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, B. Brown, N. Bosque-Pérez,
J. Hansen, K. O'Brien, M. Guttieri, D. Schotzko, T. Koehler, L.
Sorensen, J. Clayton, E. Jimenez, M. Rehman, and M. Kumar.
The 2003 Idaho winter wheat production was 57.6 million bushels, a 5 % increase from 2002. Acreage planted and harvested increased compared to 2002 and yield was similar for the 2 years. Moisture again was limiting in some areas in the late spring/summer resulting in lower test weight although there was a greater affect on spring wheat than winter wheat due to average to slightly above average precipitation in the winter and early spring. Stripe rust was again a problem though infection occurred late in moderately resistant cultivars and had minimal affect on yield. Statistics for the Idaho winter wheat production for the last 5 years are shown in Table 1.
| Year |
Acres planted x 1,000 |
Acres harvested x 1,000 |
Production bu/acre |
Yield (bushels) x 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 760 | 710 | 76 | 53,960 |
| 2000 | 780 | 730 | 90 | 65,700 |
| 2001 | 760 | 710 | 73 | 51,830 |
| 2002 | 730 | 690 | 79 | 54,510 |
| 2003 | 760 | 720 | 80 | 57,600 |
Phi Berger, University of Idaho Plant Virologist based on the Moscow campus resigned to take a position as national program leader, biotechnology in APHIS. Robert Forster, University of Idaho Cereal Plant Pathologist at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center retired. Larry Robertson, University of Idaho Extension Cereals Specialist at the Aberdeen Research and Extension Center retired. Maury Wiese, University of Idaho Cereal Plant Pathologist based on the Moscow campus retired.
Roger Veseth, Conservation Tillage Specialist for the University of Idaho and Washington State University died 9 September, 2003, from complications after a sledding accident in March of 2003. Roger was 51 and had been working for the two universities since 1987. He promoted conservation farming technology in the region and was a key extension educator in the direct seed movement. Roger developed the PNW Conservation Tillage Handbook and coauthored the book Wheat Health Management with R. James Cook in 1991. Roger is survived by his wife, Clair, and four children.
Edgardo Jimenez completed his Ph.D. research on the effect of transgenic resistance to wheat viruses on plant-vector-virus relationships, and Karla Medina-Ortega joined the wheat entomology team to pursue an M.S. working on aphid vectors of BYDV. Sandy Castle completed her M.S. research on the effect of tillage practices on Hessian fly and its parasites. Maqsood Rehman completed his M.S. research concerning the potential for gene flow between wheat and jointed goatgrass and started his Ph.D. program investigating the affect of genome placement on gene migration of a transgene from wheat to jointed goatgrass.
Moscow. The SWWW cultivar Simon was released by the SWWW-breeding program. Simon was tested in the Western Regional White Winter Wheat Nursery as 91-34302A. Simon is adapted to intermediate to high rain-fed areas and performs well under irrigation. Simon is the first winter wheat release from Idaho to carry the Pch1 gene for Pseudocercosporella footrot resistance.
The SWWW line 91-20503A is being considered for release in 2004. 91-20203A is an early, short, semi-dwarf wheat with excellent yield potential under both rain-fed and irrigated conditions. The end-use quality of 91-20503A is good to excellent. The proposed name of 91-20503A is 'Dune'.
Aberdeen. The SWWW Idaho 587 was released, which carries tolerance to the imidazlinone herbicides. Idaho 587 is nearly identical to Stephens in all other characteristics. Due to BASF's constraints of stewardship and PVP enforcement, seed partners McKay Seed, GMG LLC, Columbia Seed, McGregor Seed, and General Mills were selected to market Idaho 587.
The breeding line IDO566 is proposed for release under the name Jerome. Jerome is derived from a cross to Westbred 926 and has greater grain yield than Westbred 926 and Westbred 936. Jerome has a yield potential similar to that of Jefferson in low-yield, rain-fed production and will likely be recommended as a complement to Jefferson and a replacement to Westbred 926 in northern Idaho and Westbred 936 in southern Idaho. Milling and baking quality of Jerome is similar to those of Westbred 936 and Jefferson. Jerome is the result of collaborative research with Nilsa Bosque-Perez, who identified its Hessian fly resistance.
Breeder seed increase has started for IDO575, a HRWW for low rainfall zones of southeastern Idaho. ISO575 has averaged approximately 2 bu/acre greater yield than Bonneville and Weston and is 2 inches taller than either wheat with less lodging. IDO575 has good emergence and end-use quality and is a candidate for release in 2005. Another line under consideration for release in 2004 is IDO597, a HWSW for irrigation and rain-fed production to replace Lolo and Idaho 377s. IDO597 has shown promise as a domestic wheat for bread and tortilla applications based on evaluations by domestic millers. Seed increase began in 2003 of IDO593 and will continue in 2004 with seed production. IDO593 is high yielding with good lodging resistance. The line also has exceptionally strong farinograph tolerance, similar to that of Klasic. Both IDO597 and IDO593 will be placed in extension testing in 2004 this year and be submitted to the Pacific Northwest Quality Council for evaluation in January 2005.
Edgardo Jimenez's dissertation research demonstrated for the first time that transgenic virus resistance in wheat can indirectly influence the life history and behavior of the bird cherry-oat aphid, R. padi. Sandra Castle's thesis research confirmed that eight species of Hessian fly parasites occur in Idaho. Parasitism levels vary widely depending on location and year, and range from 10 to 85 %.
In the wheat straw lignin reduction project, three copies of the CCR1 gene in the lignin biosynthesis pathway have been isolated and sequenced from the cultivar Hubbard. An antisense form of CCR1 has been introduced into spring and winter wheat cultivars using particle bombardment in an attempt to lower the percent lignin in wheat straw.wheat on gene migration and retention in jointed goatgrass backcrosses. A study of 'wheat/jointed goatgrass' hybrid phenotypes demonstrated that the phenotype of the hybrids was similar regardless of the wheat cultivar parent unless the parent was a club wheat. In the case of club wheat as a hybrid parent, the hybrid head was more similar to a common wheat head phenotype than the intermediate head type observed with common wheat crosses, making it difficult to identify hybrids between club wheat and jointed goatgrass in foundation seed fields.