Joyce Eckhoff, Elias Elias

A durum early-generation selection program for the Mondak region was initiated in 1997, with scientists from EARC and NDSU in Fargo cooperating.  Each year, the NDSU durum breeder supplies F₂ populations from crosses thought to be appropriate for this area, to be grown at EARC. Plants are selected from these populations based on heading date (to select for day-length insensitivity), plant height (to select for lodging resistance), and disease resistance.  Progeny from each selection are grown in the greenhouse during the winter at EARC to identify day-length insensitivity.  Any plants that produce seed during the short days of winter are considered to be day-length insensitive.  Progeny from the day-length insensitive lines are grown in head rows in the field at EARC during the summer.  Lines are selected based on heading date, height, disease resistance, and other agronomic characters.  Selected lines are harvested and tested in the lab for quality characteristics such as protein content, seed size, and gluten strength.  Selected lines are grown in California or Arizona during the winter months to advance a generation, then brought back to Montana for further selection of agronomic and quality characters. About 170 lines were evaluated in preliminary yield trials in 2000.

Double haploids are used to make completely homozygous lines in one generation, eliminating several generations in the selection process. Crosses will be made in Fargo this winter for double haploid production. Progeny of each cross will be grown and stimulated to produce haploid embryos using maize pollen. The haploid embryos will be rescued and the chromosomes will be doubled (double haploid). The double haploids will then be grown to maturity and evaluated for various characters. Because of limited space and resources, only about 100 double haploids will be made at this time.  This project has been funded through grants from the North Dakota State Board of Agricultural Research and Education (SBARE) and the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee.   

Joyce Eckhoff

Residual soil N to 4 feet was 30 lb/ac, with 50 lb/ac assumed for sugarbeet tops. Residual soil P to 6 inches was 21 ppm and residual soil K to 6 inches was 230 ppm.  Fertilizer (400 lb/ac 18-46-0 and 50 N/ac as liquid 28-0-0) was applied on 8 October 1999 and incorporated. Two pt/ac Bronate applied 22 May 2000.  Higher seeding rates did not increase yield of Plaza, but Mountrail had the greatest yield with a seeding rate of  1.5 X 10⁶ . Mountrail had a greater average stand than Plaza, and outyielded Plaza by 10 bu/acre.

PLANTED:  April 18, 2000                     HARVESTED:  August 2, 2000

¹ days from planting