|
Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Special Report No. 478 K. D. Kephart, A. L. McKendry, D. N. Tague and M. K. Kroening 1/
|
Genetic improvement of wheat varieties has contributed about 40 to 50 percent of the total improvement in wheat yields attained over the past 50 years. Both public and private wheat breeding programs are constantly striving towards greater yield potential, improved quality and better host plant resistance to disease and insect pests in the new varieties released for commercial production. In fact, over 100 new soft red winter wheat varieties alone have been released to U.S. farmers in the last 10 years. This volume of new varieties creates uncertainty among farmers trying to select the best variety or varieties for their situation. Wheat growers are reluctant to adopt new varieties without adequate information concerning adaptation and performance. The objective of the Missouri Winter Wheat Performance Tests is to provide wheat growers in Missouri with a reliable, unbiased, up-to-date source of information that will permit valid comparisons among improved wheat varieties. This information should help Missouri wheat growers select varieties best suited to their particular area and growing conditions. This report summarizes winter wheat variety trials conducted throughout Missouri during the 1994-95 cropping season.
Locations
All soft and hard red winter wheats were planted at seven locations throughout the state (Fig. 1) including Portageville and Charleston in the southeastern region, Mt. Vernon and Lamar in the southwestern region and Columbia, Novelty and Trenton in the northern region of the state.
Entries and Seed Sources
In 1995, 62 soft red and 2 hard red winter wheats were tested in Missouri. The soft red winter wheats were comprised of 10 public varieties, 10 public experimental entries and 42 proprietary varieties. The hard red winter wheats were comprised of 2 public varieties. Public varieties adapted to Missouri growing conditions or recommended by the state of origin were entered into the 1995 variety test. Numbered entries preceded by a state designation (e.g. MO12258, OH490) are experimental lines provided by the foundation seed organization or wheat breeder of the originating state. Named public varieties were acquired from the foundation seed organization of the originating state or from the University of Missouri Foundation Seed Program. Names of commercially available entries evaluated in 1994 and their seed sources are listed in Table 1. Proprietary entries are submitted for testing on a fee basis by their owners or sponsors. Condition of the seed lot used in these tests for each entry is the responsibility of the company or organization sponsoring that entry.
Experimental Design and Seeding Methods
Each winter wheat experiment was planted using a 8x8 lattice design with four replications. Test plots consisted of a 15 foot, 6-row plot with 7-inch row spacing. All entries were seeded at approximately 1.5 million seeds per acre, roughly equivalent to seeding 1.5 to 2 bushels per acre. Actual seeding rates were calculated from the thousand kernel weights determined for each entry (Table 3 by location. Planting dates were based on Hessian fly-free dates recommended for each location. Nitrogen was applied in split fall/spring applications. Spring nitrogen applications were generally made after initial green up (Feeke's GS6). Preplant phosphorous and potassium applications were based on soil test recommendations provided by the University of Missouri Soil Testing Laboratory located at Columbia. At Charleston and Trenton, all wheats were treated with 4 oz. of Tilt (a.i. propiconazole) fungicide per acre during the flag leaf growth stage of development (Feeke's GS8) to control foliar diseases. Wet conditions created by excessive rainfall during May delayed harvest by 7 to 10 days at most locations.
Yield
All rows of each test plot were trimmed 30 inches and harvested using an experimental-plot combine. Recorded grain yields were adjusted to 13% grain moisture content, and are reported in bushels per acre based on a 60 pound per bushel test weight. In addition to yields obtained in 1995, two (1994-95) and three (1993-95) year averages are provided for both soft red and hard red winter wheat entries tested during previous cropping seasons. Yield results from each location and the state-wide average are summarized in Table 14.
Test Weight and Grain Moisture Content
Test weight (pounds per bushel) and percent grain moisture content were obtained for each plot using a Dickey-john GAC II grain analyzer. Test weight results from each location and the state-wide average are summarized in Table 15.
Plant Height
Plant height was measured in inches from the soil surface to the top of the head, excluding the awns if present. Reported values have been rounded to the nearest inch.
Lodging
Lodging severity was rated at locations where lodging was significant. Plots were rated on a severity scale of 0 to 9 where 0 = no lodging and 9 = plants completely flat.
Winter Survival
Percent winter survival was estimated for each plot after initial spring green-up at locations where significant winter injury occurred. Reported values have been rounded to the nearest percent. In 1995, differences in winter survival among varieties were noted at all locations except at Mount Vernon.
