GrainGenes | A Database for Triticeae and Avena

Introduction. Triticale's (X triticosecale Wittmack) comparative advantages over other commodities such as wheat is its ability to grow and produce high grain and biomass yields under low input over a wide range of soil and climatic conditions. The suitability of triticale for low input and sustainable agriculture has enhanced its adoption and production in developing and developed countries over the last decade. Currently, more than 2.5 millions hectares (m ha) are planted to triticale as compared to 0.87 m ha in 1986. Similarly, during the last decade, substantial efforts in breeding and crop adoption have resulted in the release of more than 120 varieties in 35 countries. In France and Morocco, for instance, 14 (compared to four released in 1983-88 period) and five triticale cultivars were released, respectively, since 1988 as a consequence of the increased adoption and higher investments in triticale crop improvement. Recent estimates indicate that triticale's contribution to cereal grain production alone is more than 6 million metric tons per year. Although overall growth rates in area, yield, and production of wheat have declined from 0.0, 2.5, and 2.4 in the period of 1973-92 to -0.4, 1.3, and 1.4 during 1983-92 period, respectively, triticale area and productivity expanded rapidly during the same period. Area expansion in this negative growth scenario for other cereals indicates that triticale provides more incentive crop and marketing options than most other cereals in high- or low-input production systems. These increases are accelerated by modern, high-yielding varieties and appropriate management techniques. However, the use of high inputs (e.g., fertilizers and chemical control of pests and weeds) is becoming restricted in many parts of the world, because of environmental and economic considerations. A crop that fits farmers' needs under different management situations (high- and low-inputs) is needed. The critical importance of crop management techniques on yield potential in low- and high-input farming systems of triticale, compared with other small grains such as wheats, is vital to the future of triticale. These questions were the subjects of several studies conducted during the last growing cycle.

General procedures. The experiments were conducted at Cd. Obregon, Sonora State (in northwest Mexico), during the 1994-95 crop cycle. The studies focused on yield potential, input management levels, and nitrogen (N) management and their interactions in triticale and wheat. The maximum yield potential is an on-going study. The input management and the Nitrogen management experiments were initiated in 1994-95 and are currently in the second year of investigation.

1. Yield potential. The objective of the study is to evaluate the potential of recently developed triticales and wheats and the rates of genetic progress. The study included both historical varieties and new triticale advanced lines, durum wheats, and bread wheats. The experiment was conducted in irrigated basins under high-input management conditions. Fungicide and insecticide treatments and support nets were used to reduce biotic stresses and lodging, respectively. Chicken manure and 300 kg N/ha were applied before planting following a deep chiselling of the soil. Fourteen genotypes of each crop were included in the study (Table 4).

Table 4. Genotypes of triticale and wheat included in the yield potential study.

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Triticale Durum wheat Bread wheat

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1- Cananea 79 (2D/2R) 1- Chapala 67 1- Pitic 62

2- Alamos 83 (2D/2R) 2- Jori 69 2- Siete Cerros 66

3- Beagle 3- Cocorit 71 3- Yecora 70

4- Eronga 83 4- Mexicali75 4- Nacozari 76

5- Fahad 5 5- Yavaros 79 5- Ciano 79

6- Dagro/Ibex//Civet#2 6- Altar 89 6- Seri 82

7- Manati 1 7- Achonchi89 7- Oasis 86

8- Rhino 3/Bull 1 8- Tarro 8- Super Kauz

9- Supi//Hare/Yogui(1) 9- Green 2 9- Baviacora 92

10- Supi//Hare/Yogui(2) 10- Porron 11 10- Weaver "S"

11- Anoas 5/Stier 13 11- Mojo 2 11- Ures/Jun//Kauz

12- Erizo 6/Nimir 4 12- Afuwan 13 12- Seri*3/Chen

13- 6Tab76/.../Erizo 12 13- Altar/Bisu 13- Tjb/Buc//Cupe

14- Bull 10/Manati 1 14- Dusky 10 14- Chil/2*Star

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2. Nitrogen Management. This study on nitrogen (N) response was conducted under full irrigation in an N-depleted soil to compare the N-use efficiency of triticale and bread wheat under various N-levels. Eight complete triticale and eight bread wheats, including older varieties and advanced lines (Table 5), were grown with 75, 150, and 300 kg/ha N or with added N. The last treatment (300 kg N/ha), although excessively high, is used commonly in the Yaqui Valley region.

