similar to other wheat varieties but contains 30.3% resistant starch, compared to only 7.5-10% in other varieties.

Concerns: 

• It has lower productivity compared to other wheat varieties, with an average grain yield of 43.18 quintals per hectare, below the average yield in Punjab.

Benefits: 

• Reduce the risks of type-2 diabetes and
• Cardiovascular diseases.
• Tastes and feels like normal wheat, making it a viable alternative
• Completely resistant to “yellow rust” and “moderately resistant” to brown rust fungal diseases.

Additional Information: About Type 2 Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes affects how your body uses sugar (glucose) for energy. It stops the body from using insulin properly, which can lead to high levels of blood sugar if not treated. Over time, type 2 diabetes can cause serious damage to the body, especially nerves and blood vessels. Glycemic Index: The glycemic index (GI) is a value used to measure how much specific foods increase blood sugar levels. Foods are classified as low, medium, or high glycemic foods and ranked on a scale of 0–100. The lower the GI of a specific food, the less it may affect your blood sugar levels.

 News Source: The Indian Express