A History of Wheat,2001

7/31/2019 A History of Wheat,2001

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Z.H. He, S. Rajaram, Z.Y. Xin, and G.Z. HuangEditors

International Maize and WheatImprovement Center

A History of WheatBreeding in China



II

CIMMYT® (www.cimmyt.org) is an internationally funded, nonprofit, scientific research and trainingorganization. Head quartered in Mexico, CIMMYT works with agricultural research institutions w orldwide toimprove the produ ctivity, profitability, and sustainability of maize and wheat systems for poor farmers indeveloping countries. It is one of 16 food an d en vironmental organizations known as the Future H arvestCenters. Located around the world , the Futu re Harvest Centers conduct research in par tnership w ith farmers,scientists, and policymakers to help a lleviate poverty and increase food security while protecting n aturalresources. The centers are su pp orted by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research(CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org), whose members include nearly 60 countries, private foundations, and regional andinternational organizations. Financial sup port for CIMMYT’s research agend a also comes from m any othersources, includ ing foundations, development banks, and pu blic and p rivate agencies.

Future Harv est® builds awareness and su pp ort for food and environmental research for a world w ith lesspoverty, a healthier hum an fam ily, well-nourished children, and a better environm ent. It supp orts research,promotes p artnerships, and sponsors p rojects that bring the results of research to rur al comm unities, farmers,and families in Africa, Asia, and Latin America (www.futureharvest.org).

© International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) 2001. All rights reserved. The opinionsexpressed in this pu blication are th e sole responsibility of the au thors. The designations employed in thepresentation of materials in this p ublication do n ot imply the expression of any opinion wh atsoever on thepar t of CIMMYT or its contributor y organ izations concerning t he legal statu s of any coun try, territor y, city, orarea, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. CIMMYT encouragesfair use of this material. Proper citation is requested.

Correct citation: He, Z.H., S. Rajaram , Z.Y. Xin, and G.Z. Hu ang (eds.). 2001. A History of Wheat Breeding inChina . Mexico, D.F.: CIMMYT.

AGROVOC D escriptors: Triticum ; Wheats; Genetics; Plant breeding; Breeding methods; Crossbreeding;Hybridization; Mutation; Anther culture; Plant diseases; Disease resistance; Food production; Regionaldevelop men t; History; Yields; China

AGRIS Category Code s: F30 Plant Gen etics and BreedingA50 Agricultu ral Research

Dew ey D ecimal Classif.: 633.1151

ISBN: 970-648-079-X

Printed in Mexico.

Design and layout: CIMMYT Design Team



Preface ............................................................................................................................................... iv

Chapter 1. Whea t a nd Wheat Breed ing in Chin a: An Over view .............................................. 1

Chapter 2. The North China Winter Wheat Zon e ....................................................................... 15

Chapter 3. The Hu an g Hu ai Facu ltat ive Wheat Zon e ............................................................... 29

Chapter 4. The Middle and Lower Yangtze Valley Autum n-sown Spring Wheat Zone ...... 44

Chapter 5. The Sout hw estern Aut um n-sow n Spr ing Whea t Zon e .......................................... 51

Chapter 6. The Sout h Ch ina Au tumn -sown Spring Wheat Zone ............................................ 60

Chapter 7. The Northeastern Spring -sown Spring Whea t Z one .............................................. 64

Chapter 8. The Northern Spring -sown Spring Whea t Zon e ..................................................... 72

Chapter 9. The Northw estern Spr ing Wh eat Zone .................................................................... 78

Chapter 10 . The Qingha i-Tibet Spring and Winter Wheat Zon e .............................................. 84

Chapter 11 . The Xinjiang Winter a nd Sprin g Wh eat Zon e ........................................................ 88

Bibl iog raphy .................................................................................................................................... 95

Table of Contents

II



PrefaceChina is the largest producer and consumer of wheat

in the world. Wheats cultivated in China includewinter and facultative wheats and spring w heats

sown in both autu mn and spring, mostly in rotation

with oth er crops such as maize and rice. Wheat isgrown in 30 of China’s 31 provinces within 10 ma jor

agro-ecological zones established based on w heat

type, grow ing season, m ajor biotic stresses, and

varietal response to temperatu re and p hotoperiod.

