Brown revolution

WHEAT is the Crop of the coming era, says the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). And India is slated to be the lead producer of this cereal in the next decade. In a recently published report, the Institute predicts that wheat will be the most important grain in developing nations as a result of a massive agricultural transformation. Advances in wheat research have produced varieties with higher degrees of drought resi .stance' This is particularly attractive to the African and certain Asian nations which suffer from prolonged and persistent dry spells. It is not surprising therefore, that in the developing world wheat has experienced a 96 per cent yield increase between 1970 and 1994, with India forging ahead of others. And Don Winkelmann, chairman Of CGIAR'S technical advisory committee is convinced that this is only the beginning. "If we continue to invest in research we can achieve tremendous increases in productivity," he enthuses.