GrainGenes

ITEMS FROM THE UNITED STATES

 

OHIO

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University / OARDC, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster, OH 44691, USA.

http://sun1.oardc.ohio-state.edu/smgrain/

Kim Garland Campbell, Pat Lipps, Rob Gooding, Larry Herald, and Audrey Johnston.

The year in review.

Approximately 1.2 million acres were planted to wheat in Ohio in 1996. The 1996-97 wheat growing season was almost a repeat of the 1995-96 season, except the amount of winter injury was less and most of the state escaped the devastation of FHB. The late planting of the soybean crop and a wet autumn resulted in a delayed soybean harvest and a late planting of the wheat. Wheat planted after 10 October did not have adequate growth prior to winter dormancy, because soil temperatures dropped in mid-October. Several periods of warm weather in January and February caused some wheat cutlivars to break dormancy. These cultivars then received freeze injury from the cold weather that followed. Continued freezing and thawing in March caused considerable frost heaving of plants. Spring green-up was delayed by nearly a month. Some fields looked poor throughout April. Cool temperatures through April and May promoted secondary tiller development. Cooler than normal temperatures and slightly less than normal precipitation kept diseases to a minimum. Harvested acres of over one million, combined with excellent yields averaging 62 bu/A resulted in Ohio production of over 65.7 million bushels, nearly a 27 % increase over the previous year.

Repeated freezing and thawing over the winter not only caused problems with winter injury, but promoted widespread incidence of Cephalosporium stripe in Ohio for the second year in a row. Many fields showed some Cephalosporium stripe, but about 20 % of the acreage had economic levels of the disease. Cephalosporium stripe contributed to the early death and poor grain fill in many of these fields. The month of May was generally too cold and wet for powdery mildew development. The low incidence of powdery mildew could be caused by significant loss of leaf tissue from freezing injury over the winter. The mildew fungus survives in green leaf tissues and because these were lost, the fungus population was significantly reduced. Wet weather in May and June promoted Stagonospora leaf blotch. Yield loss from Stagonospora was probably around 5 % based on a state-wide average. Only a few fields in southern Ohio had any level of FHB. Disease severity in these fields ranged from 0­25 %, and most fields had less than 5 % in this area of the state. In northern Ohio, the wheat flowered during an 8-day dry period, thus escaping infection. Scab was at trace levels in most of these fields.

Across the U.S., oat production increased by nearly 32 million bushels, an increase of over 20 % compared to 1996. In Ohio, production was even higher compared to the previous season, largely because of favorable spring planting weather. Harvested acres equaled 110,000 and an average yield of 74 bu/A resulted in the production of 8.1 million bushels, an increase of over 58 % compared to 1996.

Cultivar development.

The wheat breeding program emphasizes the improvement of yield and quality in our released cultivars. We continue to collaborate with the USDA Soft Wheat Quality Lab in Wooster to improve baking and milling quality, and our close relationship continues with the OSU/OARDC Department of Plant Pathology to improve resistance to FHB, powdery mildew, leaf rust, stagonospora leaf and glume blotch, wheat yellow mosaic virus, WSBMV, and BYDV. On the disease front, much of our effort is aimed at improving resistance to FHB. We are satisfied with the good screening techniques worked out for both the field and the greenhouse. All of our advanced germplasm have been screened for at least 3 years for resistance to FHB, and the most susceptible lines were eliminated from the program.

The Ohio-developed cultivar Hopewell ranked first in yield in our 5-location state drill plot nursery, followed by experimental lines OH536, OH552, and OH581. Clark and Pioneer 2548, both included as checks in 1997, were ranked 5 and 13, respectively. OH599 ranked first in test weight followed by OH582 and OH569. OH544 showed good tolerance to FHB in 1997, and OH552 exhibited resistance to powdery mildew in the field.

The oat breeding program was reduced in size, but we continue to evaluate germplasm with the goal of a varietal release every 5 years.

Wheat management studies.

