Year: 2002
Type: other
Abstract: An assessment of hybrid winter wheat was carried out over three seasons to\ndetermine the commercial potential of hybrid varieties under Irish conditions. The\nstudies examined the effects of reduced seeding rate on hybrid grain yield and\nquality in comparison to pure-line varieties. A comparison of the hybrid varieties\navailable was also carried out and the higher yielding hybrids were then compared\nwith the best pure-line varieties in terms of grain yield and quality, and response\nto fungicide.\nThe results indicated that in good sowing conditions hybrids can give greater\nyields than pure-line varieties at reduced seeding rates, but the effect is not large\nor consistent. There was generally no effect of seeding rate on the grain quality of\nhybrid varieties but crop lodging occurred in one season at high seeding rates.\nOf the hybrid varieties examined, Mercury and Hyno Esta were the two better\nvarieties in terms of grain yield; there was little difference between the hybrids\nexamined in terms of grain quality.\nThe best hybrid varieties did not give consistently higher yields or quality than the\nbest pure-line varieties and exhibited a similar response to fungicide application as\nthe pure-line varieties. It is concluded that when the price differential between\nseed of pure-line varieties and hybrid varieties is taken into account, the winter\nwheat hybrid varieties currently available do not offer any economic advantages\nto commercial growers at the present time.
Authors: J. I. Burke, R. Hackett, P.I. Tiernan
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2754007277