Three Decades of Soft Red Winter Wheat : A Current Yield Comparison.

Winter wheat producers remember those years in which production far exceeds the average due to a strong environmental X genotype interaction.  Unfortunately for some, this hampers their willingness to adopt new varieties.  There often is a “waxing of nostalgia” or a “longing for the good old days” which typically leads to a loss in farm income due to the slow adoption of new genetic sources of resistance.  As pest adapt to current genetic sources and yields decline, top producers adopt new improved varieties for production thus maintaining a more profitable condition.  A study was conducted to demonstrate to growers the history of genetic improvement in soft red winter wheat in Georgia and yield response to current growing conditions. Data from a yield comparison study of several varieties (30 years post release, 20 years, 10 years and within 5 years) is used to show the genotype X environmental interaction of old vs new genetic wheat sources.