IDAHO
UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO
Plant and Soil Science Department, Moscow, ID 83343, USA, and the Agricultural Experiment Station, P.O. Box AA, Aberdeen, ID 83210, USA
R. Zemetra, E. Souza, S. Guy, P. Berger, N. Bosqu, J-Perez,
M. Lauver, J. Hansen, P. Shiel, K. OBrien, M. Guttieri, P. McCarthy,
T. Linscott, and Z. Wang.
Production.
The 1998 Idaho winter wheat production
was 63.1 million bushels, a 9 % decrease from 1998. The decrease
in production was due to a decrease in the number of acres planted
and harvested compared to 1997. Average yield per acre increased
to 82 bu/acre, a new record high. A mild winter plus abundant
early and mid-season moisture contributed to the high yield. Environmental
conditions in northern Idaho were extremely favorable for foliar
diseases such as stripe rust, leaf rust, and stem rust. Pseudocercosporella
footrot also was present in northern Idaho in 1998. Disease and
climate both contributed to a higher than normal level of lodging.
Statistics for the Idaho winter wheat production for the last
5 years are listed in Table 1.
| Year |
Acres planted x 1,000 |
Acres harvested x 1,000 |
Production bu/A |
Yield (bushels) x 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 840 | 790 | 72 | 57,000 |
| 1995 | 830 | 770 | 76 | 58,500 |
| 1996 | 900 | 860 | 80 | 68,800 |
| 1997 | 920 | 870 | 80 | 69,600 |
| 1998 | 820 | 770 | 82 | 63,140 |
Personnel.
In the last year, two new staff have
joined the Aberdeen breeding program. Reuben McLean, scientific
aide, is working on the Fund for Rural America project surveying
hard white wheat quality in production fields. McLean is a recent
graduate of Utah State University and is working on a M.S. in
plant science at the University of Idaho. Mary Guttieri, support
scientist II, replaced Juliet Windes in autumn, 1998. Guttieri
will be responsible for molecular biology and data analysis. She
joins the project from the UI Potato Weed Science project with
a background in chemistry and molecular genetics.
Cultivar development.
The University of Idaho Aberdeen breeding
program released the new HRSW Iona for rainfed production
in southeastern Idaho. Iona was derived from the cross `Klasic
/ IDO367'. The cultivar has improved yield and test weight compared
to those of Amidon. Iona and Amidon are similar for protein percentage,
yet Iona has significantly better loaf volume and mixing characteristics.
Foundation seed of Iona should be available for planting in spring
2000.
The Moscow wheat breeding program is releasing ID 10085-5,
a SWWW with moderate resistance to theRWA. ID 10085-5 is derived
from a BC2 of 'PI 294994 / Stephens*3'. The cultivar has equivalent
yield and end-use quality compared to those of Stephens. ID 10085-5
is taller than Stephens and has moderate straw strength compared
to that of Stephens. The proposed name for ID 10085-5 is Manis.
Transformation.
Field trials were planted in October,
1997, to evaluate the performance of transgenic wheat carrying
either a BYDV- cp gene or a WSMV-cp gene. Variations in
yield and test weight were observed among the transgenic lines
with and without virus challenge. Headrows of transgenics carrying
either pac-1 (a dsRNase gene), a modified BYDV-cp gene,
or the WSMV-cp gene also have been planted in the field. Phenotypic
modifications for heading date, leaf color, tillering, and leaf
type were observed in some Lambert transgenic lines transformed
with the pac-1 gene. A second year of field trials esd
planted in October, 1998.
Russian wheat aphid resistance.
AFLP molecular markers are being
developed in wheat accessions resistant to the RWA. The three
wheat accessions are PI 225245, PI 151918, and PI 94355. The best
linkages found to date are 7.8 cM (PI 225245), 12.4 cM (PI 151918),
and 17.6 cM (PI 94355). Additional primer combinations are being
evaluated to develop more tightly linked markers.
Biological risk.
Greenhouse and field results indicate
that it is possible to produce BC2 plants from a 'wheat / Ae.
cylindrica' hybrid using jointed goatgrass as the recurrent
parent. The frequency of BC2 seed production in the field by natural
backcrossing was equal to that observed in the greenhouse. Partial
self-fertility was restored in greenhouse-derived BC2 plants indicating
that only two backcrosses are needed to restore fertility. The
transfer of genes such as herbicide-resistance genes from wheat
to jointed goatgrass could be possible. Current work includes
determining the retention of a herbicide-resistance gene in backcross
generations with and without herbicide selection pressure and
in situ hybridization of BC2 S1 and BC2 S2 plants to determine
the retention of A and B genomic DNA.
Publications.
Hansen J, Shiel PJ, McCarthy
P, Berger PH, and Zemetra RS. 1998. Transformation of soft white
winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) for virus resistance.
In: Proc 9th Inter Wheat Genet Symp (Slinkard AE ed). University
Extension Press, Saskatoon, Sasketchewan, Canada. 3:186-188.
Seefeldt SS, Zemetra RS, Young FL, and Jones SS. 1998. Production
of herbicide-resistant jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica)
x wheat (Triticum aestivum) hybrids in the field by natural
hybridization. Weed Sci 46:632- 634.
Souza E, Windes JM, Sunderman DW, and O'Brien K. 1999. Registration
of `Boundary' wheat. Crop Sci 39:296.
Souza E, Windes JM, Sunderman DW, and O'Brien K. 1999. Registration
of `Jefferson' wheat. Crop Sci 39:296- 297.
Zemetra RS, Mallory-Smith CA, Hansen JL, Snyder J, and Wang Z.
1998. Potential for gene flow between wheat (Triticum aestivum)
and jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) in the field.
In: Proc 9th Inter Wheat Genet Symp (Slinkard AE ed). University
Extension Press, Saskatoon, Sasketchewan, Canada. 2:134-136.
Zemetra RS, Souza E, Lauver M, Windes JM, Guy SO, Brown B, Robertson
L, and Kruk M. 1998. Registration of `Brundage' wheat. Crop Sci
38:1404.
Zemetra RS, Hansen J, and Mallory-Smith C. 1998. Potential for
gene transfer between wheat (Triticum aestivum) and jointed
goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica). Weed Sci 46:313-317.