Dilbagh Singh Athwal

Research

Athwal was known for his pioneering work in the development of wheat varieties from strains from Mexico in the 1960s. First, seeds from lines with similar genetic makeup and appearance are mechanically mixed to produce a multiline variety. These lines are bred for desired traits and the ones showing susceptibility to the undesirable quality are removed and replaced. Afterwards, the best lines with desirable traits (eg. rust resistance) are chosen and multiplied separately. These separate lines with the most desirable qualities are mixed and multiplied to grow before being released to farmers. According to the deputy director of CIMMYT’s (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center) wheat program, multiline varieties should involve 15-20 lines.

Athwal’s work on crossing Lerma Rojo 64 and PV 18 and creating a new multiline gave rise to a new wheat variety which was named Kalyan 227, after Athwal’s home village. Kalyan 227 was released in 1967 and was known as “Kalyan Sona" or "Golden Savior". The Kalyan variety was released into the market in 1967. This variety was adopted by many farmers and the large-scale production of this wheat caused a wheat surplus in the 1970s.