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Yield and falling numbers of new wheat cultivars on the south coast of Western Australia

Mohammad Amjad1 and Wal Anderson2

1Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Melijinup Road (PMB 50) Esperance WA 6450. www.agic.wa.gov.au E-mail mamjad@agric.wa.gov.au
2
Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, 444 Albany Highway, Albany, WA 6330. www.agic.wa.gov.au E-mail wanderson@agric.wa.gov.au

Abstract

A number of new wheat varieties potentially considered suitable in the south coast environment were tested in 16 agronomic experiments conducted from 1999 to 2001. The experimental sites were primarily located throughout the Esperance port zone on Sandplain (high rainfall > 450 mm) and Mallee soils (low rainfall <350 mm) under rotations including canola, lupins, peas and pastures. Experiments were monitored for growth, foliar diseases, grain yield and quality. In addition, grains were also tested for falling number. The falling number is a measure of the amount of starch breakdown by the alpha-amylase enzyme generally associated with grain sprouting due to high moisture at harvest. Falling numbers of 300 or more are required for premium wheat grades.

Climate and weather conditions greatly influence the performance of new wheat cultivars both for yield and quality (including sprouting, staining, leaf and root diseases) and local adaptation. Farmers may select two or three varieties with varying maturity, disease resistance, and quality characteristics (high falling number) that may reduce weather and climatic risks and provide safer returns. Camm, H45, Wyalkatchem, Mitre, and Giles seem to be the most robust options for south coast cereal growers if combined with appropriate agronomic.

Key Words

Wheat agronomy, cereal, varieties, grain quality, weather tolerance, sprouting

Introduction

Wheat growers in the south coast region of WA are faced with a wide choice of new wheat varieties both from WA and the eastern states, about which there is often little relevant information available in their local environment (1). Climate and weather conditions also greatly influence the performance of new wheat cultivars both for yield and quality (including sprouting, staining, leaf and root diseases), and local adaptation (2 &3). Experiments were conducted to study the effect of climate, weather conditions and sowing date on varietal performance of new wheat varieties for yield, quality and local adaptation.

Methods

Over 40 new wheat varieties considered potentially suitable in the south coast environment were tested in 16 agronomic experiments conducted over three years from 1999 to 2001 (4). The experimental sites were primarily located throughout the Esperance port zone on Sandplain (high rainfall > 450 mm) and Mallee soils (low rainfall <350 mm) in rotations with canola, lupins, peas and pastures. Wheat varieties from WA and the eastern states from early, medium and late maturity groups were tested. Crops were monitored for growth, foliar diseases, grain yield and quality, and grains tested for falling number. The falling number is a measure of the amount of starch breakdown by the alpha-amylase enzyme, which is generally associated with grain sprouting due to high moisture at harvest. Falling numbers of 300 or more are required for premium wheat grades.

Results

The growing seasons of 1999 and 2001 had wet harvest periods and the 2000 harvest was dry on the South Coast. Wheat yields relative to variety Camm are presented in Table 1 for Sandplain and Mallee soils for the three years (1999-2001).

Table 1. Wheat yield (% of Camm) on the Sandplain and Mallee soils in 1999, 2000 and 2001

   

Year

2001

 

2000

 

1999

 

S.No.

Variety

Grade

Sandplain

Mallee

Sandplain

Mallee

Sandplain

Mallee

1

Camm, t/ha

APW

4.22

2.69

3.05

2.92

4.03

2.98

2

Ajana

ASW

       

82

88

3

Anlace

A. SOFT

   

99

93

   

4

Arrino

ASW/ASWN

       

75

77

5

Babbler

PH in NSW

108

101

       

6

Baxter

AH

   

86

84

   

7

Blade

AH/APW

   

83

87

   

8

Brookton

APW

       

101

106

9

BT-Schmbrk

AH/APW

       

86

87

10

Calingiri

ASW/ASWN

       

96

88

11

Carnamah

AH/APW

98

100

110

94

104

103

12

Cascades

AH/APW

   