The two main threats to wheat production in the state are Ohio's third place status for management, and disease. We are convinced that wheat will be a valuable crop in Ohio only if growers can consistently achieve 80bu/A yields and higher. We have begun three sets of wheat management trials designed to look at wheat cultivars, planting dates, seeding rates, and the timing and rate of nitrogen application under no-till conditions. Although similar research was conducted 20 years ago under conventional tillage, we are convinced that we do not have all the answers, especially for the best use of nitrogen for modern cultivars under conservation tillage.

The first study was initiated in 1995 and examined three management plans: the plan recommended in the Ohio Agronomy Guide, a plan recommended by the Virginia Tech Extension office, and the Virginia plan plus a fungicide application. In summary, the first year results indicated that total nitrogen had a large effect on grain yield. There were no differences between treatments with and without fungicides, because of the lack of disease in 1997. Wheat cultivars had a larger effect than the management plan on the grain quality traits, protein, flour yield, softness. and test weight. Higher total N applications did increase flour protein and flour milling yield. The decision-making process recommended in the Virginia plan for N application did not work under Ohio conditions and needs to be modified. We replanted this study at both locations in 1998.

Additional management studies were planted in 1997 to look at the effects of seeding rate, date, fungicide application, and fertility on wheat yields and quality. Several of these are on-farm research plots.

Publications.

Bergman CJ, Gualberto DG, Campbell KG, Anderson JA, Sorrells ME, and Finney PL. 1997. Quantitative trait loci associated with wheat milling yield, protein content and alkaline water retention capacity. Cereal Foods World 42:626.

Campbell KG. 1997. SPELT: Agronomy, Genetics, and Breeding. In: Plant Breeding Reviews, Bulletins and Technical Reports (Janick J ed). 15:187-213

Campbell KG, Gualberto DG, Bergman CJ, Anderson JA, Hareland GA, Finney PL, and Sorrells ME. 1996. Genetic analysis of kernel traits in a hard x soft wheat cross. Agron Abstr p. 90.

Campbell KAG, Siritunga DSK, and Finney PL. 1996. Association between glutenin genes and dough properties in soft wheat. Agron Abstr p. 90.
Gooding RW, Campbell KG, and Herald LD. 1997. Small grain breeding and genetics - 1996. In: Soybean and small grains varietal development. Agronomy & Plant Pathology Dept, OSU/OARDC.

Gooding RW, Campbell KG, and Herald LD. 1997. Ohio performance trials of spring oat cultivars. Horticulture & Crop Sci Series 200, OARDC, Wooster OH.

Gooding RW, Campbell KG, Lafever HN, and Herald LD. 1997. Registration of GR915 wheat. Crop Sci 37:1007.

Gooding RW, Campbell KG, Lafever HN, and Herald LD. 1997. Registration of Glory wheat. Crop Sci 37:1008

Gooding RW, Campbell KG, Lafever HN, and Herald LD. 1997. Registration of Freedom wheat. Crop Sci 37:1006.

Gualberto DG, Bergman CJ, Campbell KG, Anderson JA, Sorrells ME, and Finney PL. 1997. Effect of genotype and environment on soft and hard wheat end-use quality traits. Cereal Foods World 42:625.

Lohnes DG and Campbell KAG. 1996. Conducting practicums over the internet. A case study. Agron Abstr p. 3.

Lohnes DG and Campbell KAG. 1996. Web-based lessons for agriculture. Agron Abstr p. 60.

Management of head diseases in wheat, with special reference to head scab. Mid-South Atlantic wheat workers conference, Memphis TN. 19 August, 1997.

The Ohio State University, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Plant Variety Protection Application No. 9600363, WHEAT, Hopewell, Submitted, 4 September, 1996.

Visual Image Analysis of scab infected wheat cutlivars. The 44th USDA/ARS Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory, Research Review Conference, Wooster OH. 9 April, 1997.

Progress in Ohio soft red winter wheat breeding: milling and baking quality traits in cultivars released from 1871 to 1991.

K.G. Campbell, P. Finney, W.A. Berzonsky, and H.N. Lafever.

