Brookings, South Dakota, USA
September 23, 2013
South Dakota wheat growers will soon have access to a new hard red winter wheat variety. After several years of research, the SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station recently released a new hard red winter wheat cultivar, Redfield (Triticum aestivum L.) to certified growers.
Released in September 2013, 'Redfield' was given its name due to its red chaff color and a community in South Dakota where winter wheat is grown, explained Melanie Caffe-Treml, interim winter wheat breeder at South Dakota State University.
"Redfield is well adapted to the northern part of the winter wheat region where cultivars Wesley and Overland are currently among the most widely grown," Caffe-Treml said.
She added that Redfield is expected to offer producers a higher-yielding alternative to Wesley with improved test weight and a more lodging resistant alternative to Overland and Lyman, with competitive yields in areas where the cultivars are adapted.
Before Redfield could be released, a Variety Release Committee at SDSU scrutinized its performance. Upon their recommendation, Daniel Scholl, director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean of Research for the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences approved its release.
Now that it has been released into the South Dakota Crop Improvement Association seed certification program, it is currently in foundation seed increase. Redfield will ultimately be made available as certified seed through the efforts of the South Dakota Crop Improvement Association.
Scholl, says its release is a perfect example of how the synergy between the Land Grant University, SDSU Extension and the S.D. Agricultural Experiment Station impacts the economic future of the state's agriculture industry.
"We are a public research organization here to serve the interests of agriculture and the food consuming public," Scholl said. "The value of having a wheat breeding program in our state is the fact that varieties developed here are adapted specifically to the growing conditions here in South Dakota."
Yield results based on five years of research
Derived from an F3 population (Wesley/CDC Falcon), it was tested as SD06158 in an Early Yield Trial nursery in 2006, a Preliminary Yield Trial nursery in 2007, and an Advanced Yield Trial nursery in 2008.
From 2009 to 2013, SD06158 or Redfield, was evaluated in the South Dakota Crop Performance Testing trials across eight locations west of the Missouri River in South Dakota. Based on those test trials; Redfield 53.2 bushels per acre yielded more than existing cultivar, Wesley which yielded 51.5 bushels per acre, similar to Overland at 53.4, but less than cultivar, Lyman which yielded 54.9 bushels per acre.
During that same time period, Redfield was also tested in seven locations east of the Missouri River in South Dakota. In those test trials, Redfield and Lyman both yielded 65.3 bushels per acre; which was less than cultivar, Overland, which yielded 69.4 bushels per acre, but more than cultivar, Wesley which yielded 63.6 bushels per acre.
Redfield's test weights were similar to Overland and significantly higher than Wesley. Protein concentrations were intermediate between Wesley and Overland.
As an experimental line, Redfield was evaluated in the Northern Regional Performance Nursery from 2010 to 2013. From 2010 to 2012, it consistently ranked in the top 5 for mean grain yield across all NRPN locations.
Redfield is shorter than Overland, but approximately 1-inch taller than Wesley. Redfield exhibits the same excellent lodging resistance as Wesley, which is better than Overland.
Redfield is a mid-maturity type, typically flowering approximately one day later than Overland and two to three days later than Wesley.
Its winter hardiness is expected to be as good as, or better than Wesley, providing more versatility where less protective cover exists in South Dakota and opportunities for movement north into North Dakota and Montana.
Disease resistance
In the regional Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) Nursery, Redfield exhibited similar resistance to FHB as Overland. Similar to Wesley, it is moderately susceptible to leaf rust; moderately susceptible to susceptible to stem rust; moderately susceptible to moderately resistant to stripe rust; and susceptible to Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus.
Redfield was evaluated by the Wheat Quality Council from 2010 to 2012. It exhibited average to good milling quality and was better than Lyman in overall baking quality.
To learn more about Redfield, please contact Melanie Caffe-Treml or Nathan Mueller, chair of the Variety Release Committee, and visit iGrow.
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