Lecture Week 7 2024 Cereal Variety Selection 1

Question 1

What is a suitable
variety ?

Answer 1

• variety with a suitable combination of
  characteristics or genes which confers
  on it the capacity to fully exploit the
  favourable aspects of the production
  environment
• suitability is ‘dynamic’ over time

Question 2

How do you create Varieties?
1-First Stage – Initial Parental Cross

2-First Generation – F1 (hybrid)

3- Then successive generations grown for selection F2 to F6

Answer 2

Breeder

Question 3

How do you create Varieties?

1- F7-F9 – plot trials

2- F10 / F11 Recommended list trials

Answer 3

1- Breeder / Seed House

2- Seed House

Question 4

What is a new variety protected by?

Answer 4

A new variety is legally protected by Plant Breeders Rights (IP) and
this is primarily earner through certified seed which brings a royalty
income

Question 5

Plant breeding:

Year 2 (F1)

Year 3 (F2)

Year 4 (F3)

Year 5 (F4)

Year 6 (F5)

Year 7 (F6)

Year 8 (F7)

Year 9-11 (F8-F10)

Number of plants for each year?

Action?

Answer 5

Year 2 (F1)- 50-100
Bulk and space plant F1

Year 3 (F2)- 2,000-3,000
Bulk and plant at commercial seeding rate

Year 4 (F3)- 2,000-3,000
Bulk and plant at commercial seeding rate

Year 5 (F4)- 2,000- 3,000
Bulk and plant at commercial seeding rate

Year 6 (F5)- 3,000- 5,000
Space plant; select superior plants

Year 7 (F6)- 300-500
Select and establish family rows from plants or heads

Year 8 (F7)- 30-50
Conduct preliminary yield trials

Year 9-11 (F8-F10)- 10
Conduct advanced yield trials

And then… cultivar release

(slide 6 for reference)

Question 6

New variety development- Barley

1- What’s the estimated ,market
requirement?

2- List the 6 steps in order to develop a new variety onto the market:

Answer 6

1- Estimate market requirement 20 years

2- Choose parental combinations and cross

• Single plant and small plot selection

-private yield and agronomic trials

-Official yield, agronomic and quality trials

-National listing and recommendation

Question 7

When does seed purification occur New Variety Development (Barley)?

Answer 7

Year 1 - one plant
Year 6 - 100 tonnes
min - 6 years

Question 8

How long does seed multiplication take?

Answer 8

Seed Multiplication
(max. 2 years)

Question 9

When Choosing a Variety what do you need to take into account?

Answer 9

1* Variety suitability for local needs
– Irish conditions : cool moist climate
– can be unique market requirements : malting barley / food grade oats

2* Use Recommended List
– Very reliable independent testing for 2-3 years

3* Seek Consultant / Teagasc advice
– Second opinion / expert experience

4* Grow more than one variety
– ‘ don’t have all your eggs in one basket’

5* Change varieties for fields
– varieties have unique genetics : strengths / weaknesses etc

Question 10

For wheat what was the winter wheat recommended list in 2023 (7)

Relative Yield of them?

Answer 10

Costello- 95

Graham- 104

JB Diego- 97

Spearhead- 104

SY Insitor- 103

Torp- 103

Question 11

For wheat what was the winter wheat recommended list in 2024 (7)

Relative Yield of them?

Answer 11

Belfry- 105

KWS Cassia- 98

KWS Infinity- 97

KWS Joy AU*- 105

KWS Tardis- 104

LG Casting- 98

SY Armadillo- 109

Question 12

For wheat what was the winter wheat ptovisionally recommended list in 2024 (2)

Relative Yield of them?

Answer 12

Bordeaux- 98

Molly**- 102

Question 13

For spring what was the spring barley recommended list in 2023 (6)

Relative Yield of them?

Answer 13

Gangway- 98

Geraldine- 104

RGT Planet- 102

Skyway- 105

SY Amity- 104

SY Errigal- 102

Question 14

For spring what was the spring barley recommended list in 2023 (2)

Relative Yield of them?