Table 5. Genotypes of triticale and bread wheat included in the

N-management study.

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Triticale Bread wheat

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1- Beagle 1- Siete Cerros 66

2- Eronga 83 2- Chil/2*Star

3- Fahad 5 3- Bacanora 88

4- Lamb 2 4- Weaver "S"

5- Susi 2 5- Ures/Jun//Kauz

6- Manati 1 6- Seri*3/Chen

7- Supi 3//Hare 2765//Yogui 1 7- Tjb386.251/Buc//Cupe

8- Dagro/Ibex//Civet#2 8- Chil/2*Star

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3. Management input. The input management experiment was conducted to assess yield and its components of new versus old triticales as compared to wheat under different management levels. The study included 10 triticale genotypes, two durum, and two bread wheat genotypes (Table 6). Input management treatments including nitrogen (N), weed control (WC), and irrigation (I) were as follows:

1. 120 kg/ha N; without weed control; one irrigation (120N - WC RI)

2. 120 kg/ha N; with weed control; one irrigation (120N + WC RI)

3. 120 kg/ha N; + weed control; full irrigation (120N + WC FI)

4. 240 kg/ha N; - weed control; full irrigation (240N - WC FI)

5. 240 kg/ha N; + weed control; full irrigation (240N + WC FI)

Table 6. Genotypes of triticale and wheats included in the input management study.

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Triticale Durum wheat Bread wheat

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1- Beagle 1- Yavaros 79 1- Rayon 83

2- Eronga 83 2- Altar 84 2- Cumpas 88

3- Fahad 5

4- Dagro/Ibex//Civet#2

5- Manati 1

6- Rhino 3/Bull 1 1

7- Supi 3//Hare 2765//Yogui 1(1)

8- Bull 10/Manati 1

9- Lamb 2

10-Susi 2

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Insert Table 7 here. Page 137-Table 7.

Results.

1. Yield potential. The warm and cloudy conditions that prevailed in the Yaqui Valley prior to anthesis in 1994-95 cycle resulted in low average yields of both durum and bread wheats. However, triticales showed significantly higher yields, particularly for some of the new lines such the two sister lines of `Supi//Hare/Yogui'; `Bull 10/Manati 1'; and `Manati'. The yields of these lines were 9.6 and 10.4; 9.7; and 9.5 t/ha, respectively (Table 7). The highest yielding durum (Porron 11) and bread wheat (Weaver `S') lines yielded 9.1 and 8.6 t/ha, respectively. The high-yielding triticale lines also showed higher biomass production. Compared to the old varieties of triticale (Cananea 79 , Alamos 83, and Beagle), the high yielding triticales are characterized by higher harvest index and test weight, increased number of spikes and grains per m2, generally shorter height, and similar number of days to maturity compared to Beagle. The results of the 1994-95 crop season confirmed those obtained in previous cycles that triticale has reached or even surpassed the genetic yield potential of both durum or bread wheats in a high-productive, irrigated environment�when lodging is prevented�which is characteristic for the major, irrigated, spring-wheat areas in developing countries (Table 8).

Table 8. Grain yields (t/ha) of the top three triticale, durum, and bread wheat genotypes

during the last five crop seasons at Cd. Obregon (Mexico).

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Crop/Genotype 1994-95 1993-94 1992-93 1991-92 1990-91

