Seed Co-op 1995 Wheat Advanced Variety Trials.
The Seed Co-op 1995 Wheat Advanced Variety Trial
consisted of 20 advanced lines, plus five standard commercial
varieties (Sengwa, Deka, Pote, Scan, and Sceptre). The trial,
a 5 x 5 quadruple lattice with four replications per site, was
planted during the 1995 winter season (May-October) at
the ART Farm under normal and deficit irrigation and at seven
other on-farm sites under normal irrigation. The trial at the
Rattray Arnold Research Station was impossible to conduct, because
of a lack of irrigation water. Across the nine sites, the average
planting date was 9 May, 1995. The average fertilizer application
rate of N-P2O5-K2O was 168-64-34 kg/ha. The average amount of
irrigation water applied (rainfall being negligible) was 484 mm.
The average yield across sites, as determined by the 4 x 6.6
sq m plots at each site, was 7.75 t/ha. The five top-yielding
entries across locations are listed in Table 2.
Table 2. The five top-yielding lines from the Seed Co-op 1995 Wheat Advanced Variety Trials.
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1,000-kernel Plant
Yield weight Maturity height Ld
Line (t/ha) (kg/hl) (days) (cm) %
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SCW175/6/2 8.3 80 109 79 4
SCW172/6/1 8.2 80 106 79 4
W153/6/4 8.1 82 109 91 7
W98/6/20 8.1 79 110 87 1
Sceptre 8.0 81 107 85 0
Deka 7.8 81 109 94 13
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AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TRUST
P.O. Box MP84, Harare, Zimbabwe.
David Lowe and P.M. Grant.
The winter cereals program is comprised of a) variety
testing for the Zimbabwe Seed Co-op Company, National Breweries,
and the Department of Research and Specialist Services (DR&SS),
Ministry of Lands and b) trials for the Zimbabwe Cereal Producers
Association, which focused on factors thought to affect grain
quality and yield. Trials were on nine commercial farms, in addition
to blocks at the ART Farm, We are grateful to these farmers for
making the resources available in this difficult season when irrigation
water was so limited.
Trial results are reported in the `ART Farm
1995 Winter Report' (available in April, 1996). Topics
covered include:
Effect of nitrogen rate and timing on quality.
Interaction between tillage and nitrogen on yield.
Response of wheat and barley to nitrogen, potash, and lime.
Seed Co-op district wheat variety trials (E. Havazvidi).
DR&SS advanced wheat variety trials (N.A. Mashiringwani).
National Breweries barley variety trials (S.T.O. Musendo).
Zero tillage rotation trials.
Planting methods for wheat and barley.
Effect of post-maturity rain on falling numbers.
MAIZE AND WHEAT IMPROVEMENT RESEARCH NETWORK FOR SADC
CIMMYT, P.O. Box MP163, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Thomas S. Payne.
The `Maize and Wheat Improvement Research Network
for SADC' is funded under a financing agreement between
the European Union and the 12 Southern Africa Development Community
(SADC) member states. The source of financing is the 7th European
Development Fund (EDF), with fund commitment fixed at 3,970,000
ECU.
The Network operates under the auspices of the SADC/SACCAR
(the Southern Africa Committee for Cooperation in Agricultural
Research) and its activities are guided by a Steering Committee
and the Executive Agency is CIMMYT. The Network works closely
with SACCAR and the NARS in southern Africa. The main objectives
of the Network are to (a) develop and facilitate the exchange
of improved varieties of maize and wheat and (b) strengthen the
research capabilities of NARS by promoting the training of maize
and wheat professionals of the region and provide facilities for
better information exchange between the region's researchers.
Although the program will promote germplasm development and exchange
without duplication of existing activities, it also outlines expected
results in crop management research, manpower development, and
information exchange and documentation.
During the past year, the Network organized, in
collaboration with the National Wheat Improvement Program of Ethiopia
and CIMMYT-Ethiopia (programs funded by CIDA and the EU), the
9th Regional Wheat Workshop held in Addis Ababa, during October.
1995. Over 70 wheat researchers from eastern, central, and southern
Africa made presentations concerning wheat breeding, crop management,
pathology, entomology, and agricultural economics. Keynote presentations
were by Drs. Sanjaya Rajaram, and Ravi Singh (CIMMYT-Mexico);
and Paul Vlek (University of Göttingen).
The Network also organized two regional wheat traveling
seminars involving scientists from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Lesotho,
and Swaziland. Two wheat scientists from Zimbabwe and Zambia
were supported to visit CIMMYT-Mexico (Cd. Obregon) as Visiting
Scientists, and in-service training and Masters of Science programs
were began for southern African wheat scientists.
Commercially successful bread wheat cultivars released
by national programs southern Africa (excluding South Africa)
since 1987 are listed in Table 3.
Table 3. Bread wheat cultivars released in southern Africa (excluding South Africa) since 1987.
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Year of Growing Area
Release Name Cross Source1 conditions2 planted3
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Lesotho
1992 Puseletso TUGELA-DN 1* RF > 5 %
Malawi
1989 Loerie VEE5'S', CM33027 4 IRR > 5 %
Tanzania (North)
1987 Tausi VEE8, CM33027 4 RF > 5 %
1987 Mbayuwayu KVZ/K4500 LA4, SWM176 4 RF > 5 %
1989 Kware BB/GLL//CJ/3/TAST//KAL/BB, CM34555 4 RF > 5 %
Tanzania (South)
1987 Juhudi HAHN'S', CM33682 4 RF > 5 %
1988 Njombe 6 CM41860 4 RF > 5 %
1988 Njombe 7 IAS20/H567.71//4*IAS20, CMH78409 4 RF > 5 %
Zambia
1987 Loerie II VEE5'S', CM33027 4 IRR > 5 %
1988 Coucal PF7339/HAHN, CM70377 4 RF > 5 %
1993 Nkwazi KVZ/3/TOB/CNTFN//BB/4/ 3 IRR ó
BOLILLO/5/VEE/6/BOB/3/YDING/CHA
1995 BR23 CC/ALD/3/IAS54.20/COP//CNT8 3 RF ó
Zimbabwe
1983 Rusape VEE10, CM33027 3 IRR > 5 %
1985 Sengwa ZA75/ZP 2 IRR > 5 %
1989 Nata VEE'S', CM33027 3 IRR > 5 %
1990 W170/84 VEE'S', CM33027 3 IRR > 5 %
1991 Pote F73.71/TRM//BJY/JUP 3 IRR > 5 %
1992 Deka VEE//GOV/MUS 3 IRR > 5 %
1993 Ruya CELAYA/KEA 3 IRR < 5 %
1994 Scan VEE//BUC/PVN 3 IRR ó
1995 Sceptre VEE/SENGWA 2 IRR ó
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1 1 = Non-CIMMYT variety developed by NARS; 1* = Non-CIMMYT variety introduced from another NARS; 2 = CIMMYT germplasm used as parent, crossed and selected by NARS staff; 3 = CIMMYT cross, selection from segregating population by NARS staff; 4 = CIMMYT-bred, advanced line released directly by NARS.
2 RF = rainfed; IRR = irrigated.
3 % of national wheat area covered; ó = insufficient time for seed to reach farmers.