Haven, KS, USA.
Sid Perry, Kevin Goertzen, Sally Clayshulte,
Jill Handwerk, and Dana Shellberg.
Corporate changes. Cargill, Inc. purchased the assets of Goertzen Seed Research, Haven, KS. The breeding program of Cargill Hybrid Seeds, Ft. Collins, Colorado, has been merged with the GSR Program. The program will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Cargill, under the supervision of Cargill Grain Division.
1993-94 season. The merging of these two programs caused a larger than anticipated harvest obligation. Most of this year, as well as the upcoming year, will be spent becoming more familiar with the Goertzen material. We were able to assess the performance of several advanced Goertzen lines over a wide geography. Cargill material was screened and tested as usual. The disposition of Cargill lines will be determined during the 1994-95 season, when more thorough quality testing will be completed.
Program emphasis. Cargill's research focus has shifted to enhanced end use characteristics to be handled through identity-preserved channels. Initial efforts will concentrate on south-central Kansas and eastern Colorado.
Varieties. GSR is contracting acreage of seven cultivars. Haven, G-825, and G-2542 are high protein, hard red, semidwarf types adapted primarily to the western high plains. Snow White is a hard white, early maturing semidwarf with excellent baking characteristics, primarily adapted to the western high plains. G-1759 is a very early, very high protein line that responds to excellent cultural inputs. G-1878 is a medium maturity, higher yielding type with a more mellow quality. G-2500 is a soft milling, medium- to late-maturing type with an excellent foliar disease package.
Personnel.
Sally Clayshulte has joined the wheat breeding program of Colorado
State University. Jill Handwerk has left the program to pursue
other interests. Dana Shellberg will be responsible for early
generation increases and purification work, as well as greenhouse
operations at Ft. Collins, Colorado. Primary research operations
will be conducted from Haven, KS. Sid Perry has relocated to
Haven to manage the research operations and maintain his previous
breeding responsibilities. Kevin Goertzen will be responsible
for breeder's seed increases and foundation seed production.
P.O. Box 662, Tamworth, N.S.W., 2340 Australia.
Peter Wilson.
On 31 January, 1995, the joint venture
'HYBRID WHEAT RESEARCH' purchased Cargill's Australian
hybrid wheat program. The joint venture comprises the Wilson
Family with a two thirds interest and The University of Sydney.
Future hybrid wheat research will be carried out at the University's
facilities at Narrabri after a transition phase. Peter Wilson,
following his long association with hybrid wheat, will continue
to direct research.
Three new hybrids, CH27, CH30,
and CH31, will be produced and made available to growers
for planting in 1996.
CH30 and CH31 are similar in maturity to Hartog, the most widely accepted variety yield standard, but are about of 15 % higher yielding. CH30 has been given a Prime Hard Export quality grade. CH31 appears to meet the quality requirements of the domestic milling industry.
CH27 has a 3-5
% yield advantage over the mid-season hybrids Meteor and Pulsar,
which have performed well in areas of the Liverpool Plains and
Moree in N.S.W. and the Central Highlands in Queensland. CH27
has been classified as Prime Hard Export.
All three hybrids appear to be easier
to produce than Meteor, and this will assist in holding down the
price of hybrid seed.
Courtabeuf,
France.
Headquarters.
A. Gervais, L. Batreau,
O. Borde, B. Fauchille, G. Lambert, and N. Thevenet.
Two major events marked 1994.
HYBRINOVA became a 100 % subsidiary
of Copabio in which Lafarge Coppee and Credit Agricole have 66
% and 34 % interests, respectively. This reorganisation increased
the administrative work, which required a staff increase.
Our business activity reached a new
level of development with the arrival of two hybrid wheat varieties
that were officially registered in France. The two varieties
are HYNO-PRECIA and HYNO-TERRA. Only HYNO-PRECIA will be developed.
Hybrid wheat research and development
continues at our three field stations. Daniel Prin now manages
the Central Station (St. Germain, 28). L. Batreau was transferred
to Industrial Seed Production in Courtaboeuf
from the Central Station (St. Germain) were he was head of seed
production and agronomy research work.
Breeding program.
In general: 2,180 hybrids produced in 1994
22,000 plots harvested on 18 trial sites
82,100 head rows in three nurseries
D. Prin, J. Andrieu, and S. Berges.
The 1993-94
season. The winter was exceptionally
wet and mild, with heavy rainfall that affected tillering. Spring
temperatures fluctuated greatly. The summer was hot and dry.
There was very little disease pressure.
Hybrid production and agronomy.
Trial work to tailor the C.H.A. to each hybrid in registration
for optimum production was continued. Preliminary production
scale-up work on 0.2-1.0
ha yielded 30-40
qx/ha on average, depending on the combination.
Hybrids from the Northern and Southern breeding programs were tested for their response to fungicide, growth regulator, fertilizer, and sowing density.
