DWRB 223
India's first released hulless barley. The husk separates during threshing, so the grain can go into food and health products without dehulling.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Barley
- Type
- Open-pollinated
- Season
- Rabi
- Maturity period
- 115–120 days
- Expected yield
- 40–43 q/ha
- Suitable soil
- Loam
- Disease resistance
- Good tolerance to yellow rust
- Release
- Announced by ICAR-IIWBR, Karnal, on 10 April 2025 as India's first released hulless barley variety
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
About this variety
DWRB 223 is ICAR-IIWBR (Karnal)'s hulless (naked) barley, India's first released hulless barley variety. The husk separates from the grain during threshing, so the grain needs no separate dehulling step before it goes into food products. Tribune's report of the release, announced on 10 April 2025, gives an average yield of about 42.9–43 q/ha and 11.7% grain protein. Some reports also give about 6.0% beta-glucan and resistance to stripe rust. Stripe rust and yellow rust are the same disease (Puccinia striiformis), so that fits the good tolerance to yellow rust shown here.
Should you pick this variety?
Choose DWRB 223 if you want barley for the food market rather than for feed or malt. It is India's first released hulless barley: the husk separates when you thresh, so the grain goes straight into multigrain and health-food products with no dehulling step, and that single trait is the whole reason it exists. On yield it is not a compromise either — about 42.9 to 43 q/ha puts it level with RD 2035 and behind only RD 2552 — and its 11.7% protein is why food buyers are interested in the first place. Two cautions matter more than those figures. They come from a Tribune report of the 10 April 2025 release rather than from an ICAR document we could read, so treat them as provisional. And the variety is new, which means neither the seed chain nor the buyer side has settled: find a buyer for hulless grain before you sow, and ask your KVK where the seed is actually sold. Take DWRB 182 for a malt contract, or RD 2552 for grain plus fodder.
Sowing & cultivation
Pest & disease considerations
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- India's first released hulless (naked) barley variety — the husk separates from the grain during threshing, so it needs no separate dehulling step before use in multigrain and health-food products
- Tribune coverage reports 11.7% grain protein and roughly 42.9–43 q/ha average yield, both consistent with the 40–43 q/ha yield rating band
Things to consider
- Some reports give about 6.0% beta-glucan, a fibre linked to blood sugar and cholesterol. ICAR has not published that figure, so do not print it on a bag or in a sales claim.
- The parentage is not published, and no recommended zone is published either. Ask your KVK or ICAR-IIWBR before sowing it outside Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Punjab
- Haryana
- Uttar Pradesh
Selling a grain people eat, not feed
DWRB 223 is meant for multigrain and health-food use, so the buyer looks at the grain the way a food buyer does: clean, dry and free of other seed.
Store it apart from ordinary covered barley. If the two mix, you lose the one thing that sets this variety apart, the naked grain.
Tribune's report gives 11.7% protein. Some reports also give about 6.0% beta-glucan, but ICAR has not published that figure, so leave it off your bag and your sales talk.
Can you keep your own planting material?
This is an open-pollinated variety, so seed from a healthy crop of your own can be sown again. Keep seed only from disease-free plants, dry it properly, store it cool and dry, and bring in fresh certified seed every three to four years so the variety does not drift.
How it compares with other varieties
Every Barley variety with a page on this site, side by side. The row for this page is highlighted.
