GIFU UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Agriculture, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu 501-11, Japan.
Progress in the production of near isogenic lines of durum wheat.
N. Watanabe.
The specific plant characteristics on the growth
form of durum wheat can be determined accurately by using isogenic
lines. However, these lines are currently unavailable. The genes
for the following traits were introduced into the spring durum
wheat cultivar LD222: long glume from T. ispahanicum,
fragile rachis from T. dicoccoides, semidwarfism
and chlorophyll deficiency from the chlorina mutants CDd2 and
Cdd6, and the club spike. The backcross lines need further backcrossing.
These NILs will be utilized in future research work.
Publication.
Watanabe N. 1994. Near-isogenic lines of durum wheat:
their production and plant characteristics. Euphytica 72:143-147.
CHITEDZE RESEARCH STATION
P.O. Box 158, Lilongwe, Malawi.
P.H. Mnyenyembe and K.M. Chafika.
Although wheat is a minor crop in Malawi (< 6,000
ha grown), the demand for wheat and wheat products is increasing
in both rural and urban areas. Local production at present is
only about 10 % of the total requirement for Malawi. Malawi has
great potential to meet its own wheat requirement, especially
if rotations with tobacco and rice are increased.
The main goal of the wheat breeding program is to
select widely adapted and high yielding varieties from introductions.
Very little wheat breeding work is being done at present, because
the crop has been down-graded in the Ministry of Agricultural
prioritization relative to maize and cassava. The on-going work
consists mostly of screening introductions of international yield
and disease nurseries. The main sources of the nurseries are CIMMYT,
the Small Grain Institute (Bethlehem, South Africa) and the Maize
and Wheat Improvement Research Network for Southern Africa (CIMMYT/Zimbabwe).
This report covers results of 1994 irrigated and
dryland experiments conducted in various current and potential
wheat-growing areas of Malawi. The dryland experiments were conducted
at Tsangano, Bembeke, Nchenachena, and Bvumbwe. The irrigated
trials were at Kandiyani, Bvumbwe, and Nchenachena.
A. 30th International Spring Wheat Yield Nursery,
Tsangano (Dryland), 1994
Entry (kg/ha) % LC
12. CNT10/BOW//CEP11; B28039-B-0Z-0A-7A-1A 3,646 175
18. SASIA; CM84986-H-1M-3Y-2B-0Y 3,386 162
07. PBW299 3,240 155
03. DERN; CM33203-K-9M-33Y-1M-500Y-0M-1J-0J-0ARG 3,230 155
13. SIBIA; CM81355-10Y-01M-0Y-2M-0Y 3,188 153
21. Kenya Nyati (Local Check) 2,084 100
B. Preliminary Wheat Variety Trial, 1994. Although
Kenya Nyati is still a good variety under dryland conditions,
some cultivars (e.g., Glennson 81) are superior. Loerie (= Veery
5) at present is the best cultivar for irrigated conditions.
INTERNATIONAL MAIZE AND WHEAT IMPROVEMENT CENTER (CIMMYT INT.)
Lisboa 27, Colonia Juárez, Apdo. Postal 6-641, 06600 México,
D.F., México.
Developments in CIMMYT Wheat Program in 1995.
George Varughese.
Staff changes. The year
1995 was relatively stable in comparison to the past few years.
After 7 years of leadership, Dr. R. A. Fischer, the Director of
the Wheat Program, returned to Australia to become Research Program
Coordinator, Crop Sciences 1 Program of ACIAR. An intensive international
search was underway for a Director to be appointed by March, 1996.
Dr. Sanjaya Rajaram, head of the CIMMYT Bread Wheat Program for
the past 23 years, was selected for this coveted position and
took office on 1 May, 1996. Dr. Mohamed Mergoum, spring bread
wheat/triticale breeder of INRA, Morocco, joined the wheat staff
for a period of 2 years as an Associate Scientist assisting our
durum and triticale programs. Dr. Jim Quick of Colorado State
University returned back to his post after about a 1-year stay
with CIMMYT.
ME1 Consultancy with NARS.
Twenty-seven scientists from 13 developing countries met at Ciudad
Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, 4-7 April, 1995, to discuss their
concerns and priorities with CIMMYT with respect to germplasm
development and related activities for subtropical spring irrigated
bread wheat (ME1). The NARS participants expressed their deep
sense of appreciation for the CIMMYT efforts on germplasm enhancement
and distribution, assistance on human resource development, and
information exchange with CIMMYT and amongst NARS. The NARS expressed
their desire for the continuation and strengthening of these ongoing
efforts and hoped that the IPR will not hinder the cordial functioning
and free flow of material between CIMMYT and NARS. In order to
strengthen the efforts of CIMMYT, the above consultancy left behind
a series of recommendations. CIMMYT will take these suggestions
into account while deciding its priorities for the future.
Program status. In 1995, the wheat program somewhat recovered from the past shocks caused by the peso devaluation. As a result, activities like training, consultancy, and summer planting, which were reduced drastically during the previous year, were restored fully. CIMMYT, like all the other CG Centers, is moving slowly towards a matrix management system, and so all our activities in the future will be project based. Dr. S. Rajaram, head of our Bread Wheat Program, received the Dr. Norman Borlaug Award given by the Coromandal Fertilizers of India, and Dr. Bent Skovmand was the chairman for the C-8 Genetic Resources Section of the Crop Science Society of America.
