Agriculture Canada announced eight potential new wheat varieties at Crop Production Week 2000 held in Saskatoon last week.
The variety that received the most fanfare is a Canada western red spring wheat called BW252, a cross between Grandin and AC Domain. In trials BW252 produced yields 23 percent higher than Neepawa and four percent higher than McKenzie, which is a top-yielding CWRS variety.
One significant drawback is that BW252 has lower protein content than existing standard varieties.
“We know the protein content is a little marginal,” said David Gehl, of Agriculture Canada’s research farm at Indian Head, Sask.
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“This one might give market signals which (the Canadian Wheat Board) may not think are favorable to our main customers.”
He also said the variety is susceptible to fusarium head blight, which could limit its acceptance.
Protein content is something Ag Canada scientists have been working to improve in Canada prairie spring white wheat varieties.
HY446 is a new CPS-white variety made from a cross involving AC Taber and AC Karma. The variety has a good disease resistance package that includes resistance to a new race of loose smut. It also boasts increased gluten strength, good milling quality and improved noodle making characteristics. A limited quantity of breeder seed will be available this spring.
HY639 is a new CPS variety that produces a similar yield to standard varieties but has a protein content that is 1.7 percentage points higher than CPS check varieties.
“We’re getting up close to the hard reds as far as protein content,” said Gehl.
HY639 also has improved leaf rust resistance. But he said producers shouldn’t expect from these new CPS varieties the same kind of gluten strength and other functional qualities as CWRS wheats.
Ag Canada researchers are also working on a new class of white wheat with end-use quality similar to the CWRS class. Like the red-coated seeds, these white seeds are resistant to sprouting, but they allow for a higher flour extraction rate and do not affect flour color.
There is also an extra strong wheat that yields 10 percent higher than Glenlea, two CWRS lines similar to Roblin with a built-in resistance to bunt and two soft white spring wheats that are resistant to lodging, shattering, rust and blackpoint with yields ranging from five to 18 percent higher than AC Read.
All the new varieties are three years away from commercialization.
