ITEMS FROM YUGOSLAVIA

ARI 'SERBIA', CENTER FOR SMALL GRAINS
Save Kovacevica 31, Kragujevac 34000, Yugoslavia.


M. Pavlovic, M. Kuburovic, Veselinka Zecevic, and D. Knezevic.

Yield and quality of Tara ­ a new winter wheat cultivar.

Tara
is a new Yugoslav winter wheat cultivar developed in cross combination 'Una / KG-56'. The productive potential of grain yield is 10 T/ha. The cultivar has very good bread-making quality and belongs to subclass A2 and the 2nd quality group estimated by protein content and sedimentation volume. Tara is a medium-early cultivar, resistant to low temperature and lodging.

Introduction. The breeders' main task to create new high-yielding, high-quality, genetically divergent cultivars as a way to increase the yield and biodiversity (Borojevic 1978). The aim of breeding is development of a new wheat cultivar adaptable to a particular region that is heterogeneous for soils and climatic conditions. Different yields in a newly developed wheat cultivar depend on climatic conditions (Kuburovic et al. 1994).

The aim of the wheat breeding program in the Center for Small Grains in Kragujevac is the development of new cultivars with high grain yield potential and better technological quality (Popovic 1989). Wheat production is the result of the action numerous factors, including genetic factors and environmental factors (practice, management, soil, and climate).

Material and methods.
The winter wheat Tara (KG- 2/350) was created by crossing 'Una / KG-56'. Una is wheat cultivar from Novi Sad with a yield potential of about 10 T/ha and of very good technological quality (Misic et al. 1986). The cultivar KG-56 has a high and stable grain yield and excellent technological quality of grain, flour, and bread and belongs to an enchancer group of cultivars (Popovic and Popovic 1977). The source of the gene controlling resistance to low temperature (Vrn) is the ancestral cultivar Bezostaya 1, which is an ancestor and parent of both cultivars (Una and KG-56).

The source of different genes controlling parameters of technological quality of grain, flour, and bread were the parent cultivars KG-56, Una, and Bezostaya 1. The crossing of parent cultivars was made in 1984. The hybrid material was grown by the pedigree method and used for plant selection. Selection of phenotypically similar lines in F4 hybrids was carried out. The selected lines were tested during 3-4 years in microtrials on experimental fields of the Center for Small Grains in Kragujevac. The best of them were tested in microtrials in different locations.

Under the name KG-2/350, Tara was included in a microtrial of the Federal Commission for plant cultivar approval in 1992. Tara was tested in microtrials during 1993­95 in five different localities and compared to check cultivars Jugoslavija and Partizanka. The resistance to disease was tested with artificial inoculation in the field. The resistance to low temperature was tested in controlled conditions in freezing chambers by successively decreasing the temperature from 0°­15° C during a 24 h period. Analyses of the technological quality of grain, flour, and bread by standard laboratory methods were made at the Technological Faculty in Novi Sad. The data obtained during the approveal period at the Federal Commission for plant cultivar approvement were used in this paper.

Results and discussion. Productive traits
. Grain yield is a very complex trait and dependent on many genetic and environmental factors. The most important components of grain yield are number of spike/m2, number of kernels/spike, and grain mass. The traits that are associated with grain yield are resistance to pest and diseases, low temperature, lodging, and shattering and the ability to adapt in unfavorable environmental conditions (Milohnic 1972). Thus, wheat cultivars must be tested during several years and in different localities. The grain yield of Tara varied from 4.66 T/ha (Pec 1995) to 9.73 T/ha (Novi Sad 1993). Variation also occured in the grain yield of the check cultivars. Averaged for all years and localities, Tara has shown significantly higher grain yield than the check Partizanka and yields similar to the Jugoslavija check. The production potential of grain yield is 10 T/ha. The maximal grain yield of Tara (9.73 T/ha) was higher then the maximum grain yield of both check cultivars (see Table 1).



Table 1. Yield and quality of Tara, a new winter wheat cultivar.

 Cultivar  Average yield  Maximum yield
 Tara 7.12 9.73
 Jugoslavija 7.16 9.17
 Partizanka 6.70 8.88
 Jugoslavija (check) - 0.041 0.422
 Partizanka (check) 0.556 0.848
 LSD for average yield: for 0, 05 % = 0.161; for 0.01 % = 0.212.

 

Technological traits. The 1,000-kernel weight of Tara was similar to that of Jugoslavija and 2.6 g higher than that of Partizanka. The hectoliter mass of grain is an indicator of grain quality. The high hectoliter mass is characteristic of a high grain-quality cultivar and could be a reliable indicator of biological plasticity of a cultivar and better resistance to high temperature during the time of grain filling. Tara showed the same hectoliter mass (81.50 kg) as Jugoslavija and slightly higher than that of Partizanka. The content of crude protein in Tara is the same as in the check cultivars. Sedimentation volume is on the same level as that of Jugoslavija, but lower than that of Partizanka. However, protein content can vary depending on the year and location and cause changes in the quality grouping. The high sedimentation volume correlated with gluten content and quality (Knezevic et al. 1994).

Water absorption in Tara was the same as in the check cultivar (about 60 %). These results agree with our previous results (Kuburovic et al. 1997). The quality coefficient of Tara is similar to that of Partizanka and slightly higher than that of Jugoslavija. The parameter value during the testing period (3 years of Commission microtrials) indicated that all the cultivars (Tara and check cultivars) belong to the A2 quality group.

