NEBRASKA
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AND THE USDA-ARS
Department of Agronomy, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
Dr. Brian Beecher joined the staff of the University of Nebraska Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. Dr. Beecher will conduct research in molecular biochemistry and will supervise activities in the Wheat Quality Laboratory. Mr. Yuan Ganan and Mr. Sahin Dere joined the project as visiting scientists. Mr. Ritesh Mishra completed his M.S. degree and returned to India to work in private industry. Dr. Mustafa Erayman completed his Ph.D. was hired as a post doctoral scientist.
The 2001 Nebraska Wheat Crop was estimated at 59,200,000 bu,
which represented a 37.0 bu/acre state average yield on 1,600,000
harvested acres. The area planted to winter wheat was 1,750,000
acres. The 2001 crop was similar to the 2000 crop (59,400,000
bu harvested from 1,650,000 acres with a 36.0 bu/acre state average
yield). Stripe rust was the major disease, though leaf and stem
rust also were present. Stripe rust is rare in Nebraska (only
seen once before in the previous 16 years) because it requires
cool temperatures, freestanding moisture, and a source of inoculum.
In most years, one of more of these factors is missing (usually
cool temperatures and the source of inoculum). Russian wheat aphid
damage was small and required little spraying. Despite continued
genetic improvement, the main determinant in wheat production
seems to be acres harvested and weather (which also affects disease
pressure). Alliance (16.0 % of the state) replaced Arapahoe (13.4
%) as the most popular variety in Nebraska. Pronghorn is the third
most widely grown variety followed by 2137 and Niobrara. Cultivars
developed by the cooperative USDA University of Nebraska wheat
improvement program occupied 73 % of the state acreage. Other
public varieties occupied 17 % and private varieties occupied
10 % of the state acreage. One area of concern is the increasing
production of stem rust susceptible wheats. Currently, the popular
2137, Karl/Karl 92, and Buckskin are susceptible to stem rust
and cumulatively occupy 19.2 % of Nebraska's acreage.
In 2001, the HWWW Nuplains was released. Wahoo was released in 2000. Five lines were advanced to small-scale increases at the Nebraska Foundation Seed Division. They are
| NE97426 | Brigantina/2*Arapahoe |
| NE97465 | SD3055/KS88H164//NE89646 (= Colt*2/Patrizanka) |
| NE97638 | NE90614 (= BRL/4/PKR*4/AGT//BEL.198/LCR/3/NWT/BRL)/NE87612 (= NWT//WRR*5/AGT/3/NE69441) |
| NE97669 | VISTA/KS87H6//Arlin |
| NE97689 | NE90614 (= BRL/4/PKR*4/AGT//BEL.198/LCR/3/NWT/BRL)/NE87612 (= NWT//WRR*5/AGT/3/NE69441) |
All of these lines have good winter hadiness, stem rust resistance,
agronomic performance and in our trials acceptable end-use quality.
NE97426 is an awnless, semidwarf wheat that may have potential
in grazing/haying and grain systems. NE97465 is a long-coleoptile,
tall wheat that would have potential in western Nebraska and Wyoming
where tall wheat varieties are needed (the Buckskin, Centura,
and Pronghorn regions of these two states). This line has extraordinary
yielding ability (nearly 8 MT/ha in Indiana), but the key criterion
for release will be if it can do well in our tough environments
(1.7 to 2.7 MT/ha). If it competes again well this year, NE97465
will be released as there are few tall wheat varieties being produced.
NE97638 and NE97689 are sister lines that are semidwarf and tend
to be genetically lower in test weight. Of the two lines NE97689
has a slightly better yield record and would be considered the
more likely to be released. NE97669 is a good-yielding, semidwarf
wheat, but will need an additional year of testing before we will
know if it competes with NE97689 and NE97638.
In 2001, two forage triticale varieties were released for commercial sale (NE422T (formerly NE96T422)) through Nupride Genetics Network and Gro-Green Plus (formerly NE96T441) through Star Seed Inc. of Kansas. NE422T is a forage winter triticale (X Triticosecale rimpaui) cultivar developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS (Dr. Ken Vogel). Jointly released in 2001 by the developing institutions, NE422T was selected from the cross 'Trical/UB-UW26' where Trical is most likely Trical 100 (a forage triticale developed by Resource Seed Inc., a subsidiary of Goldsmith Seed Company, Gilroy, CA) and UB-UW26 is an unknown winter triticale germ plasm line given to the breeding program in the 1980s. NE422T is an F3-derived F4 line that was released primarily for its superior forage production in rainfed winter cereal production systems in Nebraska.