Germplasm improvement continues to be the most important
activity of the wheat program. About 76 % of our resources are
dedicated for germplasm enhancement of bread wheat, durum, and
triticale and partial support for barley. Thirty-four of this
76 % is devoted towards strategic research aimed at improving
the efficiency of breeding. In addition to germplasm improvement,
the Wheat Program supports research in areas like Genetic Resources
and Sustainable Cropping Systems. Consultancy and training are
the other areas of importance. Our hope is that these modest efforts
by the Wheat Program and its partners will make a difference for
the poor of the world by increasing the productivity and at the
same time maintaining and, wherever possible, improving the natural
resource base.
A Report on CIMMYT 1995 Wheat Improvement training course.
R.L. Villareal, O. Ba-uelos, and G. Varughese.
During 1995, the CIMMYT Wheat Improvement Training
Program continued to increase its focus on training as a means
of strengthening and supporting the national program research
capabilities of cooperating developing countries. The 1995 training
course started last 20 February, at CIANO, Ciudad Obregon and
ended 18 August, at CIMMYT's rainfed stations at Toluca
and El Batan near Mexico City.
Fifteen in-service young scientists from 12 countries
participated in this training course. Asia (China, Nepal, and
Pakistan); Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, and Tanzania); and the Middle
East (Iran, Morocco, and Turkey) had equal representation in the
course with four trainees from each region, whereas Central and
South America (Mexico, Peru, and Paraguay) had three participants.
The educational attainment of trainees included seven with MSc.,
seven with BSc., and one with a certificate in agriculture.
The training methods used at this course continue
to emphasize the philosophy of `learning by doing'
using the field as the center of the training effort. Participants
worked directly with senior CIMMYT breeders and pathologists in
all phases of germplasm improvement research for bread wheat,
durum, triticale, and barley. Teamwork was emphasized as well
as the interaction among disciplines. Dr. James Quick from the
University of Colorado was a guest lecturer in Plant Breeding
for the course.
A new batch of in-service trainees will arrive in
Cd. Obregon during the last week of February, 1996, for 6 months
of training.
Evaluation of synthetic hexaploids (Triticum turgidum x T. tauschii) under water-stress conditions.
R.L. Villareal, O. Ba-uelos, J. Borja, and A. Mujeeb-Kazi.
CIMMYT's emphasis on utilization of the synthetic
hexaploid (SH) wheats derived from `T. turgidum x
T. tauschii' (Syn. Ae. squarrosa) has been
on yield improvement and resistance/tolerance to biotic/some abiotic
stresses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance
of some SH wheats under water-stress conditions. Sixty-one SH
genotypes and three drought-tolerant bread wheat cultivars were
grown in a field trial at Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, during the 1994-95
wheat production cycle. Each plot consisted of eight rows, with
each row being 3 m long and 20 cm apart using an alpha-lattice
design with three replications. Seeding rate was approximately
120 kg/ha. Nitrogen, at 150 kg N/ha and phosphorus, 40 kg P/ha,
were applied prior to seeding of the trial. The plot was irrigated
only once (for germination) during the experiment. Results of
the yield test are summarized in Table 1. The germplasm was evaluated
for grain yield, biomass, 1,000-kernel weight, days to physiological
maturity, and plant height. SH wheats demonstrated significant
genetic diversity for most of these parameters. A second year
of evaluation is planned for the 1995-96 wheat season at
Ciudad Obregon.
Table 1. Agronomic performance of 10 highest yielding synthetic hexaploids (SH) as compared to three drought-tolerant bread wheat checks under one irrigation condition during the 1994-95 crop season at Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Var. GY* BIO* TGW* PMAT* PHT*
No. Cross and pedigree (kg/ha) (t/ha) (g) (day) (cm)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
21 D67.2/P66.270//Ae.squarrosa (223) CIGM88.1219-0B 4,247 13.6 40.0 116 100
44 D67.2/P66.270//Ae.squarrosa (257) CIGM90.808 4,206 16.6 53.8 137 120
27 68112/Ward//Ae. squarrosa (369) CIGM88.1313 3,996 14.4 51.9 128 115
25 68.111/Rgb-U//Ward/3/Ae.squarrosa (316) 3,921 13.9 47.7 130 115
CIGM88.1273-0Y
49 Yar/Ae. squarrosa (518) CIGM90.846 3,668 13.5 49.3 139 90
4 Altar 84/Ae. squarrosa (193) CIGM87.2775-1B-0PR-0B 3,625 14.9 48.7 130 95
36 Yuk/Ae. squarrosa (864) CIGM90.760 3,610 11.2 40.1 132 95
42 Ceta/Ae. squarrosa (895) CIGM89.567-1B 3,571 14.6 49.3 133 110
48 Sca/Ae. squarrosa (518) CIGM90.845 3,524 11.3 32.0 116 65
60 Doy 1/Ae. squarrosa (372) CIGM93.229 3,401
14.6 45.0 133 110
64 Nesser (Bread wheat check) 3,204 15.3 39.7 142 100
62 Dharwar Dry (Bread wheat check) 3,203 12.7 46.6 128 95
63 Sitta (Bread wheat check) 1,471 10.8 35.5 140
95
LSD (0.05) 715 2 2.9 5 10
C.V. (%) 14.9 9.9 3.4 2.0 5.6
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
*GY, grain yield; BIO, aboveground biomass at maturity;
TGW, 1000-kernel weight; PMAT, days to physiological maturity;
and PHT, plant height.