We evaluated the quality traits for historical and modern SRWW cultivars grown in Ohio. Twenty-seven cultivars with release dates between 1871-1991 were grown in replicated nurseries at Wooster, OH, in 1991, 1993, and 1995. Production practices favored the modern cultivars. Flour yield, softness equivalent (SEQ), alkaline water retention capacity (AWRC), flour protein, sugar snap cookie diameter, and top grain were evaluated for each cultivar at each location. Test weight also was evaluated in 1989, 1990, and 1992. Significant differences existed among environments for test weight, cleaned test weight, SEQ, and cookie diameter. Linear regression of quality traits on year of release indicated that all regression coefficients were in the direction of improved quality except for test weight, cleaned test weight, and AWRC. Modern cultivars possessed lower means and higher standard deviations for test weight and cleaned test weight than the historical cultivars. Although other milling and baking quality traits had improved, end-user concerns about declines in soft wheat quality may be due to the lack of improvement for test weight among newer cultivars.

Allocation of resources: sources of variation in Fusarium head blight screening nurseries.

K.G. Campbell and P.E. Lipps.

Severe epidemics of FHB have been occurring on wheat crops in the northcentral U.S. and southern Canada due to the widespread use of conservation tillage. Genetic resistance is the most dependable and cost effective method of FHB control. Evaluation of resistance to FHB is difficult, because resistance is partial and infection depends upon host-plant maturity. Variance component analysis was used to determine how best to allocate resources among environments, replications, and sub-samples (heads per plot) in FHB screening nurseries. Advanced breeding lines from the OSU wheat-breeding program were evaluated in screening nurseries from 1995-97. Nurseries were artificially inoculated and sprinkler irrigated to induce FHB epidemics. Over 80 % of the variation within an environment resulted from the variation associated with sub-sampling individual heads within plots. The second greatest source of variation was due to genotype by replication interactions. Host-plant maturity influenced disease ratings in 1997. The repeatability of genotype means was approximately 50 % within environments. Additional environments did not improve genotype repeatabilities. The greatest reduction in genotype standard errors was obtained through additional environments, then replications. Because the cost of an additional environment was estimated at five times the cost of an additional replication, the most cost-effective improvement in precision was obtained through the addition of replications. Advanced breeding lines should be evaluated in at least four replications per environment. Segregating populations will require more replications.

Quantitative trait loci associated with kernel traits in a 'hard x soft' wheat cross.

Kim Garland Campbell, Christine J. Bergman, Daisy G. Gualberto, Jim Anderson, Gary Hareland, Mark E. Sorrells, and Patrick L. Finney.

Kernel morphological and textural traits influence wheat grain quality. We determined the association between kernel traits and molecular markers and identified QTLs affecting kernel traits in a 'hard x soft' white wheat cross. Seventy eight F5-derived RILs from the cross 'NY6432-18 / Clark's Cream' were developed by single seed descent. Traits were measured on the RILs grown in six environments. Kernel texture was measured using NIR. Digital image analysis was used to measure kernel length, width, area, and perimeter. Test weight and 1,000-kernel weight also were determined. Shape factor and density factor were calculated. The molecular marker map for this population consists of 195 markers in 36 linkage groups. Linkage groups that map to wheat homeologous group-2 chromosomes were highly skewed towards one parent. Genotype effects and 'genotype x environment' interactions were highly significant for most of the traits. Significant interactions were primarily because of changes in the degree of difference among genotypes. QTLs for kernel width and kernel length also influenced kernel area and 1,000-kernel weight, but did not influence each other. Highly significant associations with kernel traits were discovered for markers on the group-1L chromosomes, the skewed regions of group 2S and the marker Xcdo718 in chromosome group 3S. The XpuroB marker at the puroindoline locus on chromosome 5DS separated the RILs into two nonoverlapping histograms for kernel texture and explained over 60 % of the variation for that trait. Although the size of our mapping population is not large and our current map is incomplete, we were able to detect several strong QTLs for kernel traits.

USDA-ARS Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory annual research progress report-1997.

Patrick Finney, Charles Gains, Amy Bugaj, Sharon Croskey, James Kinney, Georgianna Kirchhofer, Ron Martin, and Barbara Renner.

