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, L. Robertson, B. Brown, N. Bosque-Perez,
J. Hansen, K. O'Brien, M. Guttieri, D. Schotzko, Y. Wu, T. Koehler,
L. Sorensen, and J. Clayton.
The 2001 Idaho winter wheat production was 51.8 million bushels, a 21 % decrease from 2000. The decrease in production was due in large part to a decrease in average yield/acre from 90 bu/acre in 2000 to 73 bu/acre in 2001. This is the lowest average yield in over 5 years. The decrease in yield can be attributed to a less than favorable spring and early summer, both for rainfall and temperature. There was adequate moisture in the autumn and minimal winter injury but less than adequate moisture and warmer than normal temperatures in the late spring and early summer had a negative effect yield. Lack of adequate irrigation water adversely affected production in some areas of southern Idaho. The climate was not conducive to foliar diseases so little was found in the field. Statistics for the Idaho winter wheat production for the last 5 years are in Table 1.
| Year |
Acres planted x 1,000 |
Acres harvested x 1,000 |
Production bu/acre |
Yield (bushels) x 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 920 | 870 | 80 | 69,600 |
| 1998 | 820 | 770 | 82 | 63,140 |
| 1999 | 760 | 710 | 76 | 53,960 |
| 2000 | 780 | 730 | 90 | 65,700 |
| 2001 | 760 | 710 | 73 | 51,830 |
Marc Cortese joined the wheat breeding/genetics program in Moscow as a postdoctoral research associate with primary responsibility in the wheat lignin modification program. Maqsood Rehman joined the Moscow program as a graduate student with primary research responsibilities in the 'wheat x jointed goatgrass' hybrid biological risk program. At the wheat breeding program in Aberdeen, Cecile Becker, research technician, manages the coöperative research project with the Kraft/Nabisco corporation. IFAFS research on molecular markers in wheat is conducted by Brooke Doman. Two graduate students recently started with the Aberdeen wheat-breeding program, Humphrey Wanjugui, an M.S. student working on virus resistance, and David Bowen, a Ph.D. student working on the physiology of low phytic acid wheat.
Cultivar releases. In the past year, the University of Idaho approved two cultivars for release from the Aberdeen wheat breeding program, DW (IDO513) HRWW and Gary (IDO550) HWWW. Both are adapted to rain-fed production with resistance to dwarf bunt, snow mold, and stripe rust. DW has better bread quality than most recent winter wheats from the Aberdeen breeding programs. Gary is adapted for use both in the manufacture of bread and Asian-style noodles.
Two cultivars will be proposed for release in 2002, Alturas (IDO526) SWSW and Moreland (IDO517) HRWW. Alturas is broadly adapted to the Pacific Northwest for use in cookies, crackers, udon noodles, and Chinese steam breads. Moreland is specifically adapted to irrigated production and has relatively strong gluten strength at the high grain-yield levels associated with Pacific Northwest-irrigated production.
The SWWW breeding program in Moscow released the cultivar Brundage 96. Brundage 96 is a reselection from Brundage for improved resistance to stripe rust. Brundage 96 is a short, awnletted semidwarf winter wheat with excellent straw strength and superior end-use quality. The variety was tested under the line number ID-B-96. Brundage 96 is similar to Brundage in height, straw strength, winter hardiness, and end-use quality. Although early, it is slightly later in heading than Brundage and more similar to Stephens. Brundage 96 has improved stripe rust resistance compared to Brundage and has shown resistance similar to that found in Stephens. Yield potential of Brundage 96 is good to excellent, showing a slightly greater yield potential under dry land conditions than Brundage. Evaluated in the Pacific Northwest Wheat Quality Collaborative trial, Brundge 96 was found to have the desired quality for several end-uses.
Germ plasm releases. The Aberdeen wheat breeding program will make available to breeders two germ plasm lines. IDO580 is a HWSW with seed-borne, polyphenyl oxidase enzyme activities that are similar to durums and A93324S-76kbr, a HRSW with resistance to Karnal bunt similar to Altar durum.