NE422T was performance tested as NE96T422 in Nebraska grain yield nurseries starting in 1997 and in forage yield trials in 1997 and 1998. In 2 years of forage testing in Nebraska cultivar performance trials, NE422T has performed extremely well throughout most of Nebraska in rainfed production systems. The average Nebraska rainfed forage yield cut at the R2 (fully headed but the peduncle not fully emerged) to R4 (anthesis, Nebraska scale) stage of NE422T (six environments) was 9,070 kg/ha dry matter; with an average in vitro dry matter digestibility of 63.9 % and an average protein content of 9.0 %. These data compare favorably with Newcale (a grain triticale: 8,730 kg/ha, 67.9 %, and 8.5 %) and Trical 100 (8,530 kg/ha; 63.5 %, and 9.0 %). For further comparison, the forage yields of NE422T were higher than two commonly grown wheat cultivars Arapahoe (7,200 kg/ha, 67.7 %, and 8.5 %) and Pronghorn (7,930 kg/ah, 67.0 %, and 8.6 %). The wheat cultivars are earlier than NE422T and were cut at the R4 to S0 (caryopsis visible, Nebraska scale). NE422T has a good grain yield (10 environments; 2,790 kg/ha) for a forage triticale. The grain yield was higher than Trical 100 (2,040 kg/ha), but lower than grain triticale cultivars (Presto, 3,620 kg/ha; Newcale, 3,120 kg/ha). For comparison, the grain yield of Arapahoe was 3,050 kg/ha, which is lower than the grain triticale yields and might be explained by triticale yield nurseries generally be planted near, but earlier than the wheat yield trials. The main advantages of NE422T when compared to most other forage triticale cultivars, within its area of adaptation, is its high forage yield coupled with a good grain yield (needed for efficient seed production) and its broad adaptation in rainfed production systems.
Other measurements of performance from comparison trials show that NE422T is late in maturity, about 7 days later than Newcale, 6 days later than Presto, 5 days later than Arapahoe, and 1 day earlier than Trical 100. The mature plant height of NE422T, a tall triticale (58 in; 148 cm) is 3 in (7.5 cm) taller than Trical 100, 12 in (31 cm) taller than Presto and Newcale, and 19 in (49 cm) taller than Arapahoe. NE422T has moderate straw strength for a tall, forage triticale. NE422T is slightly better than Trical 100 lodging, but worse than Presto, Newcale, and Arapahoe. The winter hardiness of NE422T would be consider as good, similar to Trical 100, which is one of the most winter-hardy triticale cultivars currently available to grower, and comparable to an average winter wheat for this trait.
Based on field observations, NE422T is moderately resistant to the currently prevalent races of stem rust (most likely containing Sr31) and leaf rust. Like most ryes and triticale varieties, NE422T is moderately resistant to WSMV. Ergot has not been found in the cultivar when the disease was present in the other triticale varieties under similar growing conditions. NE422T has an average grain volume weight for triticale.
In positioning NE422T, based on performance data to date, it should be well adapted to most rainfed winter annual forage production systems, with high forage yield potential in most of Nebraska. NE422T should also perform well as a second crop in irrigated productions, where it is planted following a harvested summer annual crop and the forage is harvested the following year before planting another annual summer crop. In these cropping systems, water would not be limiting and three crops could be harvested in 2 years. NE422T should perform well in similar growing areas in adjacent states.
The Nebraska Foundation Seed Division, Department of Agronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583 had NE422T foundation seed available to qualified certified seed enterprises in 2000. The U.S. Department of Agriculture will not have seed for distribution. The seed classes will be Breeder, Foundation, Registered, and Certified. The Registered seed class will be a nonsalable seed class. NE422T will be submitted for registration and plant variety protection under P. L. 10577 with the certification option. A research and development fee will be assessed on certified seed sales of NE422T and Gro-Green Plus.
T. Clemente, S. Sato, M. Dickman, A. Mitra, S. Mitra, J. Watkins,
J. Schimelfenig, and S. Baenziger.
Wheat transformation continues to be a key strategic effort in
the wheat improvement overall effort. In our current research,
we are emphasizing trying to develop wheat lines with improved
FHB resistance as part of the U.S. Wheat and Barely Scab Initiative.
