Two new wheat varieties released for sowing in 2004
Australian Grains Technologies Pty. Ltd. has released a new bread wheat variety, Pugsley, and new durum wheat variety, Kalka, (formerly known as WID99006 (2/6/3), early). These varieties were derived from the former Waite Wheat Breeding program led by Dr Tony Rathjen.
Pugsley is an Australian Premium White variety. Between 2000 and 2002, it out-yielded variety Frame across South Australian regions (SA Field Crop Evaluation Program, SARDI) by 5 to 10 per cent and variety Yitpi by up to 3 per cent. Pugsley was outstanding in both 2000 and 2001 out-yielding all other commercially available varieties in those years.
The 2002 drought season and the dry finish to the 2003 season (in some areas) did not favour Pugsley, being only equal to Yitpi, but 7% above Frame, in both these years.
Pugsley is shorter, but has similar maturity to the varieties Frame and Yitpi. It displays good early vigour, is moderately tolerant of boron toxicity and is not particularly susceptible to sprouting. However, Pugsley is less resistant to cereal cyst nematode than either Frame or Yitpi. It is moderately resistant to stem rusts, is resistant to the dominant leaf rust races currently found in SA and Victoria. It is also resistant to the old races of stripe rust commonly found in SA, but is moderately susceptible to one of the new races that attack Camm. Results from disease resistance screening experiments in 2003 have shown Pugsley to hold up very well to the new stripe rust race that now attacks Krichauff and H45 that was prevalent in Victoria and parts of SA. Pugsley is moderately susceptible to Septoria, susceptible to yellow leaf spot, but less susceptible than Frame and Yitpi.
According to Dr Steve Jefferies of AGT, seed of Pugsley is available from Plantech for 2004 sowing.
The main attribute of the new durum variety, Kalka, is its tolerance to boron toxicity. Dr Rathjen sees it as the replacement variety for Tamaroi on these soils, where it has out-yielded Tamaroi by up to 3 per cent.
The variety produces semolina with slightly greater yellow pigmentation than Tamaroi, which is preferred by pasta manufacturers.
Kalka is also resistant to the three rusts, Septoria and yellow leaf spot and is not very susceptible to cereal cyst nematode.
Seed of Kalka is available from SA Durum Growers Association.
Pugsley was developed with support from the Grains Research and Development Corporation. GRDC and San Remo supported the development of Kalka.
A full list of wheat cultivar trial results in SA will be published in the forthcoming edition of Grain Business to be published by AusBulk at the end of this month.
Date of Publication: 6 Feb 04 1:08pm ACST
Source: ezigrain Journalist