Great progress has been achieved in w heatprod uction since the foun ding of the People’s

Republic of China in 1949. Comparing the 1949-1953and 1996-2000 periods, average yield rose from 0.70

to 3.86 t/ ha, and wheat p roduction increased from

16.4 to 112.0 million tons. These extrao rd inary yield

advan ces provide evidence that w heat in China isoutstanding in terms of produ ction, distribution,

cropping system, and genetic resources.

Initiated in th e 1930s, wheat breed ing in China ha s

mad e remarka ble progress since 1949 in the

improvement of yield potential, plant stature,matu rity, and disease resistance. Four to six varietal

replacements, each genera ting abou t a 10% yield

increase, have been recorded in most wheat areas.

Chinese wheat breeding programs have op erated

somewhat independ ently, and the utilization of

exotic germp lasm is limited d ue to the p ractice of mu ltiple cropp ing in the coun try. These factors have

contributed to making the Chinese wheat gene pool

unique comp ared w ith wheat materials from other

countries.

Several books on w heat have been pu blished inChinese, includ ing Chinese Wheat Varieties and their

Pedigrees , published by China Agricultura l Press in

1983. It contains d etailed information on wh eat

breeding and ped igrees in China’s 10 agro-ecological

zones. H owever, very little information is av ailable

in English on this su bject. To fill that g ap, in the ear ly1990s, with kind perm ission of China Agricultura l

Press, CIMMYT and the Chinese Academ y of

Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) decided to jointlytranslate the abov e pu blication into English.

How ever, a lot of information on Chinese w heat

varieties had been gen erated from 1983 to the 1990s

that needed to be included to prod uce an upd ated

docu men t. The task of collecting this informa tion fellto Professor Fan Jiahua of CAAS, wh o spen t a

tremendous am ount of time comm unicating w ith

provincial and prefectural breeding programs all over

China. The extensive information collected by

Professor Fan Jiahu a was includ ed in the resulting

book, wh ich is thus not a d irect translation of the 1983pu blication in Chinese. In ad dition, the text was

highly condensed, reorganized, and rewritten to suit

an English-speaking au dience. The u pd ated

pu blication includes 11 chapters, of which Chap ter 1

presents an overall picture of wheat breed ing in

China, wh ile Chap ters 2 to 11 contain w heatproduction data, breeding objectives, and pedigrees

of major varieties in 10 agro-ecological zones.

I would like to take this opportu nity to express our

sincere than ks to Professor Zhu ang Qiaoshen g, one of

the ed itors of the 1983 pu blication and the bestknow n w heat breed er in China, for critically

reviewing the m anu script. We also wish to

acknow ledge the w illing cooperation of breeding

programs all over China, which p rovided basic data

on th eir varieties.

We believe the information p resented in this book

will be of interest to those concerned with w heat

improv emen t, especially in developin g countries, and

expect it will also strengthen the links betw een

Chinese wh eat scientists and their colleagues in the

English-speaking world.

Sanjaya Rajaram

Director

CIMMYT Wheat Program

IV



1

Chapter 1.Wheat and Wheat Breeding in China: An Overview

General Information onChinese Wheats

Wheat productionThe People’s Repub lic of China, which has th e

wo rld ’s largest p opula tion (1.2 billion, 1995), is also

the w orld’s largest cereal and wh eat prod ucer. In

1992, its total cereal prod uction w as 400 million tons

with an average yield of 4.4 t/ ha. This yield per u nitarea places China second am ong leading prod ucers,

the United States (5.4 t/ ha), Ind ia (2.0 t/ ha), and theformer USSR (1.8 t/ ha). From 1992 to 1994, China ’s

average wheat yield and p roduction surpassed those

of the other th ree largest prod ucers: USA, the former

USSR, and Ind ia (Table 1.1). China ’s grow th r ates of

Table 1.1. Wheat area, production, and average yieldin China, former USSR, USA, and India, 1992-94.

Harvested area Average yield ProductionCountry (million ha) (t/ha) (million t)

China 30.4 3.4 103.1Former USSR 42.3 1.7 72.0USA 25.3 2.6 65.1India 24.0 2.4 57.2

Source: CIMMYT World Wheat Facts and Trends Supplement (1995).

Table 1.2. Area, production, and yield of major cerealcrops in China, 1993.

