New U of I wheats

New U of I wheats

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
The University of Idaho wheat breeder Jianli Chen has a new hard white spring wheat variety named UI Gold. It’s yielded as high as 132 bushels per acre under irrigation, with an average yield of 115 bushels per acre.  

 

It typically takes about 15 years after an initial cross is made through conventional breeding techniques before a variety is planted in commercial fields.  

UI Gold’s pedigree includes WA8123, chosen as a high-yielding hard white spring wheat from Washington State University, and two other varieties known for good baking quality – Grandin, a hard red spring wheat from North Dakota State University, and Jefferson, a hard red spring wheat developed by University of Idaho.  

Chen also has high hopes for a sibling of UI Gold selected from the same cross – the hard red spring wheat IDO2105. Chen plans to release the numbered line IDO2104HF, which has outstanding baking quality and is resistant to Hessian fly. She believes IDO2104HF will be ideal for northern Idaho and parts of Washington, where Hessian fly is a major pest of concern.  It is the immature, maggot stage of the Hessian fly that causes injury to plants.

 

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