So far, we have concentrated on transferring the following genes:
a) inhibitors of apoptosis (programmed cell death); b) lactoferrin
and a related derived protein, lactoferricin; and c) related antifungal
proteins that have been derived based on similar protein structures.
We have created over 10 events for these genes and are increasing
the seed of them now. We have lines from the T1 to T5 and are
screening those for FHB tolerance. We continue to see levels of
FHB tolerance in the transgenic lines. However a concern remains
that the assay is very difficult and false positives and negatives
are possible.
H. Budak, T. Campbell, M. Erayman, Y. Mater, K. Gill, S. Baenziger,
K. Eskridge, I. Dweikat, S. Dere, R. Graybosch, and A. Lukaskewski.
Dr. Mustafa Erayman, a postdoc, is assigning bins to the known
probes for chromosome 3A using the Chinese Spring deletion stocks
developed at Kansas State University. His research is helping
us understand the recombinational map and the physical map for
chromosome 3A. Todd Campbell and Hikmet Budak are graduate students
who actively filling in the gaps in our genetic map and to determine
the critical chromosome regions contains the genes that control
agronomic traits. We currently have about 20 polymorphic markers
on chromosome 3A. Todd has just completed his evaluation of 98
recombinant inbred chromosome lines (RICLs) for Cheyenne (CNN)
Wichita (WI) chromosome 3A lines (e.g., CNN(RICLs3A)) in replicated
trials in seven environments which will be the basis for identifying
QTLs and measuring 'QTL x E'. He has found two QTL loci that affect
grain yield. In a separate effort, Mr. Yehia Mater is developing
a new T1A·1R chromosome in which he hopes to combine the
best attributes of T1A·1R from Amigo with T1B·1R
from Kavkaz. This research is possible due to the elegant cytogenetic
manipulations of Dr. Adam Lukaszewski (Univ. of California-Riverside)
who created the T1A·1R lines where the 1R was previously
on 1B in Kavkaz.
Bob Graybosch, USDA-ARS and Steve Baenziger continue the orderly
transfer of white wheat germ plasm to the state wheat breeding.
Promising experimental lines were identified. NW97S182 finished
7th in the 2001 Nebraska State Variety Trial, and NW97S278 did
very well in the Colorado irrigated trials (data can be found
via a link on L. Nelson's on-line report). Both will be in the
Nebraska State Variety Trial for 2002, and we will make a decision
on their fate next summer. Efforts continue to develop pure white
wheat so there will less concern about mixed white and red seed
and grain in the marketing channels. As with the creation of most
new markets, marketing remains an issue.
R. Graybosch, S. Baenziger, D. Baltensperger, and B. Beecher.
Three HWWWs, NW97S182, NW97S218 and NW97S278, were advanced to preliminary seed increase, with final release decisions scheduled to be made in the summer of 2002. Release of three additional sets of germ plasm lines are in process, pending approval by USDA-ARS. These include 1) a set of spring waxy (amylose-free) wheats (PI 619354 - PI619375); 2) N96L9970 (PI 619231, GRS1201/TAM202), which carries resistance to greenbug biotypes B, C, E, G, and I, and a T1AL·1RS wheat-rye chromosomal translocation, as well as improved agronomic performance over its greenbug resistant parent GRS1201; and 3) two T1BL·1RS wheat-rye translocation lines (PI 617064 and PI 617066) with markedly improved gluten strength relative to typical T1BL·1RS lines. We also have been examining the phenotypic stability of functional properties of waxy wheat flours. A set of waxy (amylose-free) experimental spring wheats of diverse parentage were grown, along with four nonwaxy check cultivars, at various North American cultural environments. Grain yield and functional attributes of derived flours were determined. Average grain yield of the waxy lines did not differ significantly from the average yield of the check cultivars, but significant differences were observed amongst the waxy lines. Grain hardness varied significantly amongst the waxy lines, and both hard and soft textured waxy lines were identified. Analysis of flour quality traits showed few differences between waxy lines and check cultivars for traits primarily related to protein concentration or protein quality, but many significant differences between properties primarily dependent upon starch structure, or related to milling behavior. Protein-related quality attributes of waxy wheats demonstrated environmental and genotypic variances similar to those typical of non-waxy wheats. Starch-related quality attributes of waxy wheats showed remarkable stability across environments, but some significant genetic variation was observed. End-users interested in employing waxy wheats should be able to select desired waxy lines and feel confident that the starch-related functional properties will be environmentally consistent.