OR SEED BREEDING COMPANY

Rua João Battisti, 71 - Passo Fundo, RS-CEP, 99050-380, Brazil.

O. S. Rosa and O. Rosa-Filho.

Wheat production in Brazil in 2001 reached more than 3 million tons for an annual consumption of 10 million tons. Today, Brazil is the country that imports the most wheat.

OR Seeds started breeding activities in 1989. The following cultivars created by the company are now registered for cultivation in various wheat-growing regions of Brazil: OR-1, Rubi, Granito, Taurum, Alcover, Avante, Onix, and Jaspe.

The newest cultivar, Jaspe (ORL 91308/Rubi 'S'), was registered for cultivation in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in 2002. The cultivars OR-1, Alcover, and Avante have demonstrated good resistance to BYDV. Rubi, Granito, and Onix are susceptible to BYDV and moderately resistant to WSBMV.

The resistance to FHB in lines ORL 98096 and ORL 98231, which were previously selected because of their excellent resistance to FHB, was confirmed in 2001 in Brazil, Argentina, and in the U.S. Along with scab resistance, these lines have demonstrated good yield potential (7 ton/ha) and will most likely be registered for cultivation in Brazil in 2004.

André C. Rosa finished his Ph.D. degree at Kansas State University and rejoined the company in 2002.