98

94

88

83

13

Chara

AH in VIC

   

97

93

   

14

Clearfield JNZ

AH

102

103

       

15

Cunderdin

APW

       

104

104

6

Giles

PH in QLD

90

102

94

98

   

17

H45

AH in NSW

98

103

103

99

   

18

Karlgarin

APW

       

79

94

19

Kennedy

PH in QLD

   

96

89

   

20

Krichauff

ASW

       

101

105

21

Kukri

AH in SA

77

95

88

93

   

22

Lang

PH in QLD

87

91

       

23

Mira

APW in VIC

   

98

96

   

24

Mitre

AH in VIC

105

107

100

102

   

25

Mulgara

AH in NSW

82

85

       

26

Pardalote

AH in NSW

91

85

       

27

Perenjori

APW

       

87

92

28

Stiletto

APW

       

98

91

29

Strezlecki

PH in QLD

76

84

       

30

Stylet

APW

110

108

       

31

Sunlin

PH in NSW

96

103

83

95

   

32

Sunsoft98

A. SOFT

   

77

74

   

33

Thornbill

A. SOFT

96

99

       

34

Tincurrin

A. SOFT

       

75

73

35

WAWHT2179

A. SOFT

       

83

89

36

WAWHT2281

AH/APW

98

98

       

37

Westonia

APW

111

97

106

104

104

104

38

Whistler

ASW

   

91

80

   

39

WI99069

APW

113

106

       

40

WI99072

APW

83

110

       

41

Wyalkatchem

APW

114

101

       

42

Yitpi

AH in SA

   

99

97

   
 

LSD (5%)

 

8

13

7

5

7

6

1999

In the 1999 season wheat yields were generally lower than the following years due to leaf rust, both Septorias, and stem rust late in the season on the South Coast (1). Westonia was susceptible to stem rust in 1999. On the Sandplain, the early varieties Ajana and Westonia yielded relatively less but the mid-season varieties Cunderdin, Perenjori and Karlgarin, and the late varieties Camm and Krichauff, were the highest yielding cultivars (more than 3 t/ha) at mid May sowing. On the Mallee soils, the early variety Ajana, the mid-season varieties Carnamah and Cunderdin, and the late varieties Brookton, Camm and Krichauff, were the highest yielding (more than 3 t/ha) at mid May sowing.

Grain quality problems such as sprouting; staining and low falling numbers greatly downgraded some of the high yielding varieties on the Sandplain compared to the Mallee soils. Brookton, Carnamah, Cunderdin, Krichauff and Westonia yielded well but were downgraded because of low falling number particularly from mid-May and early June sowing. Grain from the mid-June sowing was of comparatively better quality for most of the new varieties. Camm gave the higher falling number (over 300) on all six sites throughout the Esperance port zone. No grain quality problems were found in the Mallee soils at all three sowing dates with all 16 cultivars.

2000

A dry start to the season, followed by consistently dry conditions around grain filling, generally resulted in lower wheat yields (2). High screenings were a problem in some situations. Westonia yielded the highest followed by H45, Carnamah, Yitpi and Camm. Camm was highest in quality (ie. protein, hectolitre weight and falling number) followed by Kukri and Sunlin. These conservative varieties also produced better yield, particularly in Mallee soils in the dry season of 2000. Yitpi was susceptible to stem rust during 2000. Such high-yielding varieties could be a risky option particularly in a high disease season.

In a delayed harvest trial the weather tolerance of new wheat varieties was investigated by measuring the grain falling numbers (3). The crop was left standing in the field and harvested at four different occasions with 2-3 weeks apart. Three out of 17 cultivars (Sunelg, Camm and Wyalkatchem) achieved falling numbers over 300 when harvested three times between Nov. 24 to Dec. 27. The high moisture environment during November appears to have lead to poor quality of the other cultivars in the coastal environment (3).

