AB Snowcat

Triticale

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'Bobcat' and 'Metzger'

Summary: The heads emerge on the plants of ‘AB Snowcat' earlier than on those of ‘Metzger'. The flag leaf sheath of 'AB Snowcat' has a very strong degree of glaucosity while that of ‘Metzger' has a strong degree of glaucosity. The flag leaf of ‘AB Snowcat' is shorter than the flag leaf of ‘Bobcat'. The culm of 'AB Snowcat' has absent or very sparse pubescence while that of 'Metzger' has dense pubescence. At the completion of stem extension, the plants of 'AB Snowcat' are taller than the plants of ‘Bobcat' and shorter than those of ‘Metzger'. The awns, above the tip of the spike, of 'AB Snowcat' are short while those of ‘Bobcat' are very short. The spike of 'AB Snowcat' is strongly coloured while those of the reference varieties are slightly coloured. Excluding the awns, the spike of 'AB Snowcat' is longer than those of the reference varieties. With exposure to phenol, the kernel of 'AB Snowcat' has very dark colouration while those of the reference varieties have a medium colouration.

Description:

PLANT: hexaploid, winter type, semi-erect growth habit at tillering, low frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves at booting, heads mid-season

FLAG LEAF: absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration on auricles, very strong glaucosity of sheath

NECK OF CULM: slightly curved, absent or very sparse pubescence
STRAW (STEM): pith of medium thickness in cross-section

SPIKE: strong glaucosity, half awned, strongly coloured at maturity, medium density, medium width in profile
AWNS: absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration at the beginning of anthesis, short
LOWER GLUME: short first beak, absent or very small second beak, hairs present on external surface
ANTHERS: absent or very weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration at mid-anthesis

KERNEL: amber, medium size, medium length and width, elliptical shape, very dark colouration with phenol

Origin & Breeding History: 'AB Snowcat' (experimental designations WT0023 and 00D016023) was developed using a modified bulk method of breeding. The variety originated from a cross between the variety ‘Bobcat' and the line 99B062 conducted at the Alberta Agriculture Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta in 2000. The variety was advanced from the F1 to F7 generation based on cold tolerance, lodging resistance and disease resistance with one line being designated as 00D016002 in 2007. The line was evaluated for yield from 2008 to 2013 with a further line selected in 2014 and designated 00D016023. The line was further evaluated for yield and further purified from 2015 to 2017. Based on grain yield, agronomic and forage quality data, the line was entered into the Western Winter Triticale Coop Pe-Registration Trials as WT0023 from 2018 to 2020. Breeder seed was established at the F18 generation in 2021.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'AB Snowcat' were conducted during the 2022 and 2024 growing seasons at Olds College Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta. There were 3 replicates per variety per year. Plots consisted of 8 rows, each row measuring 2.5 metres long with 0.14 metres inter-row spacing. The seeding density of 269 seeds per square metre resulted in approximately 2175 plants per variety per year. Measured characteristics were based on a minimum of 30 measurements per variety per year. Mean differences were significant at the 5% probability level based on a paired Student`s t-test.

Comparison tables for 'AB Snowcat' with reference varieties 'Bobcat' and 'Metzger'

Days to heading (days from planting to when 50% of heads have fully emerged from boot)

Flag leaf length (cm)

Plant height (including awns at the completion of full stem extension) (cm)

Spike length (excluding awns) (cm)

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Triticale: ‘AB Snowcat' (centre) with reference varieties ‘Metzger' (left) and ‘Bobcat' (right)

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Triticale: ‘AB Snowcat' (centre) with reference varieties ‘Bobcat' (left) and ‘Metzger' (right)

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Triticale: ‘AB Snowcat' (left) with reference varieties ‘Bobcat' (centre) and ‘Metzger' (right)