Purdue News

March 1999 Purdue releases five new wheat lines WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- After years of research, Purdue University released five new wheat lines this past summer. The new lines, some of which result from research that began 12 years ago, are Goldfield, INW 9811, INW 9812, INW 9853, and INW 9824. "In addition to producing high yields and possessing good agronomic traits, these lines also have an advantage when it comes to resistance and low incidence of scab," Purdue agronomist Herb Ohm says. Scab, a fungal disease, kills individual kernels as well as producing a toxin that, in high concentrations, makes the grain useless as food for people or animals. Some of the new varieties combat scab with either low incidence or with partial resistance. Varieties with low incidence of scab have fewer kernels infected in the field. When a variety has partial resistance, it inhibits or slows disease development. Some of the new lines also are resistant to glume blotch, another yield-stealing disease. "These two diseases have become very important in the last 10 years or so with the adoption of reduced soil tillage," Ohm says. Reduced tillage can foster disease because the fungi survive the winter living in untilled corn stalks and wheat stubble, then infect the next season's crop. The INW 9811 also possesses the H13 gene, making it resistant to all known biotypes of the Hessian fly, an important insect pest of wheat in the eastern United States, including Indiana. The early maturity of some of the new lines also can benefit Midwestern farmers who double-crop, or plant another crop immediately following the wheat harvest. Early wheat maturation gives double-croppers an advantage. Ohm says the new varieties also have good resistance to soil-borne mosaic, an important viral disease carried in the soil, and all have ranked from good to excellent in soft wheat milling and baking qualities, making them ideal for use in pastries, cakes, and other confectionery items. These new varieties will be available to producers this year. CONTACT: Ohm, (765) 494-8072; e-mail, hohm@dept.agry.purdue.edu Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; e-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page