Answer 14

Gretchen- 103

Rockway- 104

Question 15

Why grown new improved varieties ?

Answer 15

• To increase cereal production under specific
  environmental conditions
• To use (exploit) genetic improvement
• Yield is the more important trait
• Many other key traits / agronomic ratings also

Question 16

What scale is there for new improved varieties?

Answer 16

The 1-10 scale,

‘high’ rating = 7-8,

moderate rating = 5-6,

low rating = (2)3-4

Question 17

Studies on Cereal Yield Increase
over time:

Answer 17

• In Wheat per annum (1970-1990) it was 2% ‘golden era’

– 1% technical
– 1% genetic

• In wheat in the decades through the 20th century (from cv. Little
  Joss to cv. Norman it was 0.5% per annum genetic improvement

Question 18

What are the main reasons of
the crop improvement?

Answer 18

• Agronomy.
• Breeding.
• Technology.

Question 19

what is the Crop improvement in wheat underpinned by?

Answer 19

Underpinned by the
Recommended List variety testing
program

Question 20

1- What is the Yield Increase due to?

2- What was it based on?

3- What is the biological efficiency of this?

Answer 20

1- due to change in harvest
index
– 35% to 50%+
– i.e. from a grain: straw ratio of 35:65 to
now approaching 55:45

2-* based on change in straw length
– semi-dwarfing genes / semi-dwarf varieties

3-* biologicial efficency is the same

Question 21

Harvest index what does it do? ?

Answer 21

Gives an indication of the relative size of
the grain yield (economic) to the rest of
the plant (biological)

Question 22

What does yield =?

Answer 22

YIELD= BIOMASS x Harvest Index

Question 23

Two main breakthroughs on technology? (2)

Answer 23

• PCR(Polymerase Chain Reaction).
• DNA markers—Genotyping sequencing.

Question 24

Yield Trends in Barley (winter and spring) why have they increased in yield?

Answer 24

Increase due to
Variety
5-year average yield
(slide 20)

Question 25

Winter Wheat Varieties for Ireland in 2020/21 most popular at what % of sales?

Answer 25

Graham 46%

Question 26

Spring Barley Varieties for Ireland in 2021 most popular at what %?

Answer 26

RGT Planet 35%

Question 27

Prime Crop Research Trial:

Graham (Syngenta)

Yield of Untreated

Yield of Treated

Answer 27

Yield of Untreated- 9.95

Yield of Treated- 13.52

Question 28

Prime Crop Research Trial:

Graham (Syngenta)

1- Mid season disease (2)

2- Fungicide Response

3- Crop Height ; Treated and untreated

Answer 28

1- Mid season disease (2)
Yellow rust 5%

Septoria 9%

2- Fungicide Response
3.57 t/ha

3- Crop Height ; Treated and untreated
86.9cm
80.2cm

Question 28

Prime Crop Research Trial:

KWS Firefly

Untreated yield

Treated yield

Answer 28

Untreated yield- 7.82

Treated yield- 13.05

Question 28

Prime Crop Research Trial:

KWS Firefly

1- Mid season Disease

2- Fungicide Response

3- Crop Height, untreated , treated

Answer 28

1- Mid season Disease
Yellow rust - 8%

Septoria-18%

2- Fungicide Response
5.23 t/ha

3- Crop Height
Untreated- 76.8cm

Treated- 72.5cm

Question 29

Slide 35 Glanbia - Spring Oats Variety Screening
UCD Lyons Research Farm 2013

Question 30

Trial 1. Fungicide Programme Studies
across Four Winter Wheat Cultivars

1- What was the 4 varities?

2- How many fungicide programmes used and at what GS?

3- What was the standard programme based on?

Answer 30

1- Savannah (4) , Richmond (4) , Einstein (6), Robigus (7)

2- – GS 32 , GS 39 , GS 60

3- Triazole-based
– T1 : Proline 0.5 l/ha
– T2 : Opus+Bravo 0.5+1.0 l/ha1 / A1477+Bravo
– T3 : Proline 0.5 l/ha