2001

In 2001 a dry winter followed by a wet spring and a wet harvest, generally resulted in higher yield than expected (Table 1) but with more problems of low falling numbers (Table 3). Table 2 presents the yield data for nine varieties with three time of sowing at Sandplain soils (Gibson) and Mallee soils (Grass Patch). Table 3 shows the variation in grain quality (falling numbers) of these varieties with time of sowing.

Results indicate that new varieties like Babbler, Camm, H45, Mitre and Giles performed better both for yield (Table 2) and falling numbers (Table 3). Carnamah, Westonia and Wyalkatchem yielded the highest but falling numbers were lower and more variables. In late sown crop in early July 2001, all varieties comparatively yielded less and gave good falling numbers (4).

Conclusion

Based on three years research in years with both wet and dry harvests, farmers may select two or three varieties with varying maturity, disease resistance, and quality characteristics (high falling number) that would reduce weather and climatic risks and provide safer returns.

Camm, H45, Wyalkatchem, Mitre, and Giles seem to be the most robust options for south coast cereal growers if combined with appropriate agronomic management.

Variety choice, time of sowing and harvest strategies (including wet season) are important management factors that will help to achieve better yield and grain quality and falling numbers.

Table 2. Date of sowing and variety yield (% of Camm) during 2001 at Gibson and Grass Patch.


Variety



Maturity*

Gibson

Grass patch

TOS 1

TOS 2

TOS 3

TOS 1

TOS 2

TOS 3

31-May

16-Jun

6-Jul

16-May

13-Jun

2-Jul

Camm, t/ha

L

4.22

4.24

3.74

2.69

1.82

1.42

Babbler

L-M

108

103

120

101

131

94

Carnamah

M

97

102

113

99

102

110

Giles

M

90

95

104

102

120

90

H45

E

98

101

112

103

103

91

Kukri

M

77

93

96

95

111

105

Mitre

E-M

105

105

119

106

112

101

Westonia

E

111

109

124

96

115

108

Wyalkatchem

E-M

114

112

128

101

111

90

Lsd (0.05 )

     

Variety

 

7

17

TOS

 

3

6

Variety * TOS

 

12

29

CV %

 

7.7

17.7

* E = early maturity, E-M = early to mid maturity, M = mid maturity, L = late maturity

Table 3. Date of sowing and falling numbers for different varieties in 2001

Varieties

Time of Sowing
(TOS)

Date of harvest 22 Dec. (Falling Nos.)

Babbler, Camm, Giles, H45, Mitre

All 3 TOS
(Mid May to Early July)

300 and above

Carnamah, Kukri, Westonia, Wyalkatchem

TOS1 & TOS2
(Mid May to Mid June)

200 and above but less than 300

TOS 3 (July 4)

300 and above

Acknowledgments

The research is being undertaken as a joint venture between the Department of Agriculture and the South East Premium Wheatgrowers Association (SEPWA). The project is funded by GRDC (DAW584) and the Department of Agriculture. Thanks to all the participating farmers and project advisory team. The co-operation and technical assistance of Veronika Reck and Pam Burgess are gratefully acknowledged.

References

(1) Amjad, M. and Anderson, W. 2000. Performance of modern wheat cultivars as affected by leaf area, disease and weather conditions on the south coast of Western Australia. 10th Agronomy Conference, Hobart, 28 Jan. to Feb 1, 2001 (http://www.regional.org.au/au/asa/2001/2/d/amjad.htm).

(2) Amjad, M. and Anderson, W. 2001. Wheat agronomy research on the South Coast. Crop Updates, Perth, Western Australia, February 21-22.

(3) Amjad, M. 2001. Harvest date and falling numbers in wheat. AGM of the South East Premium Wheatgrowers Association (SEPWA), Esperance, Western Australia, February 16.

(4) Amjad, M., Reck, V., Burgess, P, Curtis, B and Anderson, W. (2002). Yield and falling numbers and 2002 sowing options. Esperance Crop Update, Western Australia, March 11.

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