CEREAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE -- CRI

H-6701 Szeged, PF. 391, Hungary.

Bread wheat growing conditions and cultivar release.

Z. Kertesz, J. Matuz, L. Bona, B. Beke, J. Pauk, M. Csosz, L. Cseuz, A. Mesterhazy, I. Petroczy, L. Purnhauser, Cs. Kertesz, J. Falusi, and R. Nagy-Kutni.

A below-average crop was harvested in 1996 in Hungary, with an estimated production of 1.2 million hectares of winter wheat and an average of 3,200 kg/ha. After planting in October, there was an unusually long winter from November till the end of March. In many parts of the country, 70-80 days of snow cover, with a strong ice layer on top, caused a severe snow mold infection. Unfortunately, breeders and farmers were not prepared for this very rare disease pressure. Damage caused by snow mold was between 30-50 % in some areas. Powdery mildew and scab also were present, but with less significant damage. GK Thalom, with approximately 15 % of the total planted acreage, has been the most popular wheat variety in Hungary for the last 10 years. The winter wheat varieties of the CRI (GK cultivars) constitute an estimated 40-50 % of the total acreage. Recently, HRSWs have been grown sporadically in some part of the country.

New bread wheat cultivars.

GK Elet (GK Othalom//GK Sagvari/Bounty/3/Mv4/Baranjka) is an early ripening, awnless, semidwarf variety with excellent lodging resistance.

GK Hattyas (Ildiko/Mv4//Ildiko/Bgdw) is a medium-early, awnless, middle-short SRWW, with excellent winter hardiness and good baking quality.

GK Kalasz (GK Gobe//Lovrin 24/GK Korany) is an early-ripening, awnless wheat with excellent head-productivity. GK Kalasz has good resistance to powdery mildew, stem rust, and leaf rust. Under Hungarian growing conditions, it probably will be a variety that will not require spraying with fungicides.

• GK Kende (Mv8/Reka) is a medium-early, awnless, medium-height SRWW, with generally good disease resistance to powdery mildew, leaf rust, S. tritici, and some viruses.
  
• GK Malmos (GK Zombor/Katja) is a very early, awnless, medium-height SRWW, that has a particularly favorable flour yield (70-75 %) and stabile test weight (790-840 kg/m3).
  
• GK Szindbad (HD Kincso//Kremena/Aurora) is a medium-early, awnless, medium-height SRWW, which originated from a doubled haploid plant. GK Szindbad has good baking quality and resistance to the powdery mildew, stem rust, and S. tritici pathogens.
  
• GK Veka (Lovrin 24/GK Mini Mano//GK Gobe) is a late-maturity, awnless HRWW variety with a strong stem. This cultivar yields under the state control varieties, but was registered because of its unique quality parameters, with a protein concentration of 14-16 % and an extremely-high wet-gluten content (33-40 %).
  
• GK (originated from a CIMMYT bulk) is an early, awned, medium-height HRSW. This variety has excellent baking quality and good lodging resistance.

Durum wheat breeding.

B. Beke, J. Matuz, T. Szebelledy, Zs. Kovacs, and L. Bona.

A new winter durum wheat variety, GK Betadur, from the cross `BD456/GK Pannondur' was registered at the end of 1996. The cultivar is an early maturing wheat, with good winter hardiness and excellent lodging resistance. In field trials of the National Institute for Agricultural Quality Control, this variety yielded 5.7 T/ha (average of 3 years), which is about 11 % more than the check variety (GK Minaret) released in 1980. Additional features of this variety include its quality parameters, higher betacarotene content and vitreousness, and lower gluten extension, which are superior to those of GK Minaret (Table 1).

Table 1. Quality of registered winter durum wheats of the Cereal Research Institute in variety maintenance at Szeged, in 1996.

Variety	GK Minaret	GK Tiszadur	GK Novodur	GK Betadur
Semolina yield (brutto) %	71.5	72.5	71.0	69.2
Wet-gluten content %	37.1	35.0	40.0	37.0
Dry-gluten content %	12.0	11.8	13.0	12.0
Gluten extension (mm)	8.0	8.5	6.5	3.5
Pigment content (ppm)	9.8	6.5	5.6	10.8

The selection and production of winter durum wheat had no tradition in Hungary. Research was initiated on macaroni wheat at the CRI, Szeged, in 1972. The aim of this work was to select and to introduce winter durum wheat varieties that:

• have a productivity close to that of bread wheat,
• adapt themselves to Hungarian conditions (fair winter hardiness, disease resistance), and
• meet the quality requirements of pasta industry.
  