Area % Average Production %Crop (million ha) area yield (t/ha) (million t) production

Rice 30.4 34.1 5.8 177.7 43.9Wheat 30.2 34.0 3.5 106.4 26.3Maize 20.7 23.3 5.0 102.7 25.3Others 7.6 8.6 2.4 18.4 4.5Total 88.9 100.0 4.6 405.2 100.0

Source: Chinese Agricultural Statistical Collection (1993).

yield of all cereals and w heat h ave averag ed 3.2%and 4.2% per yea r, resp ectively, since 1951, a grea t

achievement in food produ ction.

Wheat is the second lead ing cereal crop in China

interms of both harvested ar ea and prod uction

(Table1.2). Mor e than 90% of wheat g rain is u sed to

mak e steamed bread and nood les. From 1950 to

1996, China’s wh eat p rodu ction a rea increased from

22 to some 29 million hectares, average yield rose

from 0.66 to 3.68 t/ ha, and w heat prod uction

increased from less than 20 million to some 107

million tons (Figures 1.1 and 1.2). Although Chinese

wh eat prod uction has p rogressed greatly, 10-15

million tons of wheat and wheat flour are imported

for domestic consu mp tion each year.

Figure 1.2. Average yields of wheat in China, 1950-96.

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

t/ha

Year

4

3

2

1

0

Figure 1.1. Wheat area and production in China, 1950-96.

50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

120

100

8060

40

20

0

Year

Production

Area

t/ha



2

Althoug h w heat is grown in 29 of 30 Chinese

prov inces, more tha n 90% is produ ced in 13

prov inces; of these, five provinces (Shan don g,

Henan, Jiangsu, Hebei, and Anhui) contribute more

than 60% of total prod uction. Table 1.3 lists w heatarea and prod uction by prov ince in1995.

Wheat typeWheat is sown in both autum n and spring, and

general w heat classification in China is based onsowing p eriod. Sowing d ates of so-called w inter

wh eat, which accoun ts for aroun d 85% of produ ction

Table 1.3. Chinese wheat area and production byprovince, 1995.

Area % Average Production %Province (000 ha) area yield (t/ha) (000 t) production

Henan 4814.0 16.7 3.6 1754.2 17.2Shandong 4010.9 13.9 5.1 2060.7 20.2Hebei 2500.7 8.7 4.2 1060.3 10.4Sichuan 2332.0 8.1 3.1 730.9 7.2Jiangsu 2150.3 7.5 4.2 892.6 8.7Anhui 1992.7 6.9 3.5 699.0 6.8Shaanxi 1600.2 5.5 2.6 410.4 4.0Gansu 1357.3 4.7 1.9 254.6 2.5Hubei 1179.9 4.1 3.1 363.6 3.6Heilongjiang 1116.3 3.9 2.4 271.3 2.7

Inner Mongolia1016.7 3.5 2.6 262.2 2.6Xinjiang 952.6 3.3 4.1 393.9 3.9Shanxi 917.0 3.2 2.9 270.1 2.6Yunnan 625.0 2.2 2.2 137.5 1.3Guizhou 562.0 2.0 1.9 107.8 1.1Ningxia 294.1 1.0 2.3 68.9 0.7Zhejiang 208.2 0.7 2.6 54.1 0.5Qinghai 206.0 0.7 3.4 69.5 0.7Beijing 172.2 0.6 5.8 100.4 1.0Liaoning 171.3 0.6 3.7 63.3 0.6Hunan 168.7 0.6 1.6 27.1 0.3Tianjin 141.2 0.5 4.6 65.4 0.6Jilin 80.4 0.3 2.4 19.1 0.2

Fujian 69.1 0.2 2.7 18.6 0.2Shanghai 61.1 0.2 3.9 23.8 0.2Jiangxi 60.0 0.2 1.3 7.6 0.1Tibet 51.9 0.2 4.8 24.9 0.2Guangdong 26.5 0.1 2.6 6.9 0.1Guangxi 21.6 0.1 1.3 2.8 0.0Total 28,860.0 100.0 3.5 10,221.5 100.0

Source: Chinese Agricultural Statistical Data Collection (1996).

and acreage, varied from late Septemb er in Beijing

to November in Guan gdong; however, most

spring-sown wheat is planted in March and April.

