Central India – A Hub for Durum Wheat
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India Wheat – In India, an estimated 1.5 to 2.0 million tons of Durum Wheat is produced annually. Dry and hot environments of central and peninsular parts of India, viz., Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Southern Rajasthan, are suitable for Durum cultivation. Best quality Durum Wheat with excellent appearance, good hectoliter weight, high protein, and less yellow berry incidence is predominantly produced in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh due to a more extended grain filling period and short vegetative growth in the region. Its grain density, combined with high protein content (>12.5%), 7.0 ppm ß-carotene content, and gluten strength, make Durum the Wheat of choice for producing premium semolina, which is being used in making Indian recipes viz., rava-dosa/macaroni/ noodles/snack foods, etc.
Due to susceptibility to rust and limited production in the 1960s, cultivation in mid-India declined, and farmers stopped growing Durum Wheat varieties. Due to the development of highly tolerant and high-yielding varieties, Durum Wheat’s area, production, and productivity increased daily, and central India is now called a hub for Durum Wheat. In central India, it has been cultivated in Malva regions, Sourastra, and Kathiaward in Gujarat and Kota, Bundi, Jhalaward, and Udaipur regions of Rajasthan, Bundalkhand region, and west Maharastara for a long time.
At present, multi-national food companies in India are utilizing Indian Durum Wheat, comparable with its Canadian and Australian counterparts in terms of quality for processing rather than depending on the imports. The pasta industries are looking for more hectoliter weight & hardness to have better extraction rate (~ 68-72%), high protein (~13%), less black tip and dark crease, freedom from yellow berry and Karnal bunt for good finishing of pasta products.
At present, multi-national food companies in India are utilizing Indian Durum Wheat, comparable with its Canadian and Australian counterparts in terms of quality for processing rather than depending on the imports. The pasta industries are looking for more hectoliter weight & hardness to have better extraction rate (~ 68-72%), high protein (~13%), less black tip and dark crease, freedom from yellow berry and Karnal bunt for good finishing of pasta products.
Indian Durum Wheat Potentials
With the rising demand for specialty foods like pasta in India and other countries, the Durum Wheat market is growing exponentially. Intensive research and development efforts made by the Regional Research Station, Indore of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, brought the Durum Wheat back into cultivation in Central India with very high yield potential. With intensive popularization of newly evolved high-yielding and rust-resistant Durum varieties viz., HI 8627, HI 8663, HI 8713, HI 8737, and HI 8759, etc., with a yield potential of > 50 q/ha and their “low-cost cultivation technology,” Durum Wheat production in Madhya Pradesh improved significantly leading to the declaration of the state as “Agri-Export Zone” for Durum Wheat also.
Compared to bread Wheat, the higher heat tolerance of Durum ensures higher yields with lesser irrigation. Modern Durum varieties are generally resistant to currently prevalent and bread Wheat virulent rust pathotypes, and, thus, have been contributing to arresting the spread of Wheat rusts in the country. Thus, it is an ideal Wheat to be grown in Central and Peninsular parts of the country to “ensure food and nutritional security.” Increasing global demand, value addition potential, resistance to diseases, and better market price are some of the critical factors which make Indian Durum Wheat an export commodity as well as capable of catering to the Indian market.
It has an export potential similar to basmati rice. The potential markets for Indian Durum can be countries in the Middle East, Mediterranean region, and Africa after catering to the massive demand in Indian markets. An awareness campaign is, therefore, urgently required for the growers, traders, and consumers about the importance of Durum Wheat as a high economic crop.
Other sources: RESEARCH GATE
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