This research started with the selection of segregating materials originating from the CIMMYT station in Ankara, Turkey. All of the selected lines were evaluated for winter hardiness, productivity, lodging, and pasta quality. The results of this program were the registration of the first two Hungarian winter durum varieties (GK Minaret and GK Basa) in 1980 (Beke and Barabas 1981). During that time, new basic material was created by crossing Italian, French, Russian, Romanian, and Slovakian durum wheats, germplasms that were more suitable for the Hungarian climatic conditions. After 10 years, three registered, patented cultivars (GK Pannondur, GK Tiszadur, and GK Novodur) were selected from this breeding material (Table 2). The winter hardiness and productivity of these varieties are better than those of GK Basa and GK Minaret. Two spring durum varieties, one from Austria (Lajtadur) and one from France (Multidur), were also introduced by the CRI.

Table 2. Registered durum varieties from the Cereal Research Institute, Szeged, and their pedigrees.

Name	Year of registration	Pedigree
Winter durums
GK Minaret	1980	Fata-Sell85.1 // 61.300 / Leeds
GK Basa	1980	Karabasah // 61.300 / Leeds
GK Pannondur	1985	Selection from SzD7 population
GK Tiszadur	1992	Leukomeljan 2 / GK Minaret
GK Novodur	1993	Parus / 2*GK Minaret
GK Betadur	1996	BD456 / GK Pannondur
Spring durums
Lajtadur (Austrian cultivar)	1990	NR66 / 85
Multidur 2 (French cultivar)	1990	Ruby / Coopdur // Edmore

The main result of the durum research program of CRI was the successful domestication of durum wheat in Hungary. The sowing area of durum wheat in Hungary was instable during the last 15 years, growing gradually from 1980 till 1989 and decreasing strongly in 1990 and 1991. The sowing area has grown again since 1992, peaking in 1996 (14,000 ha). Currently, the sowing area to durum wheat is it is about 8,000 ha in 1997 (Table 3). The average yield was between 2,900-4,500 kg/ha.

Table 3. Sowing area and average grain yield of durum wheat in Hungary from 1980 to 1997.

Drought tolerance.

L. Cseuz.

Joint research work with the Institute of Biophysics of the Biological Research Center, supported by a Grant of Scientific Research Fund (OTKA T017254), compared the predictive value of different testing methods of drought tolerance in bread wheat. Field trial testing was done by the desiccant test. Seven genotypes were tested under three treatments (well-watered control, low-water adapted, and seriously stressed) in the greenhouse. Plants were characterized by computing their pressure-volume curves and on the base of their proline and polyamine accumulation. Our goals are to determine the predictive value of the field scoring methods used previously and to invent a simple selection system for this trait.

Fusarium head blight.

A. Mesterhazy.

Highly-resistant winter and spring wheat material was created by using resistance sources of Sumai-3 and Nobeoka Bozu. These varieties are resistant to the most aggressive isolates of F. graminearum and F. culmorum, their resistance stability was excellent, and their toxin accumulation was near zero, even when the most heavy epidemic situation resulted in no toxin contamination. Some of the lines also have very good resistance to leaf rust, powdery mildew, and stem rust (Sr36) and very good baking quality. Several lines with good resistance were identified among the winter wheats. Doubled haploids were created from perspective lines and will be further analyzed in 1997. However, most of the commercial cultivars were susceptible or highly susceptible to FHB, requiring chemical protection. The tebuconazoles proved to be the most effective of the tested fungicides, but under heavy epidemic conditions even their protecting effects were moderate. The efficiency of fungicides to control deoxynivalenol contamination of grains was linearly proportional to the effectiveness measured by FHB severity, yield response, and the ratio of scabby (tombstone) kernels.

Zearalenone and its derivatives were found to have estrogenic effects on adult human beings and even children. Zearalenone could be identified from blood samples of children fed certain bran products of wheat. Early puberty syndromes were observed by the Pediatric Clinic of Szeged Medical University in 2-4 year-old children. (This work was supported by OTKA Foundation grant No. T 6231, OMFB Foundation grant No. 6315 and BAYER AG, Leverkusen, Germany.)

Viruses.

