88
Spring Wheat Variety Screening
in the Klamath Basin, 1992
R.L. Dovel and G. Chilcote l
INTRODUCTION
Spring wheat is grown on approximately 8,000 acres annually in the Klamath Basin.
Soft white (SW) and hard red (HR) selections predominate; however, interest has grown
recently in the hard white (HW) class. In 1992, spring wheat variety trials were
conducted at the KES in cooperation with plant breeding and evaluation programs at
Oregon State University, the Central Oregon Experiment Station, and Western Regional
evaluation programs. Cold-tolerant, short-season cultivars are needed in the Klamath
Basin due to a short growing season with the possibility of frost throughout the growing
season. Entries evaluated in these trials included SW, HW, and HR selections.
Historically, there has been little disease or insect pressure on small grains in the
Klamath Basin. However, the recent introduction of the Russian wheat aphid has
altered this situation. Wheatstem maggot is endemic in the area and generally causes
only slight damage at the KES. Under mild winter and warm spring conditions in 1992,
significant damage to cereal crops was experienced, with up to 50 percent of the tillers
affected at KES and with serious crop losses in several commercial fields in the Lower
Klamath Lake area.
PROCEDURES
All small-grain variety trials at the KES were on land planted in potatoes the
previous year. Soils at the station include Poe, Fordney, and Hosley series, all of which
have a fine loamy to sandy texture and are moderately deep and somewhat poorly
drained. All plots 'were sprinkler irrigated. Irrigation was terminated in early August,
approximately two weeks earlier than normal, due to early crop development and water
conservation considerations.
All trials were arranged in a randomized complete block design with three or four
replications. Crops at the KES were planted between May 1 and 3. Seed was planted at
a depth of 1 inch. The seeding rate for wheat trials was 80 lb/A. All plots were
fertilized with 100 El) N, 60 lb P 205 , and 44 lb S/A at time of seeding. Plots measured 5 x
20 feet, with 10 rows at 6-inch spacing. Bromoxynil and MCPA were applied at labeled
rates to control broadleaf weeds. Crops were harvested using a plot combine with a 5foot wide header. Grain yield was recorded for all plots. Test weight was measured in
only one replication.
1/ Assistant Professor and Research Technician, respectively, Klamath Experiment
Station, Klamath Falls, OR.
Acknowledgments: Hemel Farms provided the off-station site and crop care.
89
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Western Regional Spring Wheat Nursery
Average yield for this trial in 1992 was 5,573 lb/A (Table 1), an increase of 355
lb/A over the previous year (Table 2). Test weights were similar to those in 1991, at
61.8 and 62.0 lb/bu, respectively. The highest yielding entry in 1992 was Penawawa, a
SW spring wheat. However, it was not significantly higher than a number of lines
including other SW, HR, and HW lines. Penawawa is also the highest yielding entry in
the trial when averaged over three years (Table 2). The HR spring wheat, ID 420, is the
second highest yielding variety in the trial over a three-year period. If quality testing
shows this bread wheat to have adequate milling and baking quality, this variety could
substantially increase yields over current industry standards Yecora Rojo and Westbred
906R. Among the HW varieties, OR 487453 and OR 487279 were not significantly
different than Klasic, the standard HW wheat in Oregon and California. OR 487279 has
undergone extensive quality testing in a wheat management study. It has milling and
baking quality equivalent to Klasic and is generally slightly higher in protein.
OSU Hard White Spring Wheat Variety Trial
The advent of HW wheat as a viable market class offers another option for
producers in the Klamath Basin. This was the second year for this trial at KES.