Research. Although rye translocations in soft wheats are generally detrimental to milling and baking qualities, one translocation actually improved milling quality without negatively affecting baking quality. Thus, breeders can achieve the positive agronomic affects of rye translocations without the negative impact on soft wheat quality if they use the appropriate rye chromosome in the translocation. Some backcross lines from 'T. aestivum x Ae. tauschii' crosses possess significantly better milling and baking quality. Those superior quality lines can enhance disease resistance without degrading end-use quality. Some soft wheats possess the same (or similar) size-exclusion chromatographic protein fractions as bread-type hard wheats. Soft wheat that is shriveled from disease or puffed from rain lowers test weight and, thus, perceived value. Shriveled wheat has severely reducedÝmilling and baking qualities, but puffed wheat has essentially no reductionÝin quality. An objective method to measure (and differentiate) the degree of shriveling and puffing was developed. We completed 2,025 micro-, 843 advanced-, and 148 large-scale experimental milling and baking evaluations.

Publications.

Gaines GS, Finney PL, Fleege L, and Andrews LC. 1997. Use of aspiration and the single kernel characterization system to evaluate the puffed and shriveled condition of soft wheat grain. C Chem (Accepted).

Gaines CS, Finney PL, and Andrews LC. 1997. Influence ofÝkernel size and shriveling on soft wheat milling and baking quality. C Chem 74:700-704.

Finney PL and Bergman C. 1996. Test weight in relation to variousÝmilling and baking properties of eastern U.S. soft wheats. Proc Regional Quality Symposium for Soft Red Winter Wheat, University ofÝArkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas. Pp. 40-66.

McKendry AL, Tague DN, Finney PL, and Miskin KE. 1996. Effect of 1BL·1RS on milling and baking quality of soft red winter wheat. Crop Sci 36:848-851.

Murphy JP, Griffey CA, Finney PL, and Leath S. 1997. Agronomic and grain quality evaluations of Triticum aestivum x Aegilops tauschii backcross populations. Crop Sci (Accepted).

Huebner FR, Bietz JA, and Finney PL. 1996. Relationships of protein composition to quality of eastern-U.S. soft wheats. In: Gluten '96. Proc 6th Inter Gluten Workshop, Sydney, Australia. pp. 383-386.

Wheat disease research-1997.

Patrick E. Lipps and Audrey Johnston.

Disease reactions of commercial cultivars. We were unable to evaluate powdery mildew, leaf rust, or yellow mosaic in the Ohio Wheat Performance Trial, because of a lack of occurrence. We have updated our list of cultivars and their reactions to various diseases (Table 1) to include newly released cultivars. Cultivars submitted to the Ohio Wheat Performance Trial were evaluated for Stagonospora leaf blotch at three locations (Table 2). The wet weather in May and the end of June were nearly ideal for leaf blotch development, but the glume blotch phase of the disease only developed on the most susceptible cultivars. Most cultivars were rated as susceptible or moderately susceptible to Stagonospora nodorum leaf blotch. Freedom, Jackson, Pioneer 25R26, and Pioneer 2510 had lower levels of disease across locations, but disease severity ratings were not significantly different from several other cultivars at each location. Wheat cultivars with less than average Stagonospora leaf blotch and yields statistically the same as the highest yielding cultivar in the trials at the three locations were Hopewell, Pioneer 2571, Pioneer 2540, Pioneer 2510, and Quantum 708.

 

Disease resistance and yield.

This study examined the value of disease resistance in a group of commercially available wheat cultivars. The wheats chosen for the test included Hopewell, Glory, Freedom, OH515, and Pioneer 2540. Becker was included as a susceptible check. Each of these lines is moderately resistant to powdery mildew, but range in reaction to Stagonospora leaf blotch. The increase in powdery mildew over the season was monitored on each cultivar so that disease progress curves could be examined. As expected, Becker was the most susceptible cultivar; it had more than twice the amount of disease than any of the other wheats tested. Freedom was the most resistant, followed, in increasing order of susceptibility, by OH515, Hopewell, Glory, and Pioneer 2540. Stagonospora leaf blotch was assessed one time late in the season at soft dough stage. Based on the percent of leaf area covered with lesions, Freedom was the most resistant, followed by Glory, Pioneer 2540, OH515, and Hopewell. The effect of disease on the yield of each cultivar was examined by comparing fungicide-treated with untreated plots. One of the plots in each replication was treated at flag leaf emergence (growth stage 8) and again at head emergence (growth stage 10.3). Results of the test indicated that the cultivars differ greatly in their yield response to fungicide application (Table 3). OH515 was impacted the least by disease (yield difference between treated and untreated plots) followed by Hopewell and Glory. Freedom and Pioneer showed considerable yield loss (17-18 bu/A) to the two diseases. Hopewell and Freedom were the two cutlivars with the highest yield in the unsprayed and sprayed plots.

