Research Highlights of the CIMMYT Wheat Program 1999-2000

in CAC. In Turkey, the advantage over Kinaci 97
and Sultan 95, the latest variety releases for
irrigated areas on the Central Plateau, is 6%. In
Iran, the best check was outyielded by 2% and the
local check by 5%.
This supports data from the WWEERYT that lines
developed by the IWWIP are well adapted across
large areas in CWANA. These lines combine yield
potential with resistance to yellow rust and stable
yields across the region. Kinaci 97 was released in
Turkey, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan.
At present only in Turkey and parts of Iran is
supplementary irrigation a common procedure; in
most other areas, full irrigation systems are
applied. The latter favor late maturing cultivars.
Due to the catastrophic droughts that have struck
CWANA countries, growing public concern over
water shortages, and increasingly intensive crop
rotations, breeding early maturing cultivars
adapted to supplementary irrigation regimes will
become a high priority in most CWANA countries.
Results from the EYT-IR suggest that lines adapted
to supplementary irrigation systems are already
available.
Progress in raising winter and facultative
wheat yields
Bezostaya 1 was widely grown in CEE until 15
years ago and still is in several countries of
CWANA. This was due particularly to its quality
characteristics and grain plumpness. Bezostaya also
has an excellent winter survival rate, as results of
the Facultative and Winter Wheat Observation
Nursery show. Distributed worldwide, this nursery
includes elite wheat cultivars from Europe, North
America, CWANA, and the IWWIP, but no entries
that are cold tolerant in all environments. This is
understandable, since the development,
maintenance, and breakdown of frost tolerance are
controlled by both genetic and environmental
factors.
A large area is still sown to Bezostaya, perhaps
partly due to its ability to cope with the wide range
of stresses in cold environments; in contrast, other
genotypes are more specifically adapted to cold
stresses occurring in either humid or dry areas. This
ability is of particular importance in areas where
agronomic practices and seedbed preparation are
poor, as is the case in large areas of WANA.
Data from the 1st and 2nd WWEERYT and the 3rd
and 4th Elite Yield Trial for irrigated areas were
used to estimate progress in increasing yields of
new cultivars relative to Bezostaya. In total, data
from 24 trials in CEE and 54 trials in CWANA
during 98-99 and 99-00 were considered (Tables 3
and 4). The local check yielded below Bezostaya in
12 trials in CWANA and 1 trial in CEE. In none of
the trials did Bezostaya have the highest yield. The
highest yielding entry outyielded Bezostaya by at
least 20% in 46 of 54 trials in CWANA and in 20 of
24 trials in CEE. In 26 trials in CWANA and 9 trials
in CEE, the best check outyielded Bezostaya by
more than 40%.
Table 3. Fifty-four trials in CWANA and 24 trials in CEE grouped on yield advantage (%) of Local Check and highest
yielding entry compared to Bezostaya. Data from 1st and 2nd WWEERYT and 3rd and 4th Elite Yield Trial (irrigated),
1998-99 and 1999-00.
Frequency of trials
Yield range Central/West Asia Central Eastern Europe
(% Bezostaya) Local check Best entry Trial mean Local check Best entry Trial mean
< 100 % 12 0 10 1 0 4
100 - 110 % 11 3 10 3 1 8
111 - 120 % 11 5 7 4 3 7
121 - 130 % 8 10 8 7 5 3
131 - 140 % 3 10 10 4 6 0
> 140 % 9 26 9 5 9 2
Total no. of trials 54 54 54 24 24 24
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