Wheat variety PBS RS1

Why in NEWS

Punjab Agricultural University develops new variety of Wheat to keep blood sugar, obesity in check.

Key Points about the variety

• This is a high yielding strain, with high content of amylose starch.
• The amylose starch helps in reducing type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
• This ensures glucose in released slowly into blood stream.
• Total starch content, almost the same as the 66-70 per cent in other wheat varieties.
• But it has 30.3 per cent resistant starch con- tent as against only 75-10 percent for other varieties including PBW 550, PBW 725,HD 3086 and PBW 766.
• The other varieties have 56-62 percent non-resistant starch content which is nearly half (37.1 per cent) in PWB RS1.
• Similarly, PBW RS1 has 56.63 per cent amylose compared to only 21-22 per cent in other varieties.
• Chapatis and biscuits made from its whole grain flour also have lower glycemic index (a value used to measure how specific foods increase blood sugar levels), which is linked to the de- creased digestibility of the starch.
• So, it can help bring down the prevalence of diet-related dis- eases, including obesity and dia- betes (especially type 2).

Issue

• The average grain yield from the variety at PAU’s field trials has been recorded lower than other varieties.

GS PAPER – III

Turtles to clean River Ganga

Why in NEWS

Under the Namami Gange Programme, large­scale human efforts have been undertaken since 2014 to clean the Ganga and rejuvenate the nearly 2,600­km river network. In this, marine life, especially turtles, has been playing a key role as well.

Role of Turtles

• Turtle species in India, both herbivorous and carnivorous, help by clearing rotten or half­burnt human bodies as well as flowers dumped into the river here.
• The quality of water in Ganga has improved and the turtles have a role as they feed on meat and waste products thrown in the river.
• Improvements in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform (FC) and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels were seen during river water quality checks

Why we need “Namami Gange” program?

• River Ganga has significant economic, environmental and cultural value in India.
• Rising in the Himalayas and flowing to the Bay of Bengal, the river traverses a course of more than 2,500 km through the plains of north and eastern India.
• The Ganga basin – which also extends into parts of Nepal, China and Bangladesh – accounts for 26 per cent of India’s landmass.
• The Ganga also serves as one of India’s holiest rivers whose cultural and spiritual significance transcends the boundaries of the basin.

Salient features of “Namami Gange” programme

• It will cover 8 states, 47 towns & 12 rivers under the project.
• Over 1,632-gram panchayats on the banks of Ganga to be made open defecation-free by 2022.
• Setting river-centric urban planning process to facilitate better citizen connects, through interventions at Ghats and Riverfronts.
• Expansion of coverage of sewerage infrastructure in 118 urban habitations on banks of Ganga.
• Development of rational agricultural practices & efficient irrigation methods.
• Establishment of Ganga Knowledge Centre.

GS PAPER – III

Operation Green

Why in NEWS

• ‘Operation Green’, which started off with tomatoes, onions and potatoes (TOP) and extended to other vegetables, has not delivered in taming prices of TOP.
• There is a need of an independent body specialising in vegetable value chains with a clear mandate to stabilise the TOP prices and production, and increase the share of producers in consumer’s rupee, somewhat akin to National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) in the case of milk.

What is Operation Green?

• Operation Greens seeks to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops and to ensure availability of TOP crops throughout the country round the year without price volatility.

Objectives

• Enhancing value realisation of TOP farmers by targeted interventions to strengthen TOP production clusters and their FPOs, and linking/connecting them with the market.
• Price stabilisation for producers and consumers by proper production planning in the TOP clusters and introduction of dual use varieties.
• Reduction in post-harvest losses by creation of farm gate infrastructure, development of suitable agro-logistics, creation of appropriate storage capacity linking consumption centres.
• Increase in food processing capacities and value addition in TOP value chain with firm linkages with production clusters.
• Setting up of a market intelligence network to collect and collate real time data on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.

Strategy

• Short term Price Stabilisation Measures 
• Long Term Integrated value chain development projects
  1. Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium
  2. Quality production
  3. Post-harvest processing facilities
  4. Agri-Logistics