Heading Date
Heading was noted at Columbia and Portageville when 50% of the heads in a plot had extended above the flag leaf collar. Heading dates were recorded in Julian days (number of days from January 1) for statistical purposes. Corresponding calendar dates also are presented.
Disease Ratings
Field disease notes for barley yellow dwarf, scab and leaf rust were taken at locations where the incidence was severe enough to discern variety differences and symptoms were not obscured by other diseases. Scab ratings were obtained by estimating the percent infected spikelets at maturity at the Columbia site (Table 6). The incidence of barley yellow dwarf and leaf rust was evaluated at the Portageville location (Table 10). The percent necrotic flag leaves due to barley yellow dwarf virus was estimated during the soft dough stage (Feeke's GS 11.2) of kernel development. The percent infected leaf area of the total canopy by leaf rust was estimated during heading (Feeke's GS 10.3) and the soft dough stage (Feeke's GS 11.2) of kernel development.
The data collected at each winter wheat test location were analyzed as a four-replication, lattice design. If an observation was missing in one replication, the average of those observations in the remaining replications was used to approximate the missing observation. Fisher's protected least significant difference at the 0.05 probability level [LSD (p=0.05)] and coefficients of variation percentages (CV%) were calculated from analyses of variance by each location and across all locations. The LSD is used to compare the performance of two specific varieties at a time. If the mean of a variety exceeds that of another variety by more than the LSD, then the difference observed will be a true difference in 19 out of 20 instances under conditions similar to those of the test.
Data collected on all traits measured during 1995 are presented in Tables 5 through 15. Variety selection should be based on yield stability in a production environment over years and locations. Selection also should consider other characteristics such as test weight, plant height, heading date and disease resistance. Where these additional characteristics were not measured in a particular production environment, they can be evaluated from locations in which they were rated. Where a variety has been in the test for two or three years, combined analyses of the yield data over years are presented. Table 14 ranks all winter wheats tested according to their state-wide average. Overall rank can be very misleading. Differences in yield between any two varieties are considered significant or real only if that difference exceeds the LSD value given at the bottom of each column. Growers should be careful to make pair-wise comparisons of results from both the appropriate location or locations and the state-wide averages before selecting one wheat variety over another for production in Missouri.
Either excessive rainfall or near-drought conditions at critical periods of crop development were the major constraint to wheat production at most test locations in Missouri during 1995. All locations were planted in a timely fashion and adequate stands developed for most entries at all sites. Temperatures during the fall and early winter months were moderate, permitting wheat growth almost to January 1 as far north as Trenton and Novelty. Winter-kill and heaving problems did not develop to the degree observed in previous years. Winter survival averaged 84 percent across all locations. Soil moisture conditions were unusually dry over the winter at Charleston and Portageville, eventually impacting tiller development and reducing overall plant height of most varieties grown at these locations. Average to above average moisture conditions prevailed during the winter and early spring at Columbia, Novelty, Trenton, Lamar and Mount Vernon.
The occurrence of foliar diseases was modest to severe depending on the test locations during the 1994-95 growing season. Warmer and continued wet weather throughout May and early June promoted a number of foliar and head diseases, especially at the Lamar location where scab was most severe. Powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici) was observed at Charleston during early portions of the growing season. Septoria leaf blotch (Septoria tritici), Septoria glume blotch (Septoria nodorum) and/or tan spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis) were evident at most locations, but symptoms for these three diseases could not be easily separated among the varieties tested. Take-All (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici) occurred in small areas throughout the field at the Charleston location. The heaviest disease pressure occurred at Lamar where leaf (Puccinia recondida f.sp. tritici), stem (P. graminis f.sp. tritici) and stripe (P. striiformis) rusts, Cephalosporium stripe (Cephalosporium gramineum), Rhizoctonia sharp eyespot (Rhizoctonia cerealis), scab (Fusarium graminearum), Septoria leaf and glume blotches, and barley yellow dwarf were all observed. Extended water-logging at the northern sites appeared to hasten maturity of the plants, yet delayed harvest 10 to 14 days later than normal. The excessive rain and associated delay in harvesting also accounted for some of the lower test weights recorded. Sprout damage was not observed in grain harvested from the plots in 1995.
