Registration of ‘Rick’ Wheat

R.S. Albrechtsen^*

Dep. of Plants, Soils, and Biometeorology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820

* Corresponding author

‘Rick’ Wheat (Reg. no. CV-904, PI 614834) hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station (UAES) and released in 1985. It was initially selected at Logan, UT, in 1977 as an F_5:6 line from the 1971 cross ‘Bannock’/7/‘Columbia’/6/‘Delmar’/5/‘Hussar’/‘Turkey Red’//‘Ridit’/3/‘Oro‘/Ridit/4/‘Norin10’/‘Brevor’. Rick was named in honor of the late Dr. Richard (‘Rick’) Chase, Extension Weed Specialist for Utah State University.

F₁ plants of the Rick cross were grown in the field in 1972. Segregating generations (F₂–F₅) were grown at Logan, UT, as space-planted bulk populations, and heads from agronomically desirable plants were selected each year from 1973 through 1976. Heads from 253 F₅ plants were selected in 1976 on the basis of agronomic appearance and were evaluated as F₆ head rows in 1977. Rick originated from UT77W1054-1774, an F_5:6 line which was yield tested under irrigation at Logan, UT, and on dryland at the UAES Blue Creek Experimental Farm, beginning in 1978. Utah tests were expanded to four irrigated sites and two non-irrigated sites annually, beginning in 1980. It was evaluated in the Western Regional Spring Wheat Nursery from 1980 to 1983 as UT541774. Breeder seed of Rick was produced at Yuma, AZ, in the winter of 1983 and 1984 from 205 F_12:13. Rows questionable for trueness to type were rogued, and remaining rows were harvested in bulk. Foundation Seed was produced at Logan, UT, in 1984, and was made available for Registered and Certified Seed production.

Rick is a white-glumed, white-strawed, medium maturing, semidwarf cultivar. The spike is awned, oblong, middense, shatter resistant, and inclined at maturity. Glumes are white, glabrous, midlong, midwide, with oblique to elevated shoulders. Beaks are midwide, acute, and medium length. Kernels are red, midlong, hard, and ovate to elliptical; they have a midsized germ and a shallow crease, with somewhat angular cheeks; the brush is midsized and short. Rick is moderately resistant to common bunt [caused by Tilletia laevis Kühn in Rabenh. and T. tritici (Bjerk.) G. Wint. in Rabenh.; syn. T. caries (DC.) Tul. & C. Tul.], loose smut [caused by Ustilago tritici (Pers.) Rostr.], and powdery mildew [caused by Erysiphe graminis DC. f. sp. tritici Ém. Marchal; syn. Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer], and is moderately susceptible to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend.), based on natural field infections.

Rick is recommended for production under irrigation and on dryland where annual precipitation is 400 mm or more. In Utah-based irrigated tests from 1980 through 1984 (21 site years), the grain yield of Rick (4087 kg ha^-1) exceeded that of ‘Fremont’ (3732 kg ha^-1) (Dewey, 1972), ‘Wynne’ (3915 kg ha^-1) (Albrechtsen, 2001), ‘Borah’ (3721 kg ha^-1) (Sunderman and Bruinsma, 1975), and ‘Powell’ (3856 kg ha^-1) (Albrechtsen, 1981) hard red spring wheats. In rain-fed tests in Utah from 1980 through 1984 (10 site years), Rick's yield (1632 kg ha^-1) exceeded that of Bannock (1546 kg ha^-1) (Sunderman and Wise, 1973), ‘Komar’ (1438 kg ha^-1) (Clark, 1931), and Fremont (1416 kg ha^-1).

In 5 yr of irrigated tests in Utah, Rick headed (Day of Year 180) 1 d later than Fremont and 2 d later than Borah, 2 d earlier than Wynne , and 4 d earlier than Powell. Rick (86 cm tall) was taller than Wynne (82 cm), Fremont (83 cm), Borah (78 cm), and Powell (82 cm). Rick (7% lodging) lodged less than Borah (26%) or Powell (15%); it lodged more than Wynne (2%), and was similar to Fremont (10%). Test weight for Rick (772 kg m^-3) was higher than that of Powell (743 kg m^-3), but was similar to that of Fremont (762 kg m^-3), Wynne (758 kg m^-3), and Borah (762 kg m^-3). Grain protein for Rick (130 g kg^-1) was lower than that of Wynne (134 g kg^-1) and Fremont (140 g kg^-1). Loaf volume and loaf score for Rick were superior to that of Fremont and comparable to that of Wynne; other milling and baking properties were satisfactory.

Breeder seed of Rick is maintained by the UAES, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4810. Rick is not protected by U.S. Plant Variety Protection. Foundation seed is available from the Utah Crop Improvement Association, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4855.

NOTES

Contribution of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Journal Paper no. 7278. Registration by CSSA.

Accepted for publication December 31, 2000.

REFERENCES

• Albrechtsen, R.S. 1981. Registration of ‘Powell’ wheat. Crop Sci. 21:990.
• Albrechtsen, R.S. 2001. Registration of ‘Wynne’ wheat. Crop Sci. 41:1364–1365.[Free Full Text]
• Dewey, W.G. 1972. Registration of ‘Fremont’ wheat. Crop Sci. 12:130.
• Sunderman, D.W., and B. Bruinsma. 1975. Registration of four wheat cultivars. Crop Sci. 15:104.
• Sunderman, D.W., and M. Wise. 1973. Registration of ‘Bannock’ wheat. Crop Sci. 13:288.
• Clark, J.A. 1931. Registration of improved wheat varieties. J. Am. Soc. Agron. 23:1010.