Pishgam, A New Bread Wheat Cultivar for Normal Irrigation and Terminal Stage Deficit Irrigation Conditions of Cold Regions of Iran

Pishgam was selected from the progeny of a cross between Barakat Iranian bread wheat cultivar and Chinese 90-Zhong 87 winter-habit ( Bkt/90-Zhong 87) in 1995. The F1 generation seeds were planted in Karaj station in 1995-96 cropping season. Selected-bulk method was applied to segregating generations from F2 to F5 generations for characters such as winter hardiness, plant height, straw strength, disease reaction, and plant and kernel type under irrigation in the field conditions of cold region at Ardabil Agricultural Research Station from 1996-97 to 2000-01 cropping seasons. Selected Individual plants were grown in F6 generation and selected plots were harvested in bulk and forwarded to F7 generation for evaluation in preliminary yield trial in Ardail in 2002-03. The new selection was entered into the national PRWY Tests and evaluated for grain yield, agronomic performance and disease reactions in trials grown in Ardabi, Zanjan, Karaj, Hamedan and Mashad under both normal and TDS conditions in 2003-04. Under TDS conditions, trials were irrigated by just the booting stage. Due to superior grain yield of newly selected line over check cultivars ( 8.707 tha-1 vs 6.549 tha-1 of Shahryar and 5.561 tha-1 of Cross of Shahriar under normal irrigation, and 4.959 tha-1 vs 3.541 tha-1 of Shahryar and 3.746 tha-1 of Cross of Shahi under TDS conditions) it was selected and forwarded to advanced trials. This line was tested in regional advanced trails of cold zone breeding program during 2004-05. Due to its superior characters including high grain yield, freezing tolerance and resistance to stripe and leaf rusts, it was considered to be included in adaptation trials. Therefore, as an elite promising line (designated as C-84- 5509) this line was evaluated in adaptation trial in six research stations of cold regions along with check cultivars (Toos and Cross of Shahi) during 2005-07. Based on results of two cropping seasons, this line produced 5.219 tha-1 grain yield in average in comparison to 4.684 tha-1of Toos and 3.851 tha-1 of Cross of Shahi under TDS conditions. The grain yield of C-84-5509 was 8.738 tha-1 compared to 7.840 tha-1 of Toos and 5.987 tha-1 of Cross of Shahi over six locations in two cropping seasons under normal irrigation. Based on stability parametric methods it was one of the most stable lines of the investigated gremplasm set. In respect to diseases resistance, its reaction to a newly spread of stripe rust race (166E134A+) was 0-5R against100S, 70S-100S and 70MS-100S for check cultivars Alvand, toos and Shahryar, respectively. Results of LT50 determination in plants sampled from cold region of Firoozkooh showed that LT50 of new line was about -15˚C against, -8,-10,-12 and -12C for check cultivars Alavand, Zarrin, Shahryar and Gaspard, respectively. Bread making quality of this line was assessed to be moderate to good based on 11.2% grain protein content, 50.4 grain hardiness and normal gluten elasticity. Validation trials in farmer's field conditions confirmed the grain yield and agronomic superiority of this line compared to check cultivars. This line is superior to other winter wheat cultivars and registered for production for cold regions of Iran