Developing Spring and Winter Triticale with Reduced-Awn Expression

Abstract

Work on incorporating reduced-awn expression into triticale was initiated at the Field Crop Development Centre in 1983 using spring triticale lines with low falling number and the sprouting resistant spring wheat germplasm line RL4137. In both the spring and winter triticale, selections from crosses with improved triticale parents produced since 1988 appear to have potential in the production of future cultivars and as parental lines. To date evaluation of advanced lines has been relatively limited to either biomass yield or tolerance to sprouting conditions. However, few of the advanced lines appear to demonstrate improved levels of sprouting resistance expressed in the form of falling number or actual dormancy testing. Future work will concentrate on a detailed evaluation of selections with the reduced-awn characteristic for sprouting resistance as well as biomass yield and quality.