Willem Botes, Kim Coetzee and Aletta Ellis

Triticale

Willem Botes, Kim Coetzee and Aletta Ellis Plant Breeding Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University

Introduction

Triticale is a multi end-use crop that fits in well with producers existing farming practices, and needs to be sown before wheat. Triticale is generally more disease and pest resistant than i.e. wheat and barley, and also competes very well with weeds. Triticale is also an excellent cover crop in vineyards, and is also currently being explored as a potential feedstock for bioethanol production. As multi end-use crop it can be grazed initially while achieving a grain yield. It is also excellent for the making of silage, either by itself or with oats.

The estimated acreage currently planted in the Western and Southern Cape areas are estimated to be around 40000ha with about 50% grain production, 25% grazing, hay and/or sillage and 25% as cover crop in vineyards.

Cultivars

During 2013 Ibis (KaapAgri), US2007 (OverbergAgri) and AgBeacon (Agricol) are available, and recommended for the Southern and Western Cape. Ibis is very susceptible to stem and leaf rust. It was selected mainly for fodder yield, as it is significantly taller than the other cultivars. AgBeacon is the most recently released cultivar. Both US2007 and AgBeacon exhibit excellent disease resistance, are of medium maturity and length. The average yield of the respective cultivars over a 1, 2 and 3-year period is shown in Table 1.

Table 1. The average grain yield (ton/ha) of the respective cultivars over a 1, 2 and 3 year period.

Cultivars 2012 R 2011-2012 R 2010-2012 R

AgBeacon 3.51 1 3.69 1 3.46 1

US2007 3.35 2 3.16 2 3.23 2

Ibis 2.11 3 2.04 3 2.15 3 R=Ranking

Triticale for grain production must be planted earlier than wheat (as much as 10 days earlier). In a normal year all three cultivars can be grazed once without a decrease in grain yield, on condition that the crop is sown early and is grazed at the right time (40 days after emergence). A seeding rate of 300 seeds per square meter must be maintained and this is equivalent to a seeding rate of 100-145 kg/ha, depending on the thousand-kernel weight of the seed.

The agronomic and quality characteristics, as well as the disease resistance of the triticale cultivars are given in Table 2. Table 2. Agronomic and disease resistance of triticale.

Cultivars AgBeacon US2007 Ibis

Days to heading 95 95 100

Height (cm) 105 110 135

Hectolitre mass (kg/hl) 75 70 68

Leaf rust R R S

Stem rust R R S

Stripe rust R R R

Russian wheat aphid R R R Key: R = Resistant, MR =Moderately Resistant, MS = Moderately Susceptible S = Susceptible

Fertilisation

The same as for wheat. Although it is commonly accepted that less fertiliser is applied to triticale, the crop thrives on a nitrogen topdressing.

Herbicides

Generally triticale is more susceptible to hormone-type herbicides than wheat and the application of such herbicides are thus not recommended. For the rest, the same herbicides and quantities are recommended as for wheat unless otherwise indicated by the manufacturer.

Diseases and pests

In general, triticale is more resistant to diseases and aphid damage than wheat. Several new leaf and stem rust races have been observed the past few seasons. All cultivars are resistant to powdery mildew, stripe rust as well as to the Russian wheat aphid. The newest two cultivars US2007 and AgBeacon are resistant to all rust races (as observed during the 2012 season). Korog

Willem Botes, Kim Coetzee en Aletta Ellis Planteteeltlaboratorium, Departement Genetika, Universiteit van Stellenbosch Inleiding

Korog is ‘n veeldoelige gewas, wat goed inskakel by bestaande boerderypraktyke en moet vroeër as koring gesaai word. Korog is meer bestand teen siektes en plae as bv. koring en gars, terwyl dit baie goed kompeteer met onkruide. Verder is dit ook uitstekend vir gebruik as dekgewas in wingerde en word huidiglik ondersoek vir gebruik as voergraan vir bioetanol produksie. As veeldoelige gewas verskaf dit vroeë weiding asook ‘n graanoes en is uitstekend vir die maak van kuilvoer en hooi, skoon of in mengsels met hawer.

Die geskatte area onder verbouing in die verskillende bedieningsgebiede van die Wes- en Suid Kaap is ongeveer 40000 hektaar en kan as volg ingedeel word: 50% vir graanverbouing, 25% vir weiding, hooi en/of kuilvoer en 25% as dekgewas in wingerde.

Cultivars

Gedurende 2013 is die cultivars Ibis (KaapAgri), US2007 (OverbergAgri) en AgBeacon (Agricol) beskikbaar en word dit aanbeveel vir die Suid-en Wes-Kaap. Ibis is uiters blaar- en stamroes vatbaar. Dié cultivar het die langste strooi van al die vrygestelde cultivars en word veral vir die maak van kuilvoer aanbeveel. AgBeacon is die mees onlangs vrygestelde cultivar. Beide US2007 en AgBeacon bied uitstekende siekteweerstand, het ‘n medium groeiseisoen en plantlengte. Tabel 1 dui die gemiddelde graanopbrengs van die verskillende cultivars oor 'n 1, 2 en 3 jaar periode aan.

Tabel 1. Gemiddelde graanopbrengs (ton/ha) van die onderskeie korogcultivars oor 'n 1, 2 en 3 jaar periode.

Cultivars 2012 R 2011-2012 R 2010-2012 R

AgBeacon 3.51 1 3.69 1 3.46 1

US2007 3.35 2 3.16 2 3.23 2

Ibis 2.11 3 2.04 3 2.15 3 R = Rangorde

Korog vir graanproduksie moet vroeër as koring (tot soveel as 10 dae) gesaai word. Indien vroeg genoeg gesaai en bewei (40 dae na opkoms), kan al drie kultivars in ‘n normale seisoen een keer bewei word sonder ‘n verlaging in graanopbrengs. ‘n Saaidigtheid van 300 sade per vierkante meter moet gehandhaaf word wat gelyk is aan 100-145 kg/ha, afhangend van die duisendkorrelmassa van die saad.

In Tabel 2 word die agronomiese- en kwaliteitseienskappe, asook die siektedata van die cultivars aangegee. Tabel 2. Agronomiese- en siekteweerstand van korogcultivars.

Cultivars AgBeacon US2007 Ibis

Dae tot aar 95 95 100

Hoogte (cm) 105 110 135

Hektolitermassa (kg/hl) 75 70 68

Blaarroes W W V

Stamroes W W V

Geelroes W W W

Russiese Koringluis W W W W = weerstand; MW = matige weerstand; MV = matig vatbaar; V = vatbaar

Bemesting

Dieselfde riglyne soos vir koring word gebruik. Hoewel dit bekend is dat korog minder bemes word as koring, reageer die gewas baie gunstig op 'n stikstof bo-bemesting.

Onkruiddoders

Korog is baie gevoelig vir hormoonbevattende onkruiddoders en die gebruik daarvan word dus nie aanbeveel nie. Origens word dieselfde middels en dosisse soos vir koring aanbeveel mits anders deur vervaardiger aangedui.

Siektes en plae

Verskeie nuwe blaarroes- en stamroesrasse is waargeneem gedurende die afgelope paar seisoene. Desondanks is al drie cultivars is bestand teen meeldou, streeproes asook Russiese koringluis. Oor die algemeen is korog meer weerstandbiedend as koring teen siektes en plantluise. Die nuutste twee cultivars US2007 en AgBeacon is weerstandbiedend teen alle roesrasse.