Abstract
COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROG WAS UNDERTAKEN BY OREGON STATE UNIV (OSU) & CIMMYT (INTNATL MAISE & WHEAT IMPROVEMENT CENTER) FROM 9/30/76-9/30/79 TO DEVELOP IMPROVED VARIETIES OF WINTER WHEAT FOR LDC'S. OSU RESEARCHERS REPORT ON THEIR ACTIVITIES. FINDINGS INDICATED THAT NEW GENETIC COMBINATIONS OF WINTER-X SPRING TYPES ARE SUPERIOR TO EITHER THE WINTER OR SPRING PARENT. IN ADDITION TO GRAEATER VIGOR & WIDER ADAPTATION, DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS LACKING IN 1 GROUP CAN BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE OTHER. RESISTANCE TO STRIPE RUST & DROUGHT FOUND IN WINTER WHEAT CAN BE TRANSFERRED INTO SPRING TYPES; WHILE SPRING VARIETIES CAN CONTRIBUTE RESISTANCE TO STEM RUST & EARLY MATURITY. THE PROG MADE USE OF THE VASTLY DIFFERENT ENNNRONMENTAL CONDITIONS & DISEASE COMPLEXES OBSERVED BETWEEN OREGON & MEXICO. ALSO,NEARLY ALL THE SPECIFIC CLIMATIC CONDITIONS & OTHER FACTORS WHICH LIMIT WINTER WHEAT PRODUCTN IN LDCIS CAN BE FOUND SOMEWHERE IN OREGON. THE UNIV OF NEBRASKA ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROG WITH ITS EFFORTS DIRECTED TOWARD IMPROVED NUTRITIONAL STRAINS. 2 OTHER OSU PROGS FUNDED BY AID -- A 211D GRANT FOR DEVELPMT OF EXPERTISE IN DRYLAND AGRI PRODUCTN & THE IPPC (INTNATL PLANT PROTECTION CENTER) -- WILL BE VALUABLE ASSESTS TO THE WINTER-X SPRING PROG. THUS FAR,APPROX 5000 WINTER WHEAT CULTIVARS HAVE BEEN EVALUATED FOR THEIR AGRONOMIC WORTH. THESE LINES WERE OBTAINED FROM EVERY MAJOR WHEAT PRODUCING AREA IN THE WORLD. NEARLY 200 NEW ENTRIESARE RECIEVED EACH YR FOR EVAL. BY 1979 AN INFO SHEET WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO ALL LDC COOPERATORS IDENTIFYING THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE MORE PROMISING LINES. OSU ESTABLISHED AN INTNATL WINTER-X SPRING WHEAT SCREENING NURSERY REPRESENTING 48 COUNTRIES TO WHICH OSU DISTRIBUTES ITS NEWLY-DEVLPED VARIETIES FOR TESTING. 28 LDC STUDENTS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE OSU PROG. CONTACT IS MAINTAINED WITH FORMER STUDENTS THUR A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER. IN SOME INSTANCES OSU FACULTY VISITED LDC PROGS & ASSISTED IN DEVLPING THEIR OBJECTIVES. THE OSU COOPERATIVE NETWORK ALSO INCLUDES THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDTN,FAO & OTHER INTNATL & REGIONAL PLANT BREEDING CENTERS. THE USSR & THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ALSO PARTICIPANTED IN INFO EXCHNG