NORTH DAKOTA
NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Plant Sciences, Fargo, ND 58078, USA.
W.A. Berzonsky, G.D. Leach, S.L. Kleven, D,J. Boehm, J. Davies, and K. Hartel.
North Dakota growers harvested 6.4 million acres of the 6.8 million acres of HRSW planted in 2000, representing a 12 % increase in production over 1999. The average statewide yield in 2000 was 36 bu/acre compared with 30 bu/acre in 1999. Russ and Gunner overtook 2375 as the leading varieties planted in North Dakota, with Oxen replacing Amidon as one of the four varieties occupying the most acreage in the state. Together, Russ, Gunner, 2375, and Oxen accounted for nearly 57 % of the total acres planted to HRSW in 2000. There was some production of HWSW in North Dakota, but they did not occupy a statistically significant portion of the production acres in 2000.
Generally dry conditions across the state in April and May enabled growers to finish planting ahead of average. However, in early June, dry weather caused problems in parts of the state, and heavy rains in mid-June caused widespread losses. When not excessive, the moisture in June favored leaf disease development, but it also contributed to the higher statewide yields compared with 1999.
In 2000, the white wheat development effort for North Dakota was expanded from yield trial nurseries in Casselton and Prosper to include additional nurseries in Carrington and Minot. Sixteen HWSW advanced lines were grown in replicated yield trials along with check cultivars Argent, Grandin, Keene, and Reeder. Three advanced lines (979, 9727, and 9732) yielded as well or better than the highest yielding check cultivar at all four locations. One (9712) yielded as well or better than the highest yielding check cultivar at three of the four locations. Lines 979 and 9727 have yielded as well or better than the highest yielding check cultivar over six 'location x year' North Dakota environments from 1999 to 2000. Cereal and Food Science Department tests of the 1999 crop indicate that all four lines have acceptable bread-baking quality.
Approximately 500 crosses were made in 2000, many of which involved crosses to introgress genes for sawfly resistance, disease resistance, sprout resistance, high protein, and noodle quality into North Dakota-adapted white spring wheat genotypes. Selections were made among approximately 700 white wheat headrows grown in New Zealand in 1999, and they were brought back to North Dakota for evaluation of agronomic performance in 2000. An additional group of 520 crosses in the F3 generation have been subjected to selection for agronomic type in the 2001 New Zealand winter nursery. Many of these lines are derived from crosses involving white wheat parents.
In 2000, approximately 70 F1 hybrids between red and white wheat genotypes with high grain protein and low-amylose starch were pollinated with maize to produce DH homozygous lines. At least 200 to 300 additional crosses were made between red and white wheat genotypes to produce F1 hybrids with a combination of high grain protein and low-amylose starch. A gene for high protein was transferred to white- and red-seeded wheats from Glupro, and all three genes for low-amylose were transferred to selected white-seeded wheats from a full-waxy winter wheat genotype. A backcross program is underway to produce adapted isogenic white wheat lines with one, two, and three genes for low-amylose starch. Identification of transfer of the gene for high protein was made using a PCR marker, and identification of transfer of the genes for low-amylose was made by pollen-staining the F1 hybrids. In 2000, 35 advanced ND white wheat lines grown at two North Dakota locations in 1999 were evaluated for preharvest sprout resistance in a mist chamber. Replicated mist chamber tests indicated that 9747 and 9734 consistently resisted perharvest grain sprouting in comparison to other lines tested. Additional mist chamber evaluations are being conducted on a set of 16 advanced ND white wheat lines grown in 2000.
Effects of nitrogen fertilizer applications on frozen dough end-use quality of HRSW (D.J. Boehm). Increasing the application of N fertilizer in small grains generally increases grain yield and protein. This increase in grain-protein content (GPC) positively impacts end-use quality by increasing dough strength and loaf volume, both necessary for high-quality frozen dough products. The goal of this project was to determine if N fertilizer can be used to improve frozen dough quality. If an interaction exists between increased rates of N and frozen dough quality, then producers may be better able to manage N levels in fields designated for frozen dough end-use markets. For this study, four adapted cultivars (Glupro, Grandin, Argent, and Trenton) were grown in replicated field trials with three N fertilizer treatments (0, 60 and 120 lbs./a) at three North Dakota locations.
Results suggest that N fertilizer treatments had a significant impact on protein and yield, but not on test weight, falling number scores, L* kernel brightness, kernel size, kernel weight, and kernel hardness. Cultivar and location had a significant impact on most of these quality characteristics. Except for Glupro, where a significant difference in GPC existed from 0 to 60 lbs N/acre, the remaining cultivars needed to be fertilized at the 120 lbs N/acre rate to see significant increases in GPC. We found no GPC advantage to increasing the level from 60 to 120 lbs N/acre for Glupro. Increasing N amounts likely can significantly increase yields for Argent and Grandin, but not for Glupro and Trenton. An inverse relationship between yield and GPC was calculated, and this corroborates published research results. In this study, Glupro was the lowest yielding cultivar with the highest GPC over all treatments and locations.
Increasing N treatments did not affect falling number scores or L* kernel brightness. This suggests that producers can increase levels of N to improve yield and GPC without adversely affecting these characteristics of bread-baking quality. This project will now focus on bread baking and frozen dough examinations including farinograph, extensigraph, proof time, and loaf volume measurements to determine if increasing N treatments affect frozen dough end-use quality.
Effects of environment on kernel color and polyphelol oxidase (ppo) activity (John Davies). Fresh Asian noodles are being examined as a possible alternative market for North Dakota farmers. Noodle brightness is an important quality requirement for freshly-made Asian noodles. Low polyphenol oxidase activity and bright, light kernels are important wheat quality characteristics impacting these noodle products. In 2000, the influence of environment on these characteristics was examined on spring wheat lines grown in replicated field trials at four North Dakota locations (Minot, Carrington, Casselton, and Prosper).
Growing locations and lines had a highly significant effect on ppo activity, kernel brightness, flour color, fresh Asian noodle discoloration, grain protein content, kernel size, weight, hardness, ash content, and falling number scores. There was a negative correlation (0.43) between ppo levels and Asian noodle brightness after 24 hours. There was a negative correlation between kernel size and hardness. We found that ppo activity levels increased with reduced kernel size, hardness, and protein content. There also were negative correlations between kernel brightness and grain protein content (0.83), kernel brightness and kernel size (0.77), kernel brightness and kernel hardness (0.61), and kernel brightness and kernel weight (0.48). Results indicate that careful consideration of growing locations and lines is critical to achieving the lower ppo activity and kernel color characteristics necessary for the fresh Asian noodle market.
John Davies and Kirk Hartel joined the White and Specialty Spring Wheat Breeding Program as M.S students. John is originally from Perth, Western Australia. His research involves growing white and red spring wheat genotypes in different North Dakota environments and examining the effect of environment on kernel color and other end-use noodle quality characteristics, such as polyphenol oxidase. Kirk is from Watford City, ND, and he received the prestigious Mercury 7 Astronaut Scholarship at NDSU. Only one student at NDSU is awarded this scholarship, and its purpose is to provide outstanding undergraduate students the financial means with which to pursue an advanced degree in science. Kirk will be studying the transfer of FHB resistance from a wild tetraploid wheat to white and specialty wheats. He also will examine the impact of irrigation practices on white wheat end-use quality.