Utah State University
Plant Science Department, Logan,
UT 84321, USA.
Spring wheat.
R.S. Albrechtsen.
Production, diseases, and
insects. Utah's
1994 harvested spring wheat acreage was down slightly from that
of the previous year. A warm, dry summer also resulted in a three-bushel
lower average yield and a lower total production than in 1993.
Spring wheat diseases were
generally minimal. Losses from the cereal leaf beetle and the
Russian wheat aphid were spotty.
Breeding program.
We continue to reduce the effort in our spring wheat breeding
program. We are testing materials left in the system and are
identifying other adapted materials from the Western Regional
Spring Wheat Nursery.
Cultivars.
Rick (HRS) continues to perform well under both irrigated and
nonirrigated conditions.
A new hard red spring cultivar,
(`Sylvan',
UT002464) developed in our program was recently released jointly
by the Utah and Colorado Agricultural Experiment Stations. It
has performed particularly well under irrigation in southwestern
Colorado.
D.J. Hole.
Production, diseases, and
insects. Harvested
acreage of Utah's 1994 winter wheat crop was 150,000 acres, down
slightly from 1993. Average yields statewide were 40 bu/acre,
and total production was about 6 million bu. The warm spring
and unusually hot dry summer combined to accelerate the wheat
harvest about 7 days.
Dwarf smut levels were low
throughout the state mainly because of continued stability of
current resistant cultivars. The cereal leaf beetle continues
to move north through the state, although losses were minimal
this year. Incidence of Russian wheat aphid was also lower this
year.
We began a study, in collaboration
with the Ag. Systems Department, to examine cultivars and breeding
lines for organic hard wheat production. More of the producers
in the semi-arid northwestern region of the state are beginning
to produce wheat organically. With no supplemental nitrogen applications,
quality is a concern for these producers. We are examining breeding
lines, cultivars, and the impact of addition of composted dairy
waste on production.
New cultivars.
Two advanced lines were placed into breeder seed production in
the fall of 1994. UT1650-150 is designed as a replacement for
Promontory in the extremely dry areas of Utah such as Cedar Valley.
It is a hard red winter dryland type. UT1944-157 is a hard white
winter dryland wheat with good breadmaking and Asian noodle qualities.
The Utah Agricultural Experiment Station has not made any decision
on release of these two lines.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Departments of Crop and Soil Environmental
Sciences and Plant Pathology, Physiology and Weed Science, Blacksburg,
VA 99163, USA.
Virginia wheat production in 1994.
C.A. Griffey and D.E. Brann.
Growing conditions.
The 1993-94
growing season began with a dry fall, followed by normal to above
average precipitation from December to March and ended with a
considerable dry period from April through June. Temperatures
generally were normal to above average throughout most of the
fall. From January 15 to 23, minimum temperatures throughout
most of the wheat growing areas were below 20 F,
with temperatures below 0 F
on several days. Even with this period of severe temperatures,
winterkill was not significant.
1994 winter wheat production.
According to the Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service, 250,000
acres (101,250 ha) of soft red winter wheat were harvested in
Virginia in 1994. An average yield of 56 bu/acre (3,760 kg/ha)
was obtained in 1994 and approached the state record of 57 bu/acre
(3,830 kg/ha) set in 1992. Total wheat production in 1994 was
14 million bushels (381,360 metric tons).
1994 Virginia Wheat Yield
Contest. Thirty-five
wheat producers representing 14 counties participated in the 1994
Virginia Wheat Yield Contest. Mr. David Hula of Charles City
county had the highest yielding wheat at 144 bu/acre (9,675 kg/ha)
over a minimum area of 3 acres (1.2 ha). Nineteen of the producers
had grain yields of 100 bu/acre (6,720 kg/ha) or higher.
State cultivar tests.
