New wheats bring hope

Experiment station releases UICF Grace, UI Silver

By MATTHEW WEAVER
Capital Press

Dryland farmers are optimistic about the University of Idaho's release of two new hard white winter wheat varieties.

The Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station recently announced the varieties, UICF Grace and UI Silver, will be available for planting this fall. Both are intended for dryland or low-rainfall conditions.

Swan Valley, Idaho, wheat farmer Gordon Gallup, a member of the Idaho Wheat Commission, said the new varieties are exciting because they are hard white winter wheats. Only spring varieties have been available.

"That's what a lot of guys have been waiting for, because it fits better in their dryland situation," he said.

According to a university press release, UICF Grace is a Clearfield wheat targeted to dryland production in the Pacific Northwest. Clearfield wheats resist damage by grass herbicide imazamox, which controls jointed goatgrass and other grass weeds.

"Dryland growers don't have rotation alternatives," Aberdeen, Idaho, breeder Jianli Chen said. "They grow wheat and wheat. If they grow this variety and spray fungicide, this variety will survive."

According to the release, UI Silver is one of few U.S. wheats to carry the SrTmp gene resistant to the global stem rust threat TTKS. It is also partially resistant to fusarium head blight, an emerging threat in Idaho.

Both have low polyphenal oxidase activity, which makes for good noodles, Chen said.

Under irrigation or heavy precipitation, both are susceptible to bacterial leaf blight. UICF Grace is also very tall, and may have lodging problems when irrigated, falling over onto the ground, Chen said.

"Hopefully we'll get some irrigated varieties coming soon, too," Gallup said.

Farmers hope eventually to replace hard red wheat with hard white wheat to reach international markets. Domestic needs are being met, Gallup said, but the volume isn't there for exporting yet, due to the lack of a good winter variety.

Gallup advised farmers work with their local grain elevators to ensure they are willing to handle the new varieties.

Hard white wheat won't replace hard red wheat quickly, Chen said. But after UI Silver is released, she expected to see regional flour mills use it more than another university release, Moreland hard red wheat, which has stripe rust susceptibility. UI Silver did better in quality, yield, bread volume and disease resistance, she said.

The flour industry is looking for a strong-gluten wheat dough to tolerate the mixing process, she said.

Foundation seed for the new varieties will be available in the fall of 2010, so more industry testing may be conducted in 2011, Chen said.

More information

Breeder and foundation seed of UICF-Grace and UI Silver will be maintained by the University of Idaho Foundation Seed program. For more information on initial foundation seed sales, anticipated in Fall 2010, contact Kathy Stewart-Williams at williams@kimberly.uidaho.edu or 208-423-6655.