Yecoro Rojo, a standard HR variety, was included for comparison as was Klasic, the
standard HW variety. Yields in this trial were average or slightly below normal, and
variability within entries was high, making mean separation difficult. The variability may
be due to tiller damage caused by wheatstem maggot. Test weights in this trial were
high. No experimental line yielded significantly more than Klasic or Yecora Rojo
(Table 3). Several experimental lines produced equivalent yields to Klasic, and warrant
further testing for both yield and baking quality. The experimental line OR 4870279 was
also included in the Western Regional trial discussed above, under the designation OR
487279. It produced a much higher yield in the Western Regional trial.
OSU Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Trial
Standard HR spring wheat varieties in the Klamath Basin are Westbred 906R and
Yecora Rojo. Spillman, a recently released variety, is increasing in acreage. There was
not a significant difference in grain yield among these varieties in the 1992 trial
(Table 4). Four entries; OR 4870400, Star, Star'S`, and ORS 8413, produced significantly
higher grain yields than the standards. The high yielding lines were all later in maturity
than the standards. With warm spring conditions, no damaging frosts in June, and
excellent fall weather, the 1992 season was very favorable for spring wheat. Under more
typical Klamath Basin conditions, these varieties may not mature early enough. More
testing is needed to determine the response of these high yielding, but longer season
varieties to local conditions.
90
Commercial Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Trial
This trial compared the yield potential of commercially available HR spring wheat
varieties with that of local standards, Westbred 906R and Yecoro Rojo. None of the
entries produced significantly higher yields than the standards (Table 5). Yields of
standards were over 1,000 lb/A lower than in the OSU HR spring wheat trial
(Tables 4-5). Glenman and Norm appear to have high yield potential and merit further
evaluation. Wampum and Bronze Chief were significantly lower in yield than the
standard varieties.
91
Table 1. 1992 Western Regional Spring Wheat Nursery. Observations of
grain yield, test weight, lodging, plant height, and days to 50%
heading of spring wheat varieties planted at the Klamath Experiment
Station, OR.
Entry Selection
Yield
Test
weight
lb/A
lb/bu
Lodge
Heading
date
Height
inches Julian days
1
2
3
4
5
McKay
Federation
Owens
Penawawa
Wakanz
5483
4941
5699
6604
5829
63.0
60.0
59.5
62.0
60.5
0
0
0
0
0
30
43
30
32
32
174
181
172
173
177
6
7
8
9
10
WA 7176
ID 420
Klasic
Serra
OR 487462
5666
5764
5170
4541
5346
60.0
60.5
62.0
63.0
62.0
0
0
0
0
0
33
27
28
30
28
173
175
170
170
169
11
12
13
14
15
OR 487279
OR 487453
UC 784
UC 786
UC 785
5734
6222
4896
5407
4903
63.0
61.0
62.0
62.0
61.0
0
0
0
0
0
27
29
20
23
22
172
178
170
173
177
16
17
18
19
20
ID 392
ID 408
UT 1708
UT 1711
UT 1723
6539
5764
6518
5909
5637
63.0
58.0
63.0
63.0
62.0
0
0
0
0
0
32
29
38
36
35
174
173
176
175
175
21
22
23
24
25
OR 487249
OR 487255
OR 488403
OR 487469
OR 488189
5096
5851
5704
5227
4461
60.0
64.0
59.5
62.5
63.0
0
0
0
0
0
27
30
29
28
30
171
170
174
170
173
26
27
28
29
30
ID 3775
ID 410
OR 489025
OR 386306
WA 7677
6204
5838
4840
6197
6157
63.5
63.0
63.5
63.0
63.0
0
0
0
0
0
31
29
31
26
33
170
174
172
175
176
31
32
33
34
35
WA 7702
ID 439
ID 440
ID 441
ID 429
5084
4937
5679
5537
5725
62.0
59.5
62.0
58.5
64.0
0
0
0
0
0
30
30
29
31
32
171
173
169
175
169
36
37
38
39
40
UT 1597
UT 2571
UT 850646
Sunstar 2
ML 42
6011
5818
6030
5172
4773
62.0
63.0
61.0
61.0
61.5
0
0
0
0
0
32
40
28
26
34
171
171
174
170
176
MEAN:
CV (%)
LSD (0.05)
5573
10
879
61.8
0
0
0
30
7
6
173
1
3
92
Table 2. Summary of Western Regional Spring Wheat Nursery 1990-1992. Three-year
summary of spring wheat planted at the Klamath Experiment Station, OR.