Extensogram energy indicates quality of gluten and dough. A higher value indicates better gluten quality and higher resistance of dough extensibility. In Tara, we found that values for extensogram energy and the ratio of dough resistance extensibility are equal to those of the Jugoslavija check, but lower than those of Partizanka.

Important parameters are baking quality, loaf volume, and crumb value (Kovacev-Djolai et al. 1987). These quality parameters of Tara are equal to or slightly better than those of one or both check cultivars. Tara has a higher flour yield and loaf volume per hecter than Partizanka, but lower values than Jugoslavija (Table 2).


Table 2. Characteristics of grain quality, flour, and bread quality of the new wheat cultivar Tara and the check cultivars Jugoslavija and Partizanka.

     Traits    Cultivar      Compared to check
 Tara

Jugoslavija

Partizanka

Jugoslavija

Partizanka

 1,000-kernel weight (g)  33.70  33.40  30.80  + 0.30  + 2.90
 Hectoliter mass (kg) 81.50 81.50 83.60 --- - 2.10
 Protein content (%) 13.00  13.60 13.30 - 0.60 - 0.30
 Sedimentation value 42.00 43.00 58.00 - 1.00 - 0.30
 Maltose content (%) 3.00  3.70 2.80 - 0.70 + 0.20
 Percent of flour (%) 77.10  78.00 77.60 - 0.90 - 0.50
 Water absorption (%) 60.40 61.10 59.60 - 0.60 + 0.80
 Quality number 70.20  80.40  72.80  ---  ---
 Quality group  A2  A2  A2  ---  ---
 Extensogram energy (cm3)  90.00 62.00 122.00 + 28.00 - 32.00
 Loaf volume (ml/100g flour) 523.0  544.0 520.0 - 21.0 + 3.0
 Crumb value 4.40  4.20 5.00 + 0.20 - 0.60
 Yield of flour (T/ha)  5.30 5.54 5.22 - 0.24 + 0.09
 Yield of bread (g/100g flour) 135.5  135.5 137.0 --- + 1.5
 Yield of bread (T/ha) 7.19  7.50 7.15 - 0.32 + 0.04


Conclusion. The cultivar Tara was developed by crossing genetically divergent and highly productive wheat cultivars Una and KG-56. This winter wheat cultivar was approved by the Federal Commission for Variety Approval in 1997. As a line (KG-2/350), Tara was tested in microtrials (5 x 5 m2) of the Federal Commission in different location during the period 1993-95. The breeders are Prof. Dr Miroslav Kuburovic, Dr Milanko Pavlovic, and Dr. Veselinka Zecevic.

The spike is white, smooth, and awnless, with 20-22 spikelets. The grain is vitreous and red. Tara is medium-early, with very good resistance to lodging and low temperature and good resistance to leaf rust, stem rust, powdery mildew, and the leaf beetle. Shattering resistance is very good. The 1,000-kernel weight is 34 g, and the hectoliter mass of grain is 83 kg. Tara belongs to the A2 quality subgroup and the 2nd technological group. Milling and baking quality are very good.

Tara is a high-yielding cultivar with genetic potential about 10 T/ha. The average grain yield for all years and localities tested was 7.12 T/ha, significantly higher than that of Partizanka and equal to that of Jugoslavija, the check cultivars. The maximal grain yield 9.73 T/ha of Tara was higher than maximal grain yield of both check cultivars. Tara is adaptable to diverse environmental conditions.

References.

Borojevic S. 1978. Importance of genetic, environment and modeling in plant breeding. Contemp Agric 11-12:5-27. Novi Sad (in Serbian).

Kovacev-Djolai M and Radoicki N. 1987. Quality of grain. flour and loaf in Somborka. Duga. Staparka and Apatinka wheat cultivars from Novi Sad. In: Wheat 6 Million Tons. pp. 43-51. Novi Sad (in Serbian).

Knezevic D, Femic V, and Micanovic D. 1994. Relationship between endosperm proteins in wheat and quality parameters. Contemp Agric 42(3):161-164 Novi Sad (in Serbian).

Kuburovic M, Knezevic D, Pavlovic M, Zecevic V, and Lomovic S. 1994. Variability of quality parameters in winter wheat cultivars grown in different locations. Ann Wheat Newslet 40:340-342.

Kuburovic M, Zecevic V, Knezevic D, and Pavlovic M. 1997. Yield and quality of Yugoslav winter wheat cultivars. Ann Wheat Newslet 43:205-208.

Milohnic J. 1972. Plant Breeding. Zagreb (in Serbian).

Misic T, Mihaljev I, and Stancetic M. 1986. Wheat cultivars in Vojvodina Province. In: Wheat Production in Vojvodina Province in 1985. pp. 75-149 Novi Sad (in Serbian).

Popovic A and Popovic S. 1977. Yield and quality of some newly winter wheat cultivar. Contemp Agric 3-4:5-12 Novi Sad (in Serbian).

Popovic A. 1989. 90-year activity on selection of cereals in Topcider and Institute for Small Grains in Kragujevac. In: Improvement of Wheat Production and Other Small Grains. pp. 13-34 Kragujevac (in Serbian).