Spring , facultative, and winter w heats are

classified according to v ernalization requ irement.Spring-habit wh eat is the most common w heat

type in China (46%), planted mostly (29%) in

autu mn (Zone III, IV, and V), but also in sp ring

(17%, Zon es VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X). Facultativ e

wh eat, sown in Yellow and Hu ai Rivers Valley

(Zone II), contributes 43% of the wh eat area, an d

winter-habit wheats (Zones I and X) make u p th e

remaining 11%. Althou gh no official data a re

available, du rum wheat is only produ ced in avery sam ll area of Xinjiang an d a few other

provin ces. Triticale is cropped in hilly areas of Guizhou an d Shaanxi Provinces for hu man

consum ption an d in state farms arou nd Beijing for

livestock feed, with a n an nu al total area of 20,000

ha in the w hole of China.

Wheat Production Zones

The Chinese Acad emy of Agricultu ral Sciences

(CAAS) has divided the coun try’s wh eat area into10 major ag ro-ecological prod uction zon es

(Figure1.3) and 26 subzon es, based on w heat

types, varietal reactions to temperatu re,

ph otoperiod , moisture, biotic and a biotic stresses,

and wheat grow ing seasons. These zones show

that wh eat is widely planted in China; however,Zon es I, II, III, IV, and VI account for most of the

country’s wheat area an d p rodu ction (85%).

Winter-habit and facultative wheats(autumn-planted)

Zone I: Nort hern Wint er Wheat Region. This

zone, where true w inter-habit wh eats are grown,

includes Beijing, Tianjin, north-central Hebei,

central and southeastern parts of Shanxi, northern

Shaan xi, and eastern Gansu . Zone I contains

abou t 9% of China’s wheat area.



3

Urumqi

Lhasa

Chengdu

Kunming

Guiyang

NanningMacao

Guangzhou

Hongkong

Haikou

Taibei

Hangzhou

Fuzhou

ChangshaNanchang

Wuhan

HefeiNanjing Shanghai

Harbin

HohhotYinchuan

Xining

Lanzhou

Beijing

Tianjin

Taiyuan Shijiazhuang

Jinan

ZhengzhouXi'an

Shenyang

Figure 1.3. Wheat zones of China.Source: Jin (1983) and He and Chen (1991).

I Northern Winter Wheat ZoneII Yellow and Huai River Valleys Facultative Wheat ZoneIII Middle and Low Yangtze Valleys Autumn-Sown Spring Wheat ZoneIV Southwestern Autumn-Sown Spring Wheat ZoneV Southern Autumn-Sown Spring Wheat ZoneVI Northeastern Spring Wheat ZoneVII Northern Spring Wheat Zone

VIII Northwestern Spring Wheat ZoneIX Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Spring-Winter Wheat ZoneX Xinjiang Winter-Spring Wheat Zone



4

Zone II: Yellow and Huai River Val ley s,

Facul tat iv e Wheat Region. Wheats in this

region occup y abou t 43% of the coun try’s wh eat

harvested area. They covers most parts of

Henan an d Shandong, southern Hebei, midd leparts of Shaanxi and southern Shanxi, and

northern parts of Jiangsu and Anhu i.

Autumn-planted spring wheats Zone III: Midd le and Low er Yangt ze Val ley ,

Aut umn-sow n Spring Wheat Region. This zone

contains 16% of the wh eat area and includes the

Provinces of Hun an, Hu bei, Jiangxi, and

Zhejiang, Shanghai, and southern parts of

Henan, p lus Anhui an d Jiangsu Provinces.

Zone IV: Sout hw est ern Aut umn-sow n Spring

Wheat Region. This zone contributes 11% of

China’s wh eat area and includes m ost parts of

Sichuan and all of Yun nan a nd Guizhou

Provinces.

Zone V: Sout hern Aut umn-sow n Spring Wheat

Region. Wheats in this zone, which includ es

Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi Provinces, are

planted in late autum n and cover less than 1% of

the country’s wheat area.

Spring-planted spring wheats Zone VI: Northeas tern Spring Wheat Region .

This zone comp rises 7% of China’s wheat a reaand includes H eilongjiang Province, the eastern

par t of Inner Mongolia, and small areaas in Jilin

and Liaoning Provinces.

