A variety of Maize. NABI MG is not maize. NABI describes its coloured grain as wheat, bred from the wheat cultivar PBW621. NABI's technology note on nutraceutical coloured wheat does mention maize, but only to say that maize types with coloured grains are known to fetch premium prices, as a pointer to the market for…

A variety of Barley. NABI MG is not barley. The parent NABI names, PBW621, is a high-yielding wheat cultivar, and the product is described as coloured wheat. Barley is a different cereal; the purple and black grain developed at NABI is wheat.

A variety of Millet. NABI MG is not a millet. NABI's note calls its product anthocyanin biofortified coloured wheat, and says it was developed after seven years of research by routine plant breeding. Millets such as bajra are a separate group of cereals.

RAS Pre 2021, held on 27 October 2021. Question text as printed in RPSC's booklet; answer as per RPSC's final answer key.

“NABI MG” is -

Q: What is the answer to RAS Pre 2021 Q148?

(4). Correct — option (4), A variety of Wheat. NABI MG is the black wheat developed at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology. NABI's own note on its anthocyanin biofortified coloured wheat says coloured wheat, purple and black, was developed there by crossing exotic germplasm EC866732 from Japan with the high-yielding wheat cultivar PBW621. The colour comes from anthocyanins in the grain. The name NABI MG for that black wheat appears in a later report by 101Reporters, published in The Hans India on 2 February 2024; it says a farmer acquired NABI MG seeds from NABI in 2018. The report quotes NABI scientist Dr Monika Garg: "It took us seven years of research and development to come up with NABI MG." The idea to remember: NABI MG = NABI's anthocyanin-rich black wheat, bred from a Japanese line crossed with PBW621.

(1)A variety of Maize
(2)A variety of Barley
(3)A variety of Millet
(4)A variety of Wheat

Answer

(4)

Why

Correct — option (4), A variety of Wheat.

NABI MG is the black wheat developed at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab, an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology.

NABI's own note on its anthocyanin biofortified coloured wheat says coloured wheat, purple and black, was developed there by crossing exotic germplasm EC866732 from Japan with the high-yielding wheat cultivar PBW621. The colour comes from anthocyanins in the grain.

The name NABI MG for that black wheat appears in a later report by 101Reporters, published in The Hans India on 2 February 2024; it says a farmer acquired NABI MG seeds from NABI in 2018.

The report quotes NABI scientist Dr Monika Garg: "It took us seven years of research and development to come up with NABI MG."

The idea to remember: NABI MG = NABI's anthocyanin-rich black wheat, bred from a Japanese line crossed with PBW621.

Why the others are wrong

(1)
A variety of Maize — NABI MG is not maize. NABI describes its coloured grain as wheat, bred from the wheat cultivar PBW621.
NABI's technology note on nutraceutical coloured wheat does mention maize, but only to say that maize types with coloured grains are known to fetch premium prices, as a pointer to the market for coloured wheat.
(2)
A variety of Barley — NABI MG is not barley. The parent NABI names, PBW621, is a high-yielding wheat cultivar, and the product is described as coloured wheat.
Barley is a different cereal; the purple and black grain developed at NABI is wheat.
(3)
A variety of Millet — NABI MG is not a millet. NABI's note calls its product anthocyanin biofortified coloured wheat, and says it was developed after seven years of research by routine plant breeding.
Millets such as bajra are a separate group of cereals.

Concept

Biofortification raises the nutrient content of a crop itself. NABI's coloured wheat is biofortified with anthocyanins, natural pigments with antioxidant activity that turn the grain purple, blue or black.

NABI's technology note on nutraceutical coloured wheat explains the colours: purple is linked to a mutation in the pericarp, blue results from wide introgression, and black combines both.

NABI states that the coloured wheat is not genetically modified: it was developed by routine plant breeding, and the lines are registered with the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR).

RPSC's 2021 syllabus lists "Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry and Animal Husbandry with special reference to Rajasthan." and "Food and Nutrition, Blood Groups and Rh Factor." under Science & Technology.

The same NABI note records NBPGR registration numbers INGR17001, INGR17002 and INGR17003, and approval for human consumption by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

It also notes that the yield of NABI's black wheat is 20% lower than high-yielding cultivars.

Key facts

NABI MG, as a 2024 report names it, is the black wheat developed at the National Agri-Food Biotechnology Institute (NABI), Mohali, Punjab.
It was bred by crossing exotic germplasm EC866732 from Japan with the high-yielding wheat cultivar PBW621.
Its colour comes from anthocyanins; NABI's note gives 40–140 ppm in its coloured wheat.
NABI says the coloured wheat is non-GMO and registered with NBPGR (INGR17001–17003).
NABI was an autonomous institute of the Department of Biotechnology in 2021.

How NABI's black wheat was bred

Parent 1→Exotic germplasm EC866732, procured from Japan

Parent 2→PBW621, a high-yielding, disease-resistant wheat cultivar

Method→Routine plant breeding over seven years (non-GMO)

Result→Anthocyanin-rich coloured wheat; the black wheat is known as NABI MG

Sources: NABI, Anthocyanin Biofortified Colored Wheat developed at NABI (undated note); 101Reporters in The Hans India (2 February 2024) for the name NABI MG.

Study next

Biofortified crop varieties in IndiaAnthocyanins and antioxidants in foodGolden rice and genetically modified cropsWheat varieties and wheat cultivation in RajasthanNational Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR)

Common traps

Institute name versus crop: NABI is an agri-food biotechnology institute, not a crop, so the name alone does not tell the crop; the crop is wheat.
Coloured grain in other crops: NABI's technology note mentions maize with coloured grains, but NABI MG is wheat.
Biofortified is not the same as genetically modified: NABI states its coloured wheat was produced by routine plant breeding.

A question can name a new crop variety and ask which crop it belongs to.

A question can also ask which institute developed it, what nutrient it is enriched with, or whether it was bred conventionally or by genetic modification.

Related PYQs

RPSC_2023_PRE_GS_Q132023Open & attempt →

Mahi Kanchan and RCB 911 are hybrid variety of –

(1) Maize and Barley respectively
(2) Maize and Rice respectively
(3) Maize and Bajra respectively
(4) Bajra and Maize respectively

Answer(3)

Same task: a variety name is given and its crop is asked. That question gives Mahi Kanchan and RCB 911 (RPSC's key: Maize and Bajra respectively); this one gives NABI MG, a coloured wheat.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
The coloured (black and purple) wheat developed at NABI, Mohali, owes its colour mainly to which pigments?
- (a)Carotenoids
- (b)Anthocyanins
- (c)Chlorophylls
- (d)Melanins
Answer(2) — NABI states that the colour in its wheat grain is due to anthocyanins, which have antioxidant activity. Options (1), (3) and (4) are other pigments, not the ones NABI names.
practice — not a real PYQ
According to NABI, its coloured wheat was developed by crossing an exotic line from Japan with which Indian wheat cultivar?
- (a)HD 2967
- (b)PBW621
- (c)Raj 3765
- (d)Lok 1
Answer(2) — NABI's note on its coloured wheat names the high-yielding, disease-resistant cultivar PBW621 as the parent crossed with germplasm EC866732 from Japan. Options (1), (3) and (4) are other wheat varieties, not the parent NABI names.