Wheat growing and breeding in Estonia
1990
Kallas, E. (Estonian Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Saku (Estonia))
According to the data of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) wheat was the most important cereal crop in the world in 1986, the sown acreage of it being 238 million ha. In the Soviet Union wheat is grown on 60 million ha, it makes 68% of the acreage under cereals. Due to the climatic conditions the acreage under wheat in Estonia varies between 10-80 000 ha. The most meritorious wheat breeder and propagator was the longtime director of the Jogeva Plant Breeding Station Mihkel Pill (1920-1951). In order to meet the needs of the Estonian population wheat must be grown on 55000 ha and the total production should be 90-100 000 t/year. In order to improve the production about 10-15% of so called "strong" wheat should be imported. Out of the starting material which was created at the Jogeva Plant Breeding Station and Olustvere Agricultural School in 1969-1978 the winter wheat variety "Kalvi" was released in Estonia in 1984 (breeders E. Kallas, M. Viirand). Its economic qualities exceed the variety "Mironovskaja 808". The variety "Eka" (breeding no.863) was passed over to the state variety trials in 1989. This variety was developed in 1970 as a cross between Sv. 60292 and a 5790 70, the breeder was E. Kallas. In the basic comparative trials the variety "Eka" overyield "Kalvi" by 8,1% and in the trials on the farm scale by 15,9%. The straw length of "Eka" is 8,3 cm shorter and it has a higher lodging and disease resistance. Since 1984 the Swedish variety "Holme" has also been grown in Estonia. It has a good lodging resistance, high yielding capacity, but a lower winter-hardiness. New varieties make it possible to increase the total production of wheat
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