Wednesday, November 15, 2006
249-7

Identifying Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) Forage Lines Adapted to Nebraska's Growing Conditions.

Lekgari A. Lekgari, Univ. of Nebraska, 181 Plant Science, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, P. Stephen Baenziger, Univ of Nebraska, 330 Keim Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0915, Ken K. Vogel, Univ of Nebraska, USDA-ARS, 344 Keim Hall, Lincoln, NE 68583-0937, and David D. Baltensperger, Univ of Nebraska, Panhandle Research and Ext Center, 4502 Ave I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361-4939.

Triticale, a human-made crop that combines the diversity of wheat and rye, is mainly used as a forage crop in Nebraska; therefore, cultivar selection should encompass high energy content of the forage and good grain yield so the seed can be economically produced. The objective of this study was to identify triticale cultivars that combine both good forage quality and grain yield. Twenty nine triticale experimental lines and one wheat cultivar were evaluated under rainfed conditions in a randomized complete block design at two locations (for forage) and three locations (for grain yield) representing different growing environments in Nebraska for two seasons (2003/04 and 2004/05). Plots were harvested for forage yield at a soft dough stage. The traits measured included flowering dates (Mead only), forage dry matter yield, In vitro Dry Matter Digestibility (IVDMD), Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF), Acid Detergent Fibre (ADF), Acid Detergent Lignin (ADL), Protein Concentration (CP), Relative feed value (RFV), and Digestible dry matter (DDM). Across location ANOVA showed years to be significant (p<0.05) for all the traits; location for NDF, ADF, DDM and forage yield; year x location for RFV, DDM, CP, ADL, ADF and NDF. Cultivars were significantly different (p<0.05) for NDF, ADL, RFV and forage yield. Forage yield ranged from 8.41 to 10.09 Mgha-1, RFV from 91.0 to 102.7%, IVDMD from 63.6 to 66.0%, 31.7 to 34.0% for ADF, 58.4 to 63.4 for NDF and 8.0 to 9.0% for CP. Experimental line NE03T449 had significantly higher RFV, which was due to its low concentration in ADF and NDF which are the predictors of energy value and intake potential respectively, however NT02454 had significantly higher forage yield. One of the check entries, NE426GT, a cultivar with excellent grain and forage yield was among the top five genotypes for all the traits measured at both locations.

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