Overall yield of the 64 soft and hard red winter wheats tested in 1994 was 43.2 bushels per acre (Table 5 and 14), 22.3 bushels per acre less than the previous year (Fig. 2). Average yields at the seven test locations varied from 34.2 bushels per acre at Mt. Vernon to 53.3 bushels per acre at Trenton (Table 14). 'MO92-599' was the highest yielding entry tested in 1995, averaging 51.1 bushels per acre across all locations. MO92-599 is an advanced line developed by the Missouri Soft Red Winter Wheat Breeding Program. The highest yielding commercial variety was 'Pioneer 2548', averaging 50.1 bushels per acre. Only Pioneer 2548 equaled the yield of MO92-599 during the 1994-95 cropping season. The highest yielding public variety was 'Jackson', released by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station in 1993. Jackson averaged 48.5 bushels per acre. 'Pioneer 2552' (60.6 bu/acre) and 'FFR 525W' (58.6 bu/acre) have been the highest yielding varieties tested for the past 2 and 3 years, respectively (Table 5).
Although only two entries rank in the top yield group based on the 1995 state-wide average, the next eight entries ('Merschman Genie VI', Jackson, 'MPG EX782', 'Coker 9803', 'Stine 501', 'Ernie', 'FFR 525W' and 'NECO EX-3020') have yields statistically equal to those of Pioneer 2548, the second highest yielding variety (Table 14). Eight additional entries ('Pioneer 2571', 'Pioneer 2552', 'AGRIPRO Clemens', 'MFA Commander I', 'Coker 9543', 'MO91-19', 'Madison' and 'Terra SR204') of the 64 soft and hard red winter wheat entries produced above average yields compared to the remaining 46 entries. 'Jagger' and 'Karl 92', the only hard red winter wheats tested in 1995, averaged 39.7 and 39.1 bushels per acre, respectively.
Test weights among the soft and hard red winter wheats were nearly 2 pounds per bushel lighter in 1995 as compared to test weights achieved in 1994 (Fig. 3), but still nearly 5 pounds heavier than the test weights reduced by scab in 1991. Location means during 1995 varied from 53.1 pounds per bushel at Mount Vernon to 58.8 pounds per bushel at Charleston (Table 15). 'Coker 9474' produced the heaviest test weight at 58.6 pounds per bushel (Table 5). Only Coker 9474 and MO92-599 soft red winter wheats averaged a test weight equal to or exceeding the 58 pounds per bushel minimum necessary for U.S. No. 2 grade soft red winter wheat. Among the hard red winter wheats tested during 1994, 'Karl' averaged 57.9 pounds per bushel compared to 55.8 pounds per bushel for Jagger.
Several entries previously tested as experimental lines have been or will be released as varieties for commercial production. Descriptions of 'branded varieties' also are provided when the true identity of the variety is known. Brief descriptions derived from variety release statements or other publicly available information are provided for informational purposes only. These descriptions do not imply endorsement or exclusion of any commercially available wheat varieties by the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station.
AGRIPRO Elkhart Soft Red Winter Wheat
AGRIPRO Elkhart (A90*7546, ABI90*7546) is a soft red winter wheat developed by Agripro Seeds, Inc. Elkhart was derived from the cross 'Auburn / GR855'. It is adapted for production from Missouri east to western Pennsylvania and from Michigan south to Tennessee. Elkhart possesses intermediate plant height, good straw strength and early maturity. It is moderately resistant to Septoria leaf and glume blotches, leaf rust, stem rust, powdery mildew and soilborne mosaic wheat virus. Elkhart carries the H6 gene, conferring resistance to Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor) biotypes GP, A, B, E and J. Milling and baking quality of Elkhart is very good. Elkhart produced average yields at most Missouri test locations during 1995, but was the highest yielding variety tested at Mt. Vernon (Table 12 and 14). Test weights of Elkhart were heavier than average across all locations (Table 15). Exclusive ownership and distribution of AGRIPRO Elkhart by Agripro Seeds is protected under the Plant Variety Act, Public Law 91-577 and Title V of the Federal Seed Act. More detailed information on AGRIPRO Elkhart including availability of seed for 1995 is available from the company on request.
AGRIPRO Shiloh Soft Red Winter Wheat
AGRIPRO Shiloh (ABI89-4417A) is a soft red winter wheat developed by Agripro Seeds, Inc. Shiloh is an F3 derived single seed selection from the cross 'Becker / Coker 833'. Shiloh is primarily adapted to the southern Corn Belt and Mid-South regions south of I-72 in Illinois to I-40 in Arkansas and from Missouri east to Ohio. Shiloh possesses intermediate plant height, good straw strength and midseason maturity. Shiloh is resistant to Septoria leaf blotch, Septoria glume blotch, leaf rust, soilborne wheat mosaic virus and wheat spindle streak virus. It is moderately susceptible to powdery mildew. Milling properties are acceptable and baking characteristics are good. Averaged across all test locations during 1995, Shiloh produced average yields (Table 14) and test weights (Table 15). Shiloh yields were much better in the southeastern region of the state, producing yields equal to the highest yielding variety at Portageville (Table 10). Certified seed stocks of Shiloh will be available in the fall of 1996. Exclusive ownership and distribution of AGRIPRO Shiloh by Agripro Seeds is protected under the Plant Variety Act, Public Law 91-577 and Title V of the Federal Seed Act. More detailed information on AGRIPRO Shiloh is available from the company on request.