Zone VII: Northern Spring Wheat Region . This

zone covers 4% of the w heat area in China and

consists of most of Inner Mongolia and par ts of Shaanxi, Shan xi, and Hebei Provinces.

Zone VIII: No rthw est ern Spring-s ow n Spring

Wheat Region . This zone also has a 4% share of the

wheat area and includes Ningxia, and parts of

Gansu an d Qinghai Provinces.

Spring-planted spring wheats andautumn-planted w inter wheats

Zone IX: Qi nghai -Tibet an P la teau, Spring-Wint er

Wheat Region . This zone has on ly about a 1% share

of China’s wh eat area, the sm allest in th e coun try. It

includ es all of Tibet, par ts of Qinghai, and a sma ll

portion of Yun nan a nd Sichuan .

Zone X: Xinj iang Wi nter-Sp ring W heat Region .

Both spring and winter habit wheats are grown

app roximately in the same p roportion in this zone,wh ich ha s a 4% share of the country ’s wh eat area.

The area sown to winter types is expand ing.

Institutional Infrastructure

Academ ies of agricultural sciences and ag ricultural

universities have been established at both national

and provincial levels in China. Eight nationalagricultural un iversities such as China Agricultural

University (formerly Beijing Ag ricultural

University) and Nan jing Agricultural University,and the Chinese Academ y of Agricultur al Sciences

(CAAS) belong to the Ministry of Agricultu re.

Originally national agricultu ral institutes ha d therespon sibility of serving a ll of China. There are

agricultural un iversities or colleges and a cadem ies

of agricultu ral sciences that belong to the

prov incial governm ent in nearly all 30 prov inces.

In each p refecture, there is an a gricultural research

institute belonging to the provincial acad emy of agricultural sciences or the prefectural govern men t.

Most academ ies, un iversities, and institutes located

in wheat p roduction areas have w heat breeding

progr ams. Table 1.4 lists the m ajor institutes

involved in w heat improvement inChina.



5

Table 1.4. Major institutes involved in wheat improvement in each zone.

Zone Institute/Abbreviation/Location Contributions to wheat improvement

I Chinese Acad. of Agric. Sci./CAAS/ Breeding/Quality/Wide Cross/Genebank/

Beijing Diseases/GeneticsChina Agric. Univ./CAU/Beijing Breeding/Hybrid wheat/Quality/DiseasesBeijing Acad. of Agric. Sci./ Breeding/Anther cultureBeijing AAS/BeijingShanxi Acad. of Agric. Sci./Shanxi AAS/ BreedingTaiyuan

II Hebei Acad. of Agric. Sci./Hebei AAS/ Breeding/Hybrid wheatShjiazhuangHebei Agric. Univ./Hebei AU/Baoding Breeding/Quality/DiseasesShandong Acad. of Agric. Sci/ BreedingShangdong AAS/JinnanShandong Agric. Univ./Shandong AU/ BreedingTaianYantai Prefecture Agric. Res. Inst./ BreedingYantai PARI/Yantai, ShandongShanxi Wheat Res. Inst./Shanxi WRI/ BreedingLinfenHenan Acad. of Agric. Sci./Henan AAS/ Breeding/Quality/DiseasesZhengzhouXuzhou Prefecture Agric. Res. Inst./ BreedingXuzhou PARI/Xuzhou, JiangsuShaanxi Acad. of Agric. Sci./ Breeding/Genetics/DiseaseShaanxi AAS/YanglingNorthwest Agric. Univ./Northwest AU/ Breeding/Hybrid wheat/DiseasesYanglingNorthwest Botanic Res. Inst./ Breeding/Wide cross/Genetics

Northwest BRI/Yangling

III Jiangsu Acad. of Agric. Sci./Jiangsu AAS/ Breeding/Scab/Waterlogging/GeneticsNanjingNanjing Agric. Univ./Nanjing AU/Nanjing Scab/Genetics/SproutingYangzhou Prefecture Agric. Res. Inst./ BreedingYangzhou PARI/Yangzhou, JiangsuHubei Acad. of Agric. Sci./Hubei AAS/ Breeding/ScabWuhanZhejiang Acad. of Agric. Sci./ Breeding/ScabZhejiang AAS/HangzhouShanghai Acad. of Agric. Sci./ ScabShanghai AAS/Shanghai