M. Papp.

A large variation in resistance to wheat streak mosaic and brome mosaic viruses was found in wheats previously not selected for virus resistance in greenhouse trials with artificial inoculation. There was no relationship between wheats for resistance to these viruses, i.e., the resistance is inherited independently. Therefore, the variability for breeding purposes is at hand. The ELISA survey for four viruses (WSMV, BMV, BYDV, and BSMV) showed in most cases a complex natural virus infection, i.e., at least 50 % of the plants contained two or more or up to four viruses. This is important, because we could show that under field conditions a complex virus infection is the normal case and most of the symptoms are not characteristic. Therefore, identification of symptoms cannot lead to well-based results. Several genotypes were identified on the field with good general virus resistance. We assume that these lines have a resistance to more viruses, because in the field all viruses were present. (This work was supported by OTKA Foundation grant number T 6230.)

Inheritance of the quality traits in durum wheats (Triticum durum Desf.).

J. Matuz and B. Beke.

The value of durum wheats depends on their quality traits. The inheritance of some quality traits were studied in early generations of the following two crosses: `D41/D30' and `D42/D30'. The pedigrees of the parental varieties are: D30: `Parus/GK Pannondur'; D41: `BD431//GK Basa/GK Minaret'; and D42: `BD437//M7793.26/DF407.78'.

The F₁ generation was grown in an unreplicated field trial with low plant density (80 plants/m²) in 1992. The F₂ and F₃ generations were grown in a quadruple-replicated field trial with normal plant density (500 plants/m², 6.5 m²/plot) in 1994. The grain yield of the plots was investigated for the following quality traits: semolina yield, pigment content, wet gluten content, vitreousness of grain, protein content, and cooking value of the pasta.

Positive and negative overdominance was found in the inheritance of semolina yield of the hybrids in F₁ generation, but in F₂ and F₃ generations the semolina yields of the hybrids were similar to their midparent values. The low pigment content was dominant in F₁ generation, but in F₂ and F₃ generations the pigment content of the hybrids was close to that of the midparent. Negative overdominance was found in the wet-gluten content of the hybrids in F₁ generation, but in F₂ and F₃ generations positive heterosis was generally observed. The vitreousness of grain was inherited intermediately, and positive heterosis was often observed. The low protein content dominated in one hybrid, but in the other combination it showed recessive inheritance. The cooking value of pasta of the hybrids (measured by alveograph) after 15 and 30 minutes cooking time was similar to the value of the poorer parent. (This work was supported by OTKA (National Scientific Research Fund) grant no. 486.)

Evaluation of some aspects of the variety maintenance in wheat.

Z. Kertesz, J. Matuz, J. Pauk, and Cs. Kertesz.

Comparison of variety maintenance methods. Three maintenance systems were evaluated on five cultivars differing in phenotype, homogeneity and the rate and capability to open pollination. Three methods were used. In Pedigree 1, single plant progenies were grown in a spaced planting system (`50 x 10 cm' spacing) and their progenies were tested in yield trials under normal density. Single heads were selected in Pedigree 2, the head rows were evaluated, and the progenies of the head rows were tested in yield trials. In the third (Jensen's bulk method), a thousand of heads were selected and the blends of the head rows were harvested as breeder's seed. All these methods were found to be suitable in achieving adequate homogeneity during the maintenance process, but the Pedigree 1 is the most expensive and space- and time-consuming. Jensen's bulk method is the cheapest, but can be used only in highly uniform varieties. The Pedigree 2 method can be used for maintaining different kinds of wheat varieties.

Study of open pollination. The rate of open pollination was studied using a blue-endosperm marker line as pollinator. Approximately 200 m² marker pollinator was planted in the middle of a `100 x 100 m' wheat multiplication plot. Two ears were emasculated at a 1-meter distance in four different directions on the examined variety, to test pollen navigation. Ten heads were harvested in every check point to test the open pollination. The wheat marker pollen navigated for at least 20 m, but open pollination took place within a 3-meter distance in the main wind direction. The study provided valuable data for the seed-multiplication work.

Use of doubled haploids in variety maintenance. Doubled haploid versions of 12-12 families were produced by anther culture in five model varieties. R₀ plants and R₁ lines were grown in greenhouse and field nurseries, respectively. The original families and the DH R₂ versions were planted together in yield trials in the fall of 1995. Comparative evaluation of the families and their DH versions will be made to clarify the usefulness of doubled haploids in achieving homogeneity during the maintenance process. (This work was supported by OTKA grant no. 6050).

Genotype preservation.

L. Cseuz.

Gene bank activity continues at the Wheat Department of the Institute with the support of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture. The main goal of the gene bank program is the preservation of the local varieties or advanced lines selected by the institute.