GA-Stuckey Soft Red Winter Wheat
GA-Stuckey (GA83228-1, PI591001) is a soft red winter wheat developed and released by the Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station in 1994, in cooperation with the USDA-ARS. The pedigree for GA-Stuckey is 'MD73055 / GA73-1-2-5 // Coker 797 / Caldwell'. GA-Stuckey is an early maturing, short semi-dwarf variety with white-chaffed, awnletted heads. It possesses resistance to Hessian fly biotypes E, G, M and O, adult host plant resistance to leaf rust and resistance to powdery mildew. Both milling and baking characteristics are rated excellent. Adequate winterhardiness for production in Missouri environments is usually lacking in winter wheats developed by programs in southern states. GA-Stuckey suffered slightly more winter injury compared to the other wheats tested in 1995, but still averaged 79 percent survival (Table 5). Although stands and winter survival of GA-Stuckey were acceptable at most test locations during 1995, yields and test weight were below average at all test locations..
Hopewell Soft Red Winter Wheat
Hopewell (OH490) is an awnless, red-chaffed soft red winter wheat developed and released by the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. The pedigree for Hopewell is 'Logan / Hart // 3270A / Roussalka /3/ TN1685 / IA22 / 6767 / 216-6-3'. Hopewell is an intermediate height variety with good straw strength. Heading date for Hopewell is about 2 days later than 'Clark' soft red winter wheat. Maturity is slightly later than Clark or 'Ernie' wheats, but slightly earlier than most intermediate-maturing varieties. Hopewell possesses excellent resistance to wheat spindle streak mosaic virus and is moderately resistant to Septoria glume blotch. It exhibits adult host plant resistance to powdery mildew. Hopewell is susceptible to scab and Hessian fly. The variety also possesses acceptable milling and baking characteristics. Hopewell is being released as a nonexclusive public variety protected under the Plant Variety Act, Public Law 91-577 and Title V of the Federal Seed Act. In 1995, Hopewell produced below average yields and average test weights at most Missouri test locations (Table 14 and 15).
Jagger (KS84063-9-39-3) hard red winter wheat was cooperatively developed by the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS. Jagger was selected from the cross 'KS82W418 / Stephens'. Jagger is a bearded, bronzed chaffed, semi-dwarf hard red winter wheat that matures about 1 day before the Karl/Karl 92 wheats. Jagger is resistant to leaf rust, stem rust, tan spot, Septoria leaf blotch, soilborne wheat mosaic virus and wheat spindle streak mosaic virus. It is moderately resistant to Septoria glume blotch, bacterial streak, Cephalosporium stripe and wheat streak mosaic virus. Jagger is moderately susceptible to powdery mildew and susceptible to Hessian fly and greenbugs. Milling characteristics are rated average. Baking characteristics of Jagger are excellent, comparable to those of Karl wheat. Averaged across all test locations, yields of Jagger were essentially equal to those of Karl 92, the only other hard red winter wheat tested in Missouri during 1995 (Table 14). Test weights produced by Jagger averaged about 2 pounds per bushel lighter than test weights produced by Karl 92 (Table 15). Compared to the soft red winter wheats tested in Missouri during 1995, Jagger produced average yields and test weights. Protection of Jagger has been applied for under the Plant Variety Act, Public Law 91-577 and Title V of the Federal Seed Act.
Morey (GA85238-C5-AB5-4) is a white-chaffed, bearded soft red winter wheat cooperatively developed and released by the Georgia and Florida Agricultural Experiment Stations in 1994. It was developed from the cross '(Florida 304 Sib., FL8172-G116) / Florida 303'. Morey is an early maturing, intermediate height variety with good straw strength and lodging resistance. Morey is resistant to the current field races of leaf rust and powdery mildew present in the southeastern United States, and is resistant to Hessian fly biotypes E, G, M and O. Milling and baking characteristics have been rated acceptable. Morey suffered slightly more winter injury compared to the other wheats tested in 1995, but still averaged 78 percent survival (Table 5). Averaged across all 7 test locations, yields of Morey were below average (Table 14). The yield performance of Morey was average at Charleston (Table 9) and Portageville (Table 10), the two locations representing Mississippi River Delta environments. Test weights for Morey were below average at all locations except Portageville and Mt. Vernon (Table 15).