Entry
Selection
Class
1992
Yield
1990
1991
Yield
3-yr Avg
2-yr Avg
lb/A Rank
lb/A
Rank
2
7
1
2
3
4
5
ID 420
McKay
Serra
Klasic
Federation
HR
HR
HR
HW
SW
5764
5483
4541
5170
4941
5905
4999
4882
4841
4285
5606
5229
4492
5285
3830
5835
5241
4712
5006
4613
5
21
25
22
27
5758
5237
4638
5099
4352
16
10
17
6
7
8
9
10
Owens
Penawawa
WA 7176
OR 487462
UC 784
SW
SW
SW
HR
HR
5699
6604
5666
5346
4896
5085
5652
5246
5203
4587
4757
5236
4520
3635
4497
5392
6128
5456
5275
4742
16
1
14
20
24
5180
5831
5144
4728
4660
8
1
9
14
15
11
12
13
14
15
UC 785
UC 786
OR 487279
OR 487453
ID 392
HR
HR
HW
HW
SW
4903
5407
5734
6222
6539
4834
5238
5374
5399
5504
4491
4520
3924
4905
4541
4869
5323
5554
5811
6022
23
19
11
6
3
4743
5055
5011
5509
5528
13
11
12
4
3
16
17
18
19
20
ID 408
Wakanz
OR 487469
OR 488189
UT 1708
SW
SW
HR
HR
HR
5764
5829
5227
4461
6518
5503
5546
5467
4821
5267
4974
5145
5634
5688
5347
4641
5893
9
7
18
26
4
5414
5507
6
5
21
22
23
24
25
UT 1711
UT 1723
ID 3775
OR 487249
OR 487255
HR
HR
HW
HW
HW
5909
5637
6204
5096
5851
5123
5411
5953
5668
5005
5516
5524
6079
5382
5428
13
12
2
17
15
26
27
28
29
30
OR 488403
ID 410
OR 489025
OR 386306
WA 7677
HW
SW
HR
HW
SW
5704
5838
4840
6197
6157
5599
5357
5652
5598
8
10
31
32
33
34
35
WA 7702
ID 439
ID 440
ID 441
ID 429
HR
HR
SW
SW
SW
5084
4937
5679
5537
5725
36
37
38
39
40
UT 1597
UT 2571
UT 850648
Sunstar 2
ML 42
HR
HR
HR
HR
SW
6011
5818
6030
5172
4773
Mean
CV (%)
LSD (0.05)
5573
8
606
5250
11
781
4682
27
1816
5421
9
490
5141
17
690
93
Table 3. 1992 OSU Hard White Spring Wheat Variety Trial. Observations of
grain yield, test weight, lodging, plant height, and days to 50%
heading of spring wheat varieties planted at the Klamath Experiment
Station, OR.
Entry Selection
Yield
Test
weight
Lodge
Height
Heading
date
lb/A
lb/bu
%
inches
Julian days
1
2
3
4
5
Klasic
ORS 8413
OR 4870279
OR 4870453
OR 4870255
5337
4973
5436
5815
5086
64.0
56.5
62.5
61.0
65.0
0
0
0
0
0
23
29
27
29
32
169
178
173
176
169
6
7
8
9
10
OR 4870374
OR 4870249
OR 4880391
OR 4880403
OR 4895143
5209
4014
3679
5574
4561
61.5
62.0
55.0
61.0
63.0
0
0
0
0
0
24
26
26
30
28
172
174
177
175
173
11
12
13
14
15
OR 4880536
OR 3865306
OR 4880331
OR 4880372
OR 4880406
5249
5488
5254
4998
4846
63.5
62.0
64.0
62.0
59.0
0
0
0
0
0
26
26
26
30
32
171
177
172
178
181
16
17
18
19
20
OR 4895175
OR 4895181
OR 4895182
OR 4895207
OR 4880496
5155
5165
5423
4530
5293
62.0
61.5
61.5
61.0
64.0
0
0
0
0
0
31
31
30
27
29
177
176
177
174
173
21
22
23
24
25
OR 4880514
OR 4895222
OR 4895224
OR 4895246
OR 4880296
4971
4144
3951
3948
4975
61.0
63.5
63.0
63.5
63.5
0
0
0
0
0
29
28
30
25
26
174
173
176
171
175
26
27
28
29
30
OR 4880348
OR 4880395
OR 490027
OR 488528
SERI 82
4652
4808
4586
5222
5762
62.5
62.5
62.5
64.5
60.0
0
0
0
0
0
28
33
33
25
26
174
177
170
170
173
31
32
33
34
4895179
4895174
FALKE
Yecora Rojo
5015
5273
5171
5008
61.5
61.5
63.5
64.0
0
0
0
0
29
28
29
21
175
176
171
169
Mean
CV (%)
LSD (0.05)
4958
17
1205
62.0
0
0
0
28
6
3
174
1
2
94
Table 4. 1992 OSU Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Thal. Observations of
grain yield, test weight, lodging, plant height, and days to 50%
heading of spring wheat varieties planted at the Klamath Experiment
Station, OR.
