Research Highlights of the CIMMYT Wheat Program 1999-2000

Adaptation of Winter Wheat to
Central and West Asia
H.-J. Braun, 1 M. Mergoum, 1 A. Morgounov, 2 and J. Nicol 3
Winter and facultative wheats are grown on an
estimated 43 million ha in Central and West Asia
(CWANA), Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and
Russia. Wheat acreage of the mega-environments
(ME), as defined by CIMMYT, is for winter wheat:
ME 10 (irrigated) 1.5 million ha, ME 11 (high
rainfall) 25 million ha and ME 12 (rainfed) 7
million ha. Facultative wheat area in ME 7
(irrigated) is 2.8 million ha, ME 8 (high rainfall)
1.35 million ha and ME 9 (rainfed) 5.5 million ha.
Around 65% of the winter and facultative wheat
area in Central Asia and the Caucasus is irrigated,
compared to 20% in West Asia and North Africa.
The Turkey CIMMYT/ICARDA International
Winter Wheat Improvement Program (IWWIP)
focuses on particular wheat areas in CWANA,
mainly ME 7 and 9 and ME 10 and 12. In CWANA,
winter and facultative wheats are produced mainly
between 32 o to 42 0 N latitude. Annual precipitation
is mostly below 400 mm, summers are hot and dry,
and winters are often moderate. The most
important wheat diseases are yellow rust, common
bunt, leaf rust, tan spot, and dryland root rots. In
contrast, winter wheat areas in CEE and Russia
receive more than 500 mm of rain. Wheat areas are
located between 42 o to 55 o N latitude and classified
mostly under ME 11. The most important diseases
are leaf rust, powdery mildew, fusarium head scab,
Septoria spp., and barley yellow dwarf (BYD).
Winters are often severe, and winterkill is
frequently observed.
Based on climatic and geographic differences,
adaptation requirements for wheats in this large
area vary greatly. The adaptation of wheat cultivars
developed by NARSs and the IWWIP for the megaenvironments
in CWANA and CEE is evaluated in
yield trials targeted for the different MEs. The
Winter Wheat East European Regional Yield Trial
(WWEERYT) is targeted for the high rainfall areas
in CEE. The irrigated areas in CWANA are
addressed through the WWEERYT and the Elite
Yield Trial for irrigated areas.
First and Second Winter Wheat East
European Yield Trial (WWEERYT)
The WWEERYT consists of 60 elite cultivars plus
four checks. The lines are submitted by 13 wheat
programs in CEE, 4 programs in CWANA, 3
programs in the Great Plains of the US, and the
IWWIP. The objective of this nursery is to evaluate
elite germplasm from regional wheat programs
across the region and to give NARSs access to these
elite lines for use in their breeding programs or
variety release. Co-operators are asked to sign a
materials transfer agreement (MTA) before they
receive the material.
In 98-99 and 99-00 the nursery was grown at 22 and
19 locations, respectively. Plot size at each location
varied from 6 m 2 to 12 m 2 and the nursery has 3
replications. Plot size was large because several cooperators
lack sowing equipment for smaller plots.
The advantage of big plot size is that it increases
the reliability of yield data. Table 1a and b lists
entries whose yield was not different from the
highest yielding entry either across all locations or
across locations in CWANA or CEE. Yield is also
given in % of the best of four local checks.
1
CIMMYT-Turkey;
2
CIMMYT-Kazakstan;
3
CIMMYT-Mexico
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