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Source: GRDC's The Crop Doctor

When deciding what wheat varieties to sow, Western Australian graingrowers should note that shorter season varieties Wyalkatchem*, Young* and Yitpi* produced the highest yields throughout Western Australia in 2006.

A GRDC supported 2006 trial assessed new and potential wheat varieties and their response to different sowing times to help growers make better decisions on wheat variety choice and subsequent management.

Twenty four cultivars from various breeding organisations were sown at three different times (May 16, May 29 and June 14) in a random split block design on alkaline soil at Scaddan, Western Australia.

Esperance-based Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA) Wheat Development Officer and GRDC Western Panel member, Ben Curtis said it was difficult to gauge the true potential of the varieties in a very dry season like 2006.

However, as expected, shorter season varieties Wyalkatchem*, Young* and Yitpi* were the top yielders.

Yitpi* and Young* were not sown at the first time of sowing because seed was unavailable, however they performed well at the later sowing times. EGA Wentworth (APW)*, Ellison (APW)* and EGA Gregory (AH)* were also promising varieties.

According to Mr Curtis, EGA Wentworth* yielded well, showed resistance to stem and leaf rust and its screenings were not high when sown early May to mid June.

At other locations throughout the state, EGA Wentworth* screenings (whole and cracked grain) were higher than other varieties in late June sowings.

Ellison* was resistant to stem, leaf and stripe rust and had moderate tolerance to sprouting, despite being one of the poorer yielding varieties.

EGA Gregory* also showed resistance to stem, leaf and stripe rust, however it yielded lower than the other varieties at each sowing time.

When planting Wyalkatchem* and Yitpi*, growers need to consider their relatively poor stem rust resistance.

Although there was only 146.6 mm of growing season rain in 2006 (278 mm in 2005), average yields of all assessed wheat varieties only declined from 2.7 tonnes per hectare for a mid May sowing to 2.3 tonnes per hectare for a mid June sowing.

* Variety protected by Plant Breeders' Rights

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