Entry
Selection
Yield
Test
weight
Lodge
Height
Heading
date
Julian days
lb/A
lb/bu
%
inches
McKay
Westbred 906R
Yecora Rojo
Spillman
OR 485010
5128
4555
4993
4985
4651
62.0
62.0
65.0
59.0
62.5
0
0
0
0
0
28
26
21
31
28
174
170
169
173
173
6
7
8
9
10
Klasic
OR 4870456
OR 4870475
OR 4870400
OR 4870401
4517
4822
4419
5893
5013
65.0
63.5
60.5
63.0
62.5
0
0
0
0
0
21
27
19
32
30
169
169
171
179
177
11
12
13
14
15
OR 4870462
OR 4870469
OR 4880200
OR 4870410
5329
5153
4648
4822
5212
62.5
64.0
62.5
64.0
63.0
0
0
0
0
0
29
28
27
24
30
171
169
172
171
171
16
17
18
19
20
OR 4870355
OR 4895019
OR 4895025
OR 4895105
OR 4870251
4677
4559
4899
5514
5398
63.0
63.5
63.0
60.0
64.0
0
0
0
0
0
29
25
32
27
27
177
169
174
172
171
21
22
2.3
24
25
OR 4895103
OR 4895011
OR 4895014
OR 4895017
OR 4895021
5465
4791
4367
4424
4775
64.0
64.0
64.0
63.0
63.0
0
0
0
0
0
30
29
30
31
27
174
170
171
176
170
26
27
28
29
30
OR 4895037
OR 4895045
OR 4895072
OR 4895073
OR 4870456
4182
5097
4711
5310
4859
62.0
60.0
63.0
62.5
62.0
0
0
0
0
0
31
30
26
26
21
178
177
174
181
171
31
32
33
34
35
OR 4870456
OR 4870456
OR 4870456
OR 4870456
OR 4870456
4429
4723
5372
4615
5186
61.5
60.5
64.0
61.0
64.0
0
0
0
0
0
20
25
29
21
29
170
171
173
171
176
36
37
38
39
40
OR 4870456
OR 4920002
CUMPAS86
4895043
Star
4739
5624
4730
4827
5989
63.5
63.0
63.5
64.0
61.0
0
0
0
0
0
25
27
23
30
28
170
173
170
175
181
41
42
43
44
TUI
4880232
Star'S'
ORS 8413
4963
5259
5974
5868
61.5
60.0
61.5
62.5
0
0
0
0
31
26
29
28
173
177
181
177
MEAN
CV (%)
LSD (0.05)
4988
12
863
62.6
0
0
0
27
10
9
173
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
OR 4880189
95
Table 5. 1992 OSU Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Trial. Observations of
grain yield, test weight, lodging, plant height, and days to 50 percent
heading of spring wheat varieties planted at the Klamath Experiment
Station, OR.
Entry
Selection
Yield
Test
weight
Lodge
Height
Heading
date
lb/A
lb/bu
%
inches
Julian days
1
2
3
4
5
Yecora Rojo
Westbred 926
Bronze Chief
Glenman
Norm
3408
3357
2620
4025
4150
62.5
63.0
59.0
64.0
61.5
0
0
0
0
0
18
27
24
29
28
169
169
169
171
170
6
7
8
Hi-Line
Wampum
Newana
3865
1543
3856
61.5
63.0
60.0
0
0
0
26 .
28
29
169
170
176
MEAN
CV (%)
LSD (0.05)
3353
20
1008
61.8
0
0
0
26
9
4
170
1
2