IV Sichuan Acad. of Agric. Sci./ Breeding/Hybrid wheat/DiseaseSichuan AAS/ChengduSichuan Agric. Univ./Sichuan AU/Yaan Wide cross/GeneticsMianyang Prefecture Agric. Res. Inst./ BreedingMianyang PARI/SichuanYunnan Acad. of Agric. Sci./ BreedingYunnan AAS/KumingGuizhou Acad. of Agric. Sci./ BreedingGuizhou AAS/Guiyang



6

Wheat Breeding History andVarietal Replacement

Wheat breeding commenced in several universities,

missionaries of agricultur al agencies, and the

National Agricultural Bureau prior to the foundingof the P eop le’s Repu blic of China in 1949. A few

introductions an d reselections were recommend ed

for comm ercial prod uction, but most farmers u sed

landraces. Wheat breeding in China has progressed

rap idly since 1949. Major v arieties have been

replaced four to six times (Table 1.5), and eachreplacement has brought around a 10% yield

increase. Great progress ha s been ma de in yield

poten tial, rust resistance, earliness, and lodging

resistance. Plant height h as been red uced from 110-

120 cm in th e early 1950s to less than 90 cm a t

presen t; semid war f varieties cover most of the wheat

area, and double-dwarf varieties (around 80 cm)

have b een broad ly commercialized in the Yellow and

V Fujian Acad. of Agric. Sci./Fujian AAS/ Breeding/ScabFuzhou

VI Keshan Wheat Res. Inst./Keshan WRI/ BreedingKeshan, HeilongjiangHeilongjiang Acad. of Agric. Sci./ Breeding/Quality/DiseaseHeilongjiang AAS/HarbinNortheast Normal Univ./Northeast NU/ Wide cross/GeneticsChangchun, Jilin

VII Inner Mongolia Acad. of Agric. Sci./ BreedingInner Mongolia AAS/Hohhot

VIII Qinghai Acad. of Agric. Sci./ BreedingQinghai AAS/XiningNorthwest Plateau Botanic Res. Inst./ BreedingNorthwest PBRI/XiningGansu Acad. of Agric. Sci./Gansu AAS/ Breeding/Hybrid wheat

LanzhouNingxia Acad. of Agric. Sci./ BreedingNingxia AAS/Yongning

IX Tibet Agric. Res. Inst./Tibet ARI/Lhasa Breeding

X Xinjiang Acad. of Agric. Sci./ BreedingXinjiang AAS/Urumqi

Huai River Valleys (Zone II) and the Sichuan Basin

(Zone IV). Harv est ind ex has increased from 0.33 toapp roximately 0.42, and 1000-kernel weight has risen

from less than 30 to 40 g or more. Varieties combining

high yield potential and early maturity have enhanced

the d evelopmen t of mu lti-cropping systems in China.

Extension of top landracesIn the early 1950s, large nu mbers of land races were

collected and evaluated, and top land races with better

yield potential and disease tolerance wererecommen ded for produ ction. Reselections w ere also

mad e for improv ing landr aces. Top land races, theirreselections, and a few p romising introd uctions from

Italy and USA became the core paren ts of the newly

established breeding programs. Landraces are

characterized by good adaptation to the localenvironment, good seed app earance, tall plant h eight

(110-120 cm) and poor lodging resistance, lowyield

poten tial (1.5 t/ ha), and su sceptibility to major diseases.



7

New varieties and introductionsThe second varietal replacement started in the m id

1950s. New ly bred varieties such as Liying 3, Bima

1, Non gd a 183, Shan nong 205, and introdu ctionssuch as Mentana (introdu ced from Italy and

nam ed N and a 2419 in China), Ard ito (from Italy),

Villa Glori (from Italy and nam ed Zh ongn ong 28

in China), Minn 2761 (from USA and nam ed

Songhuajiang 2), CI 12203 (from USA and named

Gansu 96) were widely ad opted and replacedland races and their reselections. Bima 1, Nand a

2419, and Gan su 96 were the most w idely-grown

varieties in the late 1950s. The a rea sow n to Bima 1

reached 6 m illion ha in 1959 in Zone II, and N and a

2419 (Mentana) covered nearly 5 million ha in 1958

in Zon es III and IV, and CI12203 covered 0.53 million

ha in sp ring-sown spring wh eat areas. Bima 1’s yield

poten tial wa s 2.5-3.0 t/ ha.

