* Spr = sprinkler   Fld = flood

         Different letters behind  values in the same year indicate significant difference at p<0.05.

A durum early-generation selection program for the Mondak region was initiated in 1997 in cooperation with the durum breeder in Fargo.  Each year, plants are selected from F₂ populations based on heading date (to select for daylength insensitivity), plant height (to select for lodging resistance), and disease resistance.  F₃ progeny from each selection are grown in the greenhouse during the winter at EARC to identify daylength insensitivity.  Any plants that produce seed during the short days of winter are considered to be daylength insensitive. Progeny from the daylength insensitive lines are grown in head rows in the field at EARC during the following 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 including 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. In 2003, 137 lines were evaluated in preliminary yield trials under irrigated and dryland conditions. Additionally, 33 advanced lines were tested in Sidney under irrigated and dryland conditions, and in Williston under dryland conditions. These will be tested for semolina and pasta quality at Fargo in the winter.

Double haploids are used to make completely homozygous lines in one generation, eliminating several generations in the selection process. Crosses were made in 2000 for double haploid production. Progeny of each cross were grown in the lab and stimulated to produce haploid embryos using maize pollen. The haploid embryos were rescued and the chromosomes doubled (double haploid). 103 double haploids were grown at Sidney in 2002 and evaluated for heading date, disease resistance, lodging resistance, height, and quality characters. Most of these were tested in preliminary yield trials in 2003.

In  2001, 192 Syrian durum lines were evaluated for disease tolerance, heading date and height. From those, 85 lines were selected for further evaluation based on height, maturity, disease reaction, and quality characters 2002.  Of those, 9 were tested in preliminary yield trials in 2003.