| Variety | Best for | Maturity | Yield | States |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DWRB 137 | A six-row feed barley for irrigated, timely-sown fields in the eastern plains and the Central Zone, with grain that also tests well for malt | 130–135 days | 38–42 q/ha (zone trial averages) | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat |
| DWRB 182 | A two-row malt barley for irrigated, timely-sown fields in the North Western Plains, grown for a maltster | 120–125 days | 45–50 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| DWRB 223this page | India's first released hulless barley, for the food and health-food market with no dehulling step | 115–120 days | 40–43 q/ha | Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh |
| Jyoti | An older irrigated barley with recorded resistance to loose smut, still the yardstick in eastern-plains trials | 120–130 days | 35–40 q/ha | Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, West Bengal |
| K 560 (Haritma) | Rainfed barley for eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, where there is no assured water | 115–120 days | 30–32 q/ha | Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal |
| RD 2035 | A dual-purpose barley (grain and green fodder) with nematode resistance, for irrigated fields in Rajasthan and the North Western Plains | 120–125 days | 35–40 q/ha | Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh |
| RD 2552 | Grain-and-fodder barley for irrigated, timely-sown fields in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab | 115–120 days | 38–46 q/ha | Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab |
| RD 2660 | Rainfed six-row feed barley for the dry parts of Rajasthan | 110–115 days | 25–30 q/ha (rainfed) | Rajasthan |
Tools for this crop
The numbers you need next: how much seed to buy, whether the lot germinates, what the fertilizer bill looks like and what Barley is selling for.
- Seed Rate CalculatorHow much seed your Barley plot needs, corrected for the germination of the lot you bought.
- Germination CalculatorTest 100 seeds from the bag before sowing and see whether the lot is fit to sow.
- Seed Variety FinderFilter every Barley variety on this site by state, season, duration and soil.
- Fertilizer CalculatorTurn the NPK recommendation for Barley into bags of urea, DAP and MOP for your field size.
- Crop CalendarMonth-by-month sowing, weeding, irrigation and harvest dates for Barley in your state.
- Crop Profit CalculatorPut your seed, labour and input costs against the yield you expect from this variety.
- Mandi Price CheckerToday's Barley rate in your nearest mandi, before you fix a price with a trader.
Subsidy and government support
Schemes that help with the cost of Barley seed or planting material. Rules and the application route are on each scheme page.
Frequently asked questions
What makes DWRB 223 different from other barley varieties?
It is India's first released hulless (naked) barley — the husk separates from the grain during threshing, so it does not need a separate dehulling step before being used in food products, unlike ordinary "covered" barley varieties.
When was DWRB 223 released?
ICAR-IIWBR, Karnal announced its release on 10 April 2025, per Tribune coverage of the announcement.
What is the protein content of DWRB 223 grain?
About 11.7%, per the Tribune coverage of the release.
Is DWRB 223 resistant to yellow rust?
It is rated as having good tolerance to yellow rust. Some reports call it resistant to stripe rust, which is the same disease as yellow rust, so the two descriptions agree.
Is DWRB 223 a malt barley variety?
No. It is a food and health-food hulless barley, different from IIWBR's two-row malt releases such as DWRB 182.
Does hulless barley need dehulling?
No. The husk comes off during threshing, so the grain is ready to clean and use. That is the main difference from ordinary covered barley.
Will DWRB 223 fetch a better price than ordinary barley?
No price is published for it. Its selling point is the food market for hulless grain. Find the buyer before you sow and ask what grade and moisture they want.
Where can I get DWRB 223 seed?
It was announced on 10 April 2025, so check availability with ICAR-IIWBR Karnal, your KVK or the state seed corporation. Buy only tagged seed with a bill.
Can I put the beta-glucan figure on a DWRB 223 bag or sales claim?
No. Some reports give about 6.0% beta-glucan, a fibre linked to blood sugar and cholesterol, but ICAR has not published that figure. Print only what is published: the protein of about 11.7% and the average yield of about 42.9–43 q/ha from the release report. If a buyer wants a lab figure, test your own grain.
DWRB 223, DWRB 182 or RD 2552 — which market am I growing for?
Choose by buyer. DWRB 223 is hulless barley for the food and health market, with no dehulling step. DWRB 182 is a two-row malt barley for a maltster. RD 2552 gives grain plus a green-fodder cut for animals. Because DWRB 223 is new, find a buyer for hulless grain before you sow and ask your KVK where seed is sold.
Sourced from: The Tribune — 12 new high-yielding varieties of wheat and barley released (DWRB 223). editorial policy.