Rust resistant varietiesThe yellow ru st epid emic of the early 1960s

necessitated the third varietal replacement, and rust

resistant varieties with early matu rity, redu ced plantheight, and high yield p otential have been the

leading v arieties since the m id 1960s. The ann ual

acreage of Jinan 2, Beijing 8, Shijiazhu an g 54,

Table 1.5. Leading varieties involved in varietal replacement in China, 1950-95.

Period* Variety type Leading varieties**

Early 1950s Top landraces and reselections Youzimai, Xuzhou 438, Qida 195,

Mazhamai, Pingyuan 50, ShangqiuhulutouMid 1950s Introductions and first group Liying 3, Nanda 2419, Ardito,Villa Glori,

of improved varieties Bimai , Nongda 183, Shannong 205,Zhenong 17, Hezuo 2, Songhuajiang 2,Gansu 96

Early 1960s Rust resistance and 10-20% Jinan 2, Beijing 8, Neixiang 5,yield increase, early maturity Shijiazhuang 54, Funo, Abbondanza,

Yangmai 1, Tevere, Wannian 2, Funo” s” ,Nongda 311

Early 1970s Rust resistance and better Taishan 1, Fengchan 3, Boai 7023, Jinan 9,yield, early maturity Taishan 4, Xuzhou14, St 1472/506,

Nongda 139, Beijing 10, Dongfanghong 3,Emai 6,Yangmai 3, Fan 6, Jinmai 2418,Orofen, Kehan 6, Kehan 7, Kehan 8,Ganmai 8

Early 1980s 1B/1R derivatives Fengkang 8, Bainong 3217,Shaan 7859,Jimai 26, Jimai 30, Lumai 1,Lumai 5,Lumai 7, Lumai 11, Xiaoyan 6, Xuzhou 21,Wan 7107,Yumai 13,Yangmai 5, Een 1,Mianyang11,Mianyang 15, Mianyang 20,Kefeng 3, Xinkehan 9

Early 1990s Improved 1B/1R derivatives Jing 411,Yumai 18, Yumai 21, Yumai 25,

Xian 8, Lumai 14, Lumai 15, Shaan 229,Jinmai 33, Jimai 36, Yangmai 158, Kehan 13,Ningchun 4

* Initial period of varietal replacement.** Leading varieties are listed based on sowing acreage in different zones.



8

Table 1.6. Percentage of wheat varieties developedby different methods, 1950-90.

Method 1950-59 1960-69 1970-79 1980-90

Introduction 43.1 27.3 20.3 17.5Reselection 15.8 16.6 13.7 8.0Hybridization 37.3 48.1 59.3 68.4Wide crosses 3.8 6.9 1.5 1.4Mutation - 1.1 5.2 4.1Others - - - 0.6Total 100 100 100 100

Source: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1995).

Neixiang 5, Abbond anza (introd uced from Italy),

and Funo (from Italy) achieved mo re than 1

million h a. Yield poten tial has continu ed to rise,

with m ost varieties yielding 4-5 t/ ha.

High yielding varieties with rustresistance and early maturityThe fourth varietal replacement occurred in the

early 1970s, and varieties with better yield

poten tial, early matu rity, and ru st resistance were

dissemina ted. The area sown ann ually to Taishan

1, with 6-7 t/ ha yield p otential, was som e 3.3

million h a. Fengcha n 3, St1472/ 506, Boai 7023, andBeijing 10 also covered large areas.

Improvement and disseminationof 1B/1R derivativesWhen 1BL/ 1RS derivatives such as Lovrin 10,

Lovrin 13, Predg ornaia 2, Kavkaz, and N euzu chtwere introd uced in th e early 1970s, they showed

qu ite good resistance to the prevailing races of

stripe ru st, leaf rust, and p owd ery mildew as they

carried the Y r9, Lr26 , and Pm8 resistance gen es

and matured normally in various heat-stressed

environm ents. Consequ ently, 1BL/ 1RS derivativeswere extensively used in crossing program s all

across China, and an overwhelming majority of varieties released since the early 1980s carried th e

1BL/ 1RS translocation. How ever, the stripe ru st

and pow dery m ildew resistance conferred by

1BL/ 1RS is no long effective. Most lead ingcommercial varieties (except for Bainong 3217 and

Yangm ai 5) are 1B/ 1R derivatives; representatives

of 1B/ 1R derivatives include Shaan 7859, Lumai 7,

Jima i 30, and Yum ai 13.