Seven public and 18 private wheat cultivars were evaluated at
seven locations in Virginia in 1994. The cultivars Jackson, Coker
9835, and Pioneer 2643 were the highest yielding, with average
yields of 84 bu/acre (5,640 kg/ha). Other cultivars with average
yields ranging from 81 to 83 bu/acre (5,440-FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Times New Roman"5,575
kg/ha) and equivalent to the top-yielding lines were FFR 555W,
GA-Gore, Pioneer 2580, and Baytan-treated Saluda, Wakefield, FFR
555W, and Coker 9543. Test weights ranged from 54.8 lb/bu (705
kg/m3) to 60.3 lb/bu (776 kg/m3) and averaged
58.5 lb/bu (753 kg/m3) over cultivars.
Treatment thresholds for leaf and glume blotch in wheat.
E.L. Stromberg.
After four seasons of field
research, a treatment threshold has been developed and recommended
for use in Virginia for application of foliarly applied fungicides
to control leaf and glume blotch caused by Stagonospora nodorum
(Berk.) Castellani & E.G. Germano [syn. Septoria nodorum
(Berk.) Berk. in Berk. & Broome]. The treatment threshold
is based on the presence of lesions on indicator leaves that change
with the growth stage of the wheat plant. The protocol for use
of the treatment threshold is as follows:
Scout fields weekly from Zadoks'
growth stage 31 through 73 (Feekes'
6 through 11). Randomly select 10 locations within the wheat
field. At each randomly selected location, examine and record
the number of indicator leaves out of 10 main tillers with one
or more leaf and glume blotch lesions. After examining and recording
100 indicator leaves, if 25 % have one or more lesions, a fungicide
application is indicated (See Pest Management Guide for Field
Crops, Virginia Cooperative Extension Publication 456-016 for
specific fungicide recommendation).
Indicator leaves for leaf and glume blotch thresholds.
_____________________________________________________
Growth stage
____________________________
Zadoks' Feekes' Indicator leaves
_____________________________________________________
31-37
6-8
Flag-4 and Flag-5
38-45
8-10
Flag-3
46-FONT SIZE=2 FACE="Times New Roman"59
10-10.51
Flag-2
60-73 10.52-11 Flag-1
_____________________________________________________
Data from research plots
have shown that when treatment thresholds are reached as late
as Zadoks'
growth stages 69-73
and fungicide applications are made, the yield responses have
been as great or greater than with a growth stage 37 application
or even applications made every 14 days from growth stage 32 through
69. It is estimated that only 25 % of fields sprayed at growth
stage 37 for leaf and glume blotch actually benefit economically
from such an application. Use of treatment thresholds to indicate
need for fungicide application is an economically and environmentally
sound practice for Virginia wheat growers.
Publications.
Alley MM, Scharf P, Brann
DE, Baethgen WE, and Hammons JL. 1994. Nitrogen management for
winter wheat: Principles and recommendations. Virginia Coop
Ext Pub 424-026. 6 pp.
Brann DE, Griffey CA, Price
AM, Rucker-Bender E, Behl H, Stromberg EL, and Keister J. 1994.
Small grains in 1994. Virginia Coop Ext Pub 424-001. 12 pp.
Chung YS and Griffey CA.
1995. Powdery mildew resistance in winter wheat. I. Gene number
and mode of inheritance. Crop Sci 35(2):(In press).
Chung YS and Griffey CA.
1995. Powdery mildew resistance in winter wheat. II. Identity
of resistance genes. Crop Sci 35(2):(In press).
Das MK and Griffey CA. 1995.
Gene action for adult-plant resistance to powdery mildew in wheat.
Genome (In press).
Stromberg EL and Komm DA.
1994. Evaluation of foliar fungicides for the control of disease
in Coker 916 soft red winter wheat, 1993. Fungicide and Nematicide
Tests 49:232-233.
Stromberg EL and Komm DA.
1994. Evaluation of foliar fungicides for the control of disease
in Wakefield soft red winter wheat, 1993. Fungicide and Nematicide
Tests 49:234-235.
Stromberg EL and Sagaral RG.
1994. Evaluation of seed treatment fungicides and an insecticide
for disease control in Wakefield soft red winter wheat, 1993.
Fungicide and Nematicide Tests 49:319-320.