Breeders target better winter wheats.

By Jennifer Barber

Winter wheat is becoming more popular across the prairies, but growers are limited to a handful of successful varieties to choose from. And when wheat markets and local growing conditions are taken into account, the selection narrows even further.

"We continue to see specific regional preferences. Rarely do you see the same variety gain ground across provincial boundaries," says Dr. Brian Fowler, a researcher with the University of Saskatchewan. "In addition, winter wheat breeders are restricted by the market as sometimes the best varieties for yield and disease resistance do not meet grading definitions."

In each province, one variety holds more than 60 per cent of the market. For Alberta that’s Radiant, known for its high yield, grain quality and winter hardiness. In Saskatchewan it’s CDC Buteo that has good leaf and stem rust control and forms a taller stand that tolerates the heat and dry conditions common in the province. It also meets flour requirements for the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) high value "Select" classification. In Manitoba, CDC Falcon is the long-standing variety of choice known for its short straw, high yield and resistance to leaf and stem rust, issues common in Manitoba.

"To have the most marketing flexibility, farmers would like high protein winter wheat varieties with the same yield potential as the CWB’s ‘General Purpose Class,’" says Fowler. "We are currently looking for varieties that meet those requirements but it takes 10-12 years before a variety is released so we have to anticipate what direction both the markets and disease issues are headed."

Fowler adds that newer genes are being manipulated with the help of molecular markers for wheat streak and stripe rust resistance. For the future, breeders are looking at varieties with increased resistance to fusarium as the disease is expected to become more of an issue as winter wheat acres expand.

The Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan developed the varieties seeded on the vast majority of winter wheat acres across the prairies since the 1990s. Together with improved management techniques, these varieties have been able to produce yields in the 60-90 bu/ac range.

With constantly shrinking research dollars, says Fowler, breeders have to be very particular about what they are looking at for future variety development. "It’s not purely about yield," he says. "We have to try and adapt our breeding programs to make sure we’ll have a profitable product for growers."

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