Maintenance breeding.
One hundred parental lines were observed for uniformity. This
represents 30,000 head rows and 100 breeder seed increase plots
(0.01-1.0
ha/each) for a total of 17 ha.
Electrophoresis analyses.
A total of 9,500 analyses for HMW glutenin bands were performed:
4,000 to control hybrid purity and 4,500 to select for bread
making quality.
Northern Breeding Station, 60.
S. Sunderwirth, E. Boutillier, D. Hemar,
T. Moittie, F. Matte, and T. Sabatier.
1993-94 season.
Abundant rainfall during the fall caused poor emergence in water-logged
nurseries and delayed the sowing of trials. An exceptionally
mild winter allowed the nurseries to recover. Mild weather in
April and May were optimum for C.H.A. application in the Crossing
Blocks. The absence of heavy rainfall during flowering favored
cross pollination. Harvest started in the last week of July but
was interrupted frequently by showers. The yields were very good;
many fields averaged 10 tons/ha or more. Quality was not affected
by preharvest sprouting as it was in the previous year.
Disease resistance.
Identification of major genes for seedling resistance progressed
considerably in 1994 with the help of INRA. One hundred elite,
parental lines were analysed for their resistance to leaf rust,
stripe rust, and powdery mildew. Field resistance for all hybrids
and lines was scored in three separate nurseries. Major diseases
were Septoria tritici, eyespot, and powdery mildew.
Only the most susceptible lines showed symptoms of leaf and stripe
rusts. Soilborne wheat mosaic virus symptoms were practically
nonexistent.
Varietal development.
Two S.R.W.W. hybrids went into first year registration trials
in fall 1993: HA 534.68 and HA 808.53. The first combines excellent
bread making quality with resistance to stripe and leaf rusts
and eyespot. The latter is a bread wheat with high yield potential.
Hybrid HA 280.68 entered the second year northern registration
trials. This hybrid also combines excellent bread making quality
and resistance to stripe and leaf rusts, powdery mildew, eyespot,
and Septoria nodorum. HA 280.68 is being tested
in Austria and Belgium.
Two triticales, HA 88040 and HA 87909,
went into first-year registration trials in France and Belgium,
respectively. HA 88040 yielded 109 % of the controls in 1994.
New registrations.
HYNO-PRECIA and HYNO-TERRA were released in fall
1994. Both hybrids averaged over 108 % of controls for the 2
years in official trials. Hyno-Precia is an S.R.W.W. with average
bread making quality. It is a semi-early maturing variety for
France. At present, it is resistant to the major races of leaf
rust, stripe rust, and powdery mildew. HYNO-PRECIA is presently
being tested in Great Britain and Belgium.
Development in northern Europe.
Cooperation with several major breeding companies in Great Britain,
Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, and Ireland continues
with the testing of over 100 hybrids in 1995.
Southern Breeding Station, 32.
Ch. Quandalle, Ph. Bouzigon, C. Bounet,
D. Colomban, J.F. Dec, MC. Lignac, G. Perraudeau, M.C. Quandalle,
F. Recurt, and P. Recurt.
The 1993-94
season. The winter was unusually
mild followed by a relatively cold spring, causing large differences
in wheat flowering dates. Weather conditions favored Septoria
tritici, leaf rust, and scab development on wheat, thus
allowing selection for resistance.
Quality testing.
Several techniques are presently used for evaluation of bread
making quality in HYBRINOVA lines and hybrids. Double haploids
are analysed by electrophoresis to identify their HMW glutenin
bands. This information is available before the first selection
in the field. Protein and hardness analyses are performed with
the use of N.I.R. technology. SDS analyses are performed as well.
An Alveograph Chopin analysis is performed on the most advanced
lines and hybrids. Final confirmation of bread making quality
is performed by officially recognized laboratories.
Varietal development.
The high point of the season was the performance of our two hybrids,
HA 654.80 and HA 280.68, in their first year in the southern registration
trials.
They were greatly favored by their
excellent tolerance to major diseases. An inbred, double haploid
wheat, HANC 524, went into first-year registration trial last
fall. This line combines early maturity with high yield. It
is presently being tested in Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Six
other HYBRINOVA hybrids are being prepared to enter official registration
trials in 1995.
Development in southern Europe.
Several hybrids adapted to Italy are presently being tested with
the objective of registration in the near future. The same sort
of work is being done for Spain, Portugal, and Hungry.
Durum wheat hybrids.
A major breeding effort started 2 years ago in cooperation with
other private breeders and INRA. HYBRINOVA is responsible for
the hybrid production. Initial results indicate a greater heterosis
for yield, disease resistance, and height in durum, than in bread
wheat.
A durum hybrid, developed jointly with
UCASP, entered a second year of official trials and should be
registered in October, 1995.