Patterson Soft Red Winter Wheat
Patterson (Pd80311A1-20-3-31, PI583825) soft red winter wheat was cooperatively developed by the Purdue University Agriculture Research Program and the USDA-ARS. Patterson was selected from the cross 'Pd69184B8-21-1-1-2-4*2 / Caldwell'. Patterson is an early maturing, intermediate height variety with awnletted heads. Under Missouri conditions, maturity of Patterson is approximately equal to that of Clark and Ernie wheats. Chaff color at maturity is yellow. Patterson is resistant to leaf rust, stem rust, Septoria leaf blotch, soilborne wheat mosaic virus and wheat spindle streak mosaic virus. It is moderately susceptible to powdery mildew. Patterson possesses both the H5 and H6 genes, conferring resistance to all known field biotypes of the Hessian fly except biotype L. Milling and baking characteristics of Patterson are considered excellent. Patterson produced average-to-below average yields at the 7 Missouri test locations in 1995 (Table 14). Test weights produced by Patterson were average. Protection of Patterson has been applied for under the Plant Variety Act, Public Law 91-577 and Title V of the Federal Seed Act.
Projected Crop Statistics
Missouri's 1995 wheat crop was harvested from an estimated 1.2 million acres, up 9 percent from the wheat acreage harvested in 1994 (Table 4). The statewide average yield projected by the Missouri Agricultural Statistical Service is 38 bu/acre, down from 44 bu/acre and 40 bu/acre reported for 1994 and 1993, respectively. Projected district average yields ranged from a high of 46 bu/acre for the South-East district to a low of 26 bu/acre in the South-West district. Total projected production of the 1995 Missouri wheat crop is 44.6 million bushels, nearly 4 million bushels lower than 1994 production levels and representing a 8 percent decline.
Results of the 1995 Missouri Winter Wheat Performance Tests are now available in three electronic forms. The winter wheat variety test data can be accessed on the Missouri Agricultural Bulletin Board (AgEBB) supported by the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. The telephone number for the AgEBB is (314) 882-8289. Baud rates up to 2,400 bps are presently supported. Select the "CROP PERFORMANCE TESTING" option from the main AgEBB menu. Call (314) 882-4827 to contact the AgEBB staff concerning questions or problems. For Internet users, the 1995 Missouri winter wheat test data can be obtained in the form of Excel 4.0 spreadsheets either from the University of Missouri Extension Gopher Server or from the GrainGenes Gopher Server located at Cornell University. The University Extension Gopher is accessible at the Internet address 'etcs.ext.missouri.edu'. At the main menu of the UE Gopher, select the menu option titled 'Other Information Servers of Interest to University Extension'. Next select 'State Wheat & Other Small Grain Performance Tests'. The Internet host address for the Cornell Gopher database is 'greengenes.cit.cornell.edu'. Select the "Grain files to download" menu option from the main GrainGenes menu and then select "Wheat Variety Tests". Missouri winter wheat variety test data from previous reports and reports from other states also are available.
Special Report No. 478 is a contribution of the Department of Agronomy, University of Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station. The Missouri Winter Wheat Performance Testing program is partially funded by Missouri wheat farmers and businessmen through a grant from the Missouri Seed Improvement Association and by fees from companies submitting varieties for evaluation. Special recognition goes to the following individuals who provided their time, land and additional resources in support of this program:
Mr. Smith Deline, Farmer Cooperator
Charleston, Missouri
Mr. Jake Fisher, Superintendent
Delta Research and Extension Center
Portageville, Missouri
Dr. Richard Crawford, Superintendent
Southwest Research and Extension Center
Mt. Vernon, Missouri
Mr. John Poehlmann, Superintendent
Bradford Agricultural Research Center
Columbia, Missouri
Mr. David Sheats, Farmer Cooperator
Lamar, Missouri
Mr. Randall Smoot, Superintendent
Greenley Agricultural Research Center
Novelty, Missouri
The excellent cooperation and support provided by these individuals has been invaluable to this project. Special thanks is also extended to Mr. Bob Bellinghousen, Director, Missouri Agricultural Statistics Service, for supplying Missouri wheat production statistics and for help in direct mailing this publication out to Missouri wheat farmers. The authors would like to extend their appreciation to the following individuals for their contribution towards this report: Jennifer Morris, Tom Ridgeway, Brad Rauh, Daniel Zajicek, Tim Graham, Liming Wang, Tonya Vogt, Benji Waller and Andrey Zarubin.