AB Windchill

Triticale

Variety Description

Variety used for comparison: 'Luoma'

Summary: At booting, ‘AB Windchill' has a low to medium frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves while ‘Luoma' has an absent or very low frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves. The heads emerge on the plants of ‘AB Windchill' earlier than on the plants of ‘Luoma'. During anthesis, the flag leaf of ‘AB Windchill' is wider than the flag leaf of ‘Luoma'. The culm of ‘AB Windchill' has very dense pubescence while the culm of ‘Luoma' has medium to dense pubescence. At the completion of stem extension, the plants of 'AB Windchill' are shorter than the plants of ‘Luoma'. The spike of 'AB Windchill' is fully awned while the spike of ‘Luoma' is half-awned. The first beak on the lower glume of 'AB Windchill' is of a medium length while that of ‘Luoma' is short. At maturity, the kernel of ‘AB Windchill' is white while the kernel of ‘Luoma' is amber. The kernel of ‘AB Windchill' is large and wide while the kernel of ‘Luoma' is of a medium size and width. The shape of the kernel of ‘AB Windchill' is ovate while the kernel of ‘Luoma' is elliptical. With exposure to phenol, the kernel of 'AB Windchill' has a medium degree of colouration while the kernel of ‘Luoma' has light colouration.

Description:

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

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

CULM: moderately curved neck, very dense pubescence
STRAW (STEM): thin pith in cross-section

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

KERNEL: white, large, medium length, wide, ovate, medium degree of colouration with phenol

WINTER SURVIVAL: good

Origin & Breeding History: 'AB Windchill' (experimental designations WT0042 and 09D030001) was developed using a modified bulk method of breeding. The variety originated from a cross between the line 06A008 and the variety ‘Bobcat' conducted at the Alberta Agriculture Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta in 2009. The variety was advanced from the F1 to F7 generation based on cold tolerance, lodging resistance and disease resistance with one line designated as 09D030001 in 2014. 09D030001 was further evaluated in hardiness and yield tests from 2015 to 2019. Based on grain yield, agronomic and forage quality data, the line was entered into the Western Winter Triticale Coop Pre-Registration Trials as WT0042 from 2020 to 2022. Breeder seed was established at the F14 generation in 2023.

Tests & Trials: The comparative trials for 'AB Windchill' were conducted during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons at the Western Crop Innovations Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta. There were 3 replicates per variety per year. Plots consisted of 4 rows, each row measuring 2.5 metres long with 0.28 metres inter-row The comparative trials for 'AB Windchill' were conducted during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons at the Western Crop Innovations Field Crop Development Centre in Lacombe, Alberta. The varieties in the trial were sown in September of the previous fall. There were 3 replicates per variety per year. Plots consisted of 4 rows, each row measuring 2.5 metres long with 0.28 metres inter-row spacing. The seeding density of 26 seeds per square metre resulted in approximately 2350 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 Windchill' with reference variety 'Luoma'

Days to heading (days from January 1 to when 50% of heads have fully emerged from boot)

Flag leaf width (mm)

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

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Triticale: ‘AB Windchill' (right) with reference variety ‘Luoma' (left)

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Triticale: ‘AB Windchill' (left) with reference variety ‘Luoma' (right)

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Triticale: ‘AB Windchill' (left) with reference variety ‘Luoma' (right)