Last year, 340 of the 4,000 genotypes stored were included in the active collection where they were evaluated according to the International Board of Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) system of characterization using descriptors to focus on morphological and highly heritable agronomic characters. In 200 samples, farinograph values also were calculated to get information on the breadmaking quality. Resistance to rusts and powdery mildew was scored by the modified Cobb's scale at the adult stage and by Stakman's scale in the seedling stage. All 500 entries were planted in 5.5 m² plots for multiplication of seed and for continued, detailed, quality studies. Seed samples are stored in a cold chamber (in glass containers at 5 C) of the Institute's breeding station, Kecskes-telep, Szeged.

Response of wheat genotypes to virus diseases under field conditions.

M. Papp and A. Mesterhazy.

The severity of the natural virus infection was estimated in field conditions using 120 wheat cultivars and breeding lines (T. aestivum and T. durum) in 1995. Each genotype was sown in three replicates, 3 weeks before the optimal sowing time at 30 or 60 cm row spacing and 10 cm plant spacing. The row length was 9 m. The autumn was short, with early frosts. No considerable aphid population developed on the plants. Therefore, significant virus infection could not be detected in autumn, only in spring. The infection severity was expressed as a percent of the total spring plant numbers. The genotypes showed a significant difference in the severity of virus infection. The number of infected plants showing visual symptoms varied from 0 % to 30 % in the most susceptible genotypes. Some genotypes (GK Delibab, GK Kunsag, GK Kende, and GK Cipo) were nearly free of heavily-infected plants. Other genotypes were strongly infected (GK Minaret, GK Barna, GK Betadur, and GK Orseg). Because a visual estimate of virus infection is unreliable, 119 leaf samples were screened by ELISA for four virus species, BSMV, BMV, WSMV, and BYDV, in order to estimate the applicability of visual ratings. Complex virus infection of diseased wheat plants generally was observed. The dominant virus was BMV in 1995. More than 50 % of the samples contained more than one virus species, and nearly 10 % were infected by four species. (This work was supported by OTKA grant no. 6230.)

Effects of heavy metals on somatic tissue culture of wheat.

L. Purnhauser.

Heavy metals, as microelements in the culture medium, may play important roles in plant regeneration. In this study, heavy metals as AgNO₃, CdCl₂, CoCl₂, CuSO₄ and Ni(NO₃)₂ were applied at 0, 1, 10 and 100 [micro]M concentrations in a hormone-free Murashige and Skoog medium. Calli of three wheat cultivars initiated from immature embryos were used as inocula. Shoot regeneration was significantly enhanced by Ag⁺ and Cu²⁺ in all treatments. Co²⁺ and Cd²⁺ proved to be inhibitory at the highest concentration. The order of heavy metals on the effect of shoot regeneration was Cu²⁺ > Ag⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Cd²⁺. Root regeneration was significantly promoted by Cu²⁺ in all cases, and by Ni²⁺ at 100 [micro]M. At the highest concentration, Cd²⁺, Ag⁺, and Co²⁺ showed an inhibitory effect on rooting. The order of heavy metals on the effect of root regeneration was Cu²⁺ > Ni²⁺ > Co²⁺ > Ag⁺ > Cd²⁺. We are currently investigating the relationship between heavy metal concentrations and ethylene production or stress protein levels in our cultures. (The research was supported by OTKA grant no. 6102).

Publications.

Acs E, Kovacs Zs, and Matuz J. 1996. Bread from corn starch for dietetic purposes. I. Structure formation. Cereal Res Commun 24(4):441-449.

Acs E, Kovacs Zs, and Matuz J. 1996. Bread from corn starch for dietetic purposes. II. Formation of the visual and technological properties. Cereal Res Commun 24(4):451-459.

Ahmed KZ, Mesterhazy A, Bartok T, and Sagi F. 1996. In vitro techniques for selecting wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for Fusarium resistance. II. Culture filtrate technique and inheritance of Fusarium-resistance in the somaclones. Euphytica 91:341-349.

Bartok T, Boercsoek G, Komoreczy R, and Sagi F. 1996. Characterization of cytokinins by electrospray ionisation and collision-induced dissociation mass spectrometry without precursor ion selection. J Mass Spectrometry 31:756-760.

Beke B and Matuz J. 1996. Breeding of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf) in Szeged, Hungary. Cereal Res Commun 24(1):49-52.

Beke B and Matuz J. 1996. Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) breeding at Cereal Research Institute, Szeged, Hungary. 5th lnter Wheat Conf, 10-14 June, 1996, Ankara, Turkey. p. 10-11 (abstract).

Bona L, Baligar VC, and Wright RJ. 1995. Soil acidity effects on agribotanical traits of durum and common wheat. Plant-Soil Interaction at Low pH. (Date RA et al. eds). Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands. pp. 425-428.

