Winter wheat Rheia

Breeding method: The variety was bred at the Plant Breeding Station Úhřetice within the programme aimed at development of short-straw wheat varieties with breadmaking quality. Because it appeared promising under the conditions of Central Europe to introduce Rht1 gene in order to obtain both high ear productivity and good breadmaking quality (Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 34, 1998: 81–85), selection for F2 plants showing insensitivity to applied gibberellic acid (carrying the dwarfing gene Rht1 of the parental variety Vlada) was performed in cooperation with RICP Prague-Ruzyně. Afterwards the standard pedigree selection was applied, including line testing, reselection of spikes and repeated yield testing since F6. The line 6237B (SG-RU-24) was tested in Czech Official Trials from 1999 to 2001 and registered in the generation F13. Disease resistance: The variety is resistant to yellow rust (8), moderately resistant to brown rust and brown leaf spot diseases (6–7) and medium resistant to stem rust (5). It shows good resistance to Septoria nodorum (8) and Fusarium (7) head blights. The resistance to powdery mildew is medium on leaves (5–6) and higher than average (7) on spikes. In the trials of RICP Prague-Ruzyně this variety proved to have moderate resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus. Grain quality: According to the results of Official Tests it is a bread wheat of quality B. It showed high falling number (300 s), high sprouting resistance, medium to high protein content (13%) and relatively lower loaf volume (523 ml) and SDS sedimentation volume (50 ml). It has very good flour properties (high water binding capacity: 61%) and high test weight (810 kg/hl). Frost resistance is medium to high, with lethal temperature (LT 50) around –18°C (tests of RICP Prague-Ruzyně by P. Prášilová). Grain yield: In three year official trials this variety outyielded standards in maize, sugar beet, cereal and potato growing regions by 11.0, 7.0, 4.0 and 5.0%, respectively. The latest comparisons with modern varieties in trials of BS Úhřetice showed the presence of effective response to different types of environment (combinations of treatments occurring in agricultural practice). Other characters: It is a medium late variety, with medium length of straw (90–95 cm) and good resistance to lodging (Rht1 gene). The spike is white, with short scurs and of medium density and tapered shape. Thousand grain weight is high (50–55 g) and stable in different environments. Electrophoretic characteristics of HMW GLU subunits is the following: 1, 6+8, 5+10.