Flourish

Wheat

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'CDC Falcon', 'CDC Raptor' and 'Broadview'

Summary: The flag leaf of 'Flourish' is shorter than the flag leaves of all the reference varieties. 'Flourish' has a low to medium frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves while it is medium to high in 'CDC Raptor' and high in 'Broadview'. 'Flourish' has an erect flag leaf attitude while it is drooping in 'CDC Raptor' and 'Broadview' and drooping to horizontal in 'CDC Falcon'. The flag leaf auricles of 'Flourish' have medium anthocyanin colouration while it is weak in the reference varieties. 'Flourish' heads and matures earlier than 'CDC Raptor'. The glaucosity of the neck of the culm at heading in 'Flourish' is weak to medium while it is absent or very weak in 'CDC Raptor'. 'Flourish' has an erect spike attitude at maturity while it is inclined in 'CDC Falcon' and 'Broadview'. The spike of 'Flourish' is shorter than the reference varieties. 'Flourish' has a spike glaucosity that is weak to medium while it is absent or very weak in 'CDC Falcon' and 'Broadview' and very weak to weak in 'CDC Raptor'. The lower glume shoulder shape in 'Flourish' is slightly sloping to straight while it is sloping to slightly sloping in 'CDC Raptor'. 'Flourish' has a narrow to medium width shoulder of the lower glume while it is very narrow to narrow in 'CDC Falcon'. The lower glume beak of 'Flourish' is short to medium in length while it is medium to long in 'CDC Falcon'. The extent of internal hairs of the lower glume is sparse to medium for 'Flourish' while it is very sparse to sparse for 'CDC Falcon' and absent or very sparse for 'Broadview'. The winter survival for 'Flourish' is fair while it is good in 'CDC Raptor' and 'Broadview'. 'Flourish' is moderately resistant to common bunt while the reference varieties are highly susceptible.

Description:

PLANT: winter type, common wheat, semi-erect growth habit at the 5-9 tiller stage, weak to medium glaucosity of the culm at heading, low to medium frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves

SEEDLING (4 leaf stage): very weak to weak intensity of anthocyanin colouration of the coleoptile, glabrous to sparse pubescence on the sheaths of the lower leaves, glabrous blades of the lower leaves

FLAG LEAF: medium intensity of anthocyanin colouration of the auricles with slightly pubescent margins, erect attitude, medium to strong glaucosity of the sheath, glabrous blade and sheath

STRAW (AT MATURITY): hollow pith in cross-section, no anthocyanin colouration
SPIKE: weak to medium glaucosity at heading, tapering profile, lax to medium density, awns present, awns shorter than the length of the spike
SPIKE AT MATURITY: white, yellowish awns, erect attitude, spreading awn attitude, straight neck of the culm, absent or very sparse hairiness of convex surface of apical rachis segment
LOWER GLUME: narrow to medium width shoulder, slightly sloping to straight shoulder, medium to long, medium to broad, glabrous to sparse pubescence, short to medium length beak, slightly to moderately curved beak, sparse to medium internal hairs
LEMMA: slightly curved beak

KERNEL: hard red type, medium red colour, medium size, medium length and width, elliptical to ovate, rounded cheek shape, medium length brush hairs, small to medium sized oval germ, medium crease width, medium crease depth, brown colour reaction to phenol

AGRONOMY: good resistance to shattering, poor to fair drought tolerance, fair winter survival

QUALITY: good milling and baking

DISEASE REACTION: moderately resistant to stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) and common bunt (Tilletia caries, Tilletia foetida), moderately resistant to moderately susceptible to leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) and stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici), moderately susceptible to powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis f. sp. tritici), and susceptible to highly susceptible to fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum)

Origin & Breeding History: 'Flourish' (experimental designation W434) derives from the cross RL4746 / Blizzard // CDC Kestrel /3/ CDC Falcon made in 1997 at the AAFC Lethbridge Research Centre, Lethbridge, Alberta. Following greenhouse multiplication of the F1 seed, F2 seed was inoculated with common bunt and vernalized for 9 weeks in a dark growth chamber at 1 degree Celsius. At the 3 leaf stage, seedlings were screened for reaction to stem and leaf rust, with resistant plants utilized for double haploid production using the maize hybridization technique. Haploid embryos rescued from donor plants exhibiting bunt susceptibility were discarded. Initial row evaluation of doubled haploid lines took place in 2002, in which selection was based on winter survival, plant type and vigour, straw strength, plant height, protein content and test weight. Stem and leaf rust resistance was evaluated from 2003 to 2006 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Based on the resistance to stem and leaf rust in 2003, a line designated LE1213 was grown in an irrigated, single replicate preliminary agronomic trials with repeated checks at Lethbridge in 2004. It was entered into A and B level trials in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Following pre-registration testing across western Canada it was evaluated as W434 in the Western Wheat Cooperative Registration Trial from 2007 to 2009.

Tests & Trials: Tests and trials were conducted in 2009 and 2010 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Plots consisted of 4 rows with a row length of 3.5 meters and a row spacing of 23 cm. There were 4 replicates in 2009 and 5 replicates in 2010.

Comparison tables for 'Flourish' with reference varieties 'CDC Falcon', 'CDC Raptor' and 'Broadview'

Flag leaf length (cm)

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

Days to maturity

Spike length (excluding awns)(mm)

Click on image for larger view

Wheat: 'Flourish' (left) with reference varieties 'CDC Falcon' (centre left), 'CDC Raptor' (centre right) and 'Broadview' (right)