Carver BF and Bona, L. 1996. Reciprocal performance of Oklahoma - and Hungarian-derived wheat germplasms. Agron Abstr p. 174.

Cseuz L and Erdei L. 1996. Improving the drought tolerance of winter wheat in a breeding program. 5th lnter Wheat Conf, 10-14 June, 1996, Ankara, Turkey. p. 176 (abstract).

Csosz M, Kertesz Z, Matuz J, and Barabas Z. 1995. Manifestation of inheritance of 1000 kernel mass under artificial stem rust inoculated and disease free conditions in wheat. Cereal Res Commun 23:133-140.

Johnson R, Manninger K, Csosz M, and Mesterhazy A. 1996. Vulnerability of yellow rust resistance in Hungarian wheats. Proc 9th European and Mediterranean Cereal Rusts and Powdery Mildew Conference. 2-6 September, 1996, Lunteren, The Netherlands. p. 305.

Kertesz Cs, Matuz J, Proksza J, and Kertesz Z. 1995. Comparison of variety maintenance methods in wheat. Ann Wheat Newslet 41:102.

Kertesz Z, Matuz J, Pauk J, Mesterhazy A, Papp M., Cseuz L, Kertesz Cs, and Csosz M. 1996. Traditional and novel methods in wheat breeding at the Cereal Research Institute, Szeged. 5th lnter Wheat Conf, 10-14 June, 1996, Ankara, Turkey. p. 39 (abstract).

Matuz J and Beke B. 1996. The inheritance of some quality characters in durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf). Book of Abstracts, 10th Inter Cereal and Bread Congress. 9-12 June, 1996, Porto Carras (ChaLidiki), Greece. p. 38.

Matuz J and Beke B. 1996. Inheritance of quality traits in two durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf) crosses. Cereal Res Commun 24(2):203-210.

Mesterhazy A. 1995. Creating highly resistant winter wheats to Fusarium scab. Inter Fusairum Seminar, 9-13 May, 1995, Bari, Italy. pp. 118-119.

Mesterhazy A. 1995. Resistenzauspraegung der Aehrenfusariose des Weizens in Abhaengigkeit der Erregerpathogenitaet. Tagung der Dt Phytomed. Freising-Weihenstephan, 16-17 Marz, 1995. Phytomedizin 25(3):22-23.

Mesterhazy A. 1995. Types and components of resistance against Fusarium head blight of wheat. Plant Breed 114:377-386.

Mesterhazy A. and Bartok T. 1996. Control of Fusarium head blight of wheat by fungicides and its effect on the toxin contamination of the grains. Pflanzenschutz Nachrichten Bayer 49(2):181-198.

Mesterhazy A, Falkay G, and Melis K. 1995. Effect of Fusarium toxins on human myometrial estradiol receptors. Inter Fusairum Seminar, 9-13 May, 1995, Bari, Italy. pp. 73 (abstract).

Papp M. 1995. Insect resistance. Ann Wheat Newslet 41:104-105.

Papp M. 1995. Effects of bird cherry-oat aphid and cereal leaf beetle on yield of winter wheat varieties. In: European Journal of Plant Pathology. 13. Inter Pl Protection Cong (Schippers B ed). 2-7 July, The Hague, The Netherlands. p. 1377 (abstract).

Pauk J, Kertesz Z, Beke B, Bona L, Csosz M, and Matuz J. 1995. New winter wheat variety: "WP MultinationalB Roman"*****2GK Deibab developed via combining conventional breeding and in vitro androgenesis. Cereal Res Commun 23:251-256.

Pocsai E, Kovacs Gy, Muranyl I, Orosz A, Papp M, and Szunics L. 1995. Differentiation of barley yellow dwarf luteovirus serotypes infecting cereals and maize in Hungary. Agronomie 15:401-408.

Puolimatka M, Laine S, and Pauk J. 1996. Effect of ovary co-cultivation and culture medium on embryogenesis of directly isolated microspores of wheat. Cereal Res Commun 24(4):394-400.

Purnhauser L and Bona L. 1996. Effects of heavy metals (Ag⁺, Co²⁺, Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺) on shoot and root regeneration in wheat callus cultures. International Colloquium for Optimisation of Plant Nutrition. 8-15 September, 1996, Prague, Czech Republic. p. 241 (abstract).

Szecsi A and Bartok T. 1995. Trichothecene chemotypes of Fusarium graminearum isolated from corn in Hungary. Mycotoxin Res 23(4):403-409.


go to next document