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Triticale

TCL-1 10.4 10.0 9.0 8.4 9.7

TCL-2 9.7 10.0 8.9 8.2 9.5

TCL-3 9.6 9.8 8.6 8.2 9.5

Means 9.9 9.9 8.8 8.3 9.6

Durum Wheat

DW-1 9.1 9.6 8.0 8.2 9.1

DW-2 8.7 9.5 7.9 8.2 8.8

DW-3 8.6 9.3 7.8 8.1 8.8

Means 8.8 9.5 7.9 8.2 8.9

Bread Wheat

BW-1 8.6 9.8 9.7 8.2 8.6

BW-2 8.3 9.8 9.7 8.1 8.5

BW-3 8.1 9.7 9.3 8.0 8.5

Means 8.3 9.8 9.6 8.1 8.5

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2. Nitrogen management. Yield data showed significant differences between cultivars and N treatments within and among crops (triticale and bread wheat). Although the average grain yields under 0 and 300 kg/ha N of bread wheats (8 cultivars) ranged from 1.3 to 6.8 t/ha, triticale average yields varied from 1.5 to 7.6 t/ha for the same N levels, respectively. Differences between average yields of the two crops at these extreme N levels were minor (Fig. 1). However, at N = 75 kg/ha, a common level of N in many developing countries, triticale produced on average 0.6 t/ha more grain than bread wheat, indicating an advantage of triticale for N use at lower input levels (Fig. 1).

Similarly, a comparison in grain yields of the old triticale variety Beagle (1980s) with the advanced line `Fahad 5' (1990s) indicates significant differences at all N levels (Fig. 2). Furthermore, Beagle yields were significantly lower than overall average triticale yields. In contrast, Fahad 5 grain yields were above average at all N treatments. Yields at 0, 75, 150, and 300 kg/ha N were 1.3 and 1.6, 4.3 and 5.0, 5.3 and 7.0, and 6.0 and 7.5 t/ha for Beagle and Fahad 5, respectively. The yield differences between the two cultivars increased drastically with N level applied. Bread wheat results showed similar performance for the new versus the old genotypes. These results indicate that substantial genetic progress has been achieved via crop improvement in developing improved genotypes with better N use under both low- and high-input conditions.

3. Management input. In general, triticale performed remarkably well over all management levels when compared with both durum and bread wheats (Figs. 3 and 4). Significant interactions occurred between genotypes and management levels. Except for bread wheat `Rayon 83' in treatment 1 (120N - WC RI) (Fig. 4), average grain yields of triticale genotypes surpassed both durum wheats (Yavaros 79 and Altar 84) and bread wheats (Rayon 83 and Cumpas 88) at all management levels. Mean grain yields at low (120 - WC RI) and high (240 + WC FI) management levels ranged from 4.0 to 6.5, 4.6 to 6.2, and 4.2 to 7.0 t/ha for durum wheats, bread wheats, and triticales, respectively. The best performing triticale line, `Bull 10/Manati 1' outyielded all durum and bread wheats at all management levels, particularly at treatments 3, 4, and 5 levels (Figs. 3 and 4). As mentioned earlier, significant genotype x management level interactions, particularly crossover-type interactions among triticale genotypes between treatment levels were obtained (Fig. 5). This indicates the existence of genetic variability and that its exploitation in crop improvement efforts for specific traits could enhance yield under different input management levels.

A yield comparison of old (Beagle) versus new advanced (Bull 10/Manati 1) triticale lines under different management levels indicated substantial genetic progress during the last decade (Fig. 6). Early triticale genotypes performed relatively poorly particularly under low levels of N and water because of unusual cool temperatures after anthesis, which caused a prolonged grain filling period with positive effect on grain yield for late-maturing genotypes.

References.

CIMMYT. 1993. 1992/93 CIMMYT World Facts and Trends. The wheat breeding industry in developing countries: an analysis of investments and impacts. Singapore. CIMMYT.

Pfeiffer WH. 1994. Triticale: potential and research status of the man-made crop. 3rd Inter Triticale Symp, Lisbon, Portugal, June 13-17, 1994. (Abstract (F2), in press)

Ryan J, Abdel Monem M, Mergoum M, and Azzaoui A. 1994. Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization of triticale varieties in the Settat area of Chaouia. Al Awamia 85:15-23.

Sayre KD. 1995. Progress Report for DOP 14 (OCC 114): Interaction of agronomy and breeding advances for period covering June 1994 to June 1995. CIMMYT, Int., 6 pp.

Varughese G. 1994. Triticale: Present status and future challenges. The third International Triticale Symposium, Lisbon, Portugal, June 13-17, 1994. (Abstract (O1), in press)

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