 

Foliar fungicide testing.

We have continued our testing of fungicide products for control of wheat diseases. Although we do not recommend routine application of fungicides, in some years fungicides could be beneficial on susceptible varieties. Fungicide efficacy was evaluated against powdery mildew and Stagonospora nodorum on Becker, AGRA GR863 and Dynasty wheat (Table 4). The statistical analysis indicated that the fungicide by variety interaction was significant for powdery mildew and yield, but not for Stagonospora leaf blotch severity. Thus only the data for the main effect of fungicide treatment were reported in table 9. Plots treated with Tilt, Folicur, or Bayleton at GS8 had lower powdery mildew severities than the untreated control plots. All fungicide treatments had significantly lower levels of Stagonospora leaf blotch as compared to the untreated plots, except plots treated with Folicur at GS8. All treatments were effective in increasing the yield as compared to the control. Test weights were quite variable, but only plots treated with Tilt at GS8, then with Folicur at GS10.1 had significantly greater test weights than the untreated plots. Results of this test indicate that the highest yields and test weights were from plots treated with fungicides controlling both early season powdery mildew and late season Stagonospora leaf blotch.

 

Evaluation of seed treatments; conventional tillage.

A number of seed treatments were evaluated on wheat at Wooster in 1997 (Table 5). Treated seeds and an untreated check were planted into wet soil on 15 October. Emergence was rapid, but plant development was restricted, because of cold soil temperatures during the last weeks of the month. There were no significant differences in stands among plots planted with seed treated with the various products. Fluctuations in temperatures in January, February, and March caused some loss of stand due to cold injury and frost heaving. Winter survival was greater in most plots planted with treated seed than those planted with untreated seed. Variability in stands in the spring cause considerable variability in the yields at harvest, however statistical differences were detected among yields even with the high level of variability among replications (LSD = 13 bu/A). Plots planted with seeds treated with Raxil-Thiram, Dividend+Apron XL, and Agrosol T+ Apron XL had significantly higher yield than plots planted with untreated seed.

Evaluation of seed treatments ­ no-tillage.

We have begun to test fungicide seed treatments in large plots (40 ft x 10 ft) using a farm sized Great Plains No-Till drill. We conducted a test at two locations, Wooster and Hoytville, in 1997. A seed lot of Cardinal wheat with 30 % incidence of seed-borne Fusarium scab was used for each test. At Wooster, plots were planted into a field previously cropped to oats. The previous crop was soybean at Hoytville. Standard management practices were followed at both locations. Seeds were planted into wet soil at Wooster on 14 October, and into moist soil at Hoytville on 11 October. Emergence was rapid at both locations due to moderately warm soil temperatures. Fluctuating temperatures over the winter caused considerable freezing and thawing of the soil resulting in frost heaving injury at both locations. At Hoytville, plots planted with seeds treated with any of the test materials survived the winter better than plots planted with untreated seeds. Cool temperatures and adequate moisture favored tiller development in the spring and eliminated any difference in yield by harvest. At Wooster, all treatments, except RTU Vitavax-Thiram + LSP, significantly improved stands compared to the untreated control. Plots planted with seeds treated with RTU Vitavax-Thiram + LSP, Raxil-Apron FL-LSP Pre-blend, Vitavax 34-Apron FL-LSP Pre blend and Raxil-Apron FL-LSP Pre-blend + Gaucho FL had significantly higher yield than plots planted with untreated seeds at this location (Table 6).