Yield p otential and disease resistance of 1B/ 1R

derivatives were further improved; representativevar ieties of the ea rly 1990s include Jing 411, Yum ai

18, Lum ai 14, Luma i 15, Yum ai 21, and Yum ai 25.

Yangm ai 158, a sister line of Yang ma i 5, is the lead

variety in the Yangtze region.

Breeding Methodology andVarietal Testing System

Introdu ctions, reselections, hybridizations, wid e

crosses, mutations, and anther culture are employed inChina’s wheat imp rovemen t progra ms. Table 1.6

shows the percentage of varieties produced from these

meth ods d uring th e 1950-1990 period. Hybrid ization,

wh ich bega n in th e late 1920s, is the major method

used in China. The percentage of varieties derived

from introductions d ecreased rapid ly as wh eatbreeding programs across the country ad vanced. An

overw helming m ajority of leading comm ercial

varieties are developed by conventional breeding.

HybridizationIntervarietal hybridization is still the most p opu lar

and produ ctive breeding method in China. It is

supp lemented by induced m utation, anther culture,

and wide crosses. Chinese breeding p rograms are

small in size but cond uct intensive observation and

selection. Most programs make 200-400 crosses

ann ua lly; one third are top crosses, a few are dou ble

crosses, and there are limited backcrosses. Some h igh

yielding varieties are developed from sequential

crosses. Usually 2000 plants are sown for each F 2

cross; trad itional ped igree selection is still wid ely

practiced, although some p rograms are trying

modified pedigree and bulk methods. Since varietal

uniformity is an important criterion for determining



9

varietal release and a dop tion of new v arieties by

farmers, around 100 F 6 (and later) lines are usu ally

included in a p rimary yield trial conducted in only

one location with two rep lications.

Adv anced lines selected from prim ary yield trials are

promoted to yield trials that take two to three years

in breeder ’s field w ith three to four rep licates. One to

two lines from each breeding program are included

in regional or p rovincial yield trials. It takes eight to

ten years from crossing to wh en a variety finishes the

regional trial. If fun ding p ermits, greenhou ses and

off-season growing in south Ch ina are used to

shorten breeding cycles. Hybridization has been andwill continu e to be the major breeding m ethod in

China, although great interest has been shifted tohybrid wheat and biotechnology.

Wide crossesWide crossing w as initiated in the 1950s in China,

and both intersp ecific and intergeneric crosses arepracticed. It is widely employed to produce new

germp lasm or transfer desirable characters, such as

disease resistance from w ild species to comm on

wh eat, rather than d evelop new varieties directly.

The following w ild relatives have contribu ted gen etic

resources valuable for wheat improvement: Secale , A egilops , A gropyron , Hayn aldia , Elyt rigia , and Elymus .

Among varieties generated through alien gene

transfer, Xiaoyan 6 with A gropyron elongatum in its

ped igree is the most su ccessful one. It has been

wid ely grown in th e western p arts of the Yellow an dHu ai River Valleys (Zone II) for 13 years. Cytological

examination showed that it carries two translocations

between two small A . elongatum chromosome

segments and tw o wheat chromosomes. Longmai

varieties developed from w heat and Elyt rigiaintermedia were also released in H eilongjiangProvince. Early in the 1950s an octoploid triticale

program w as started in China, and several varieties

were released for prod uction in the hilly areas of

Guizhou Province in the late 1970s and 1980s.

Mutation breedingThis method ology involves irradiating varieties, F 1

seed, and late generations and was w idely used inChinese wh eat breeding p rogram s from the 1960s to

1980s. Gamma rays h ave been the d ominantirradiation agent, although neutrons and laser beam

have also been used. Experience shows that

irradiation could be u sed to improve yield potential

through redu cing p lant height and improvinglodging resistance, and to improve m aturity and

disease resistance. Up to th e early 1980s, more than

50 wheat v arieties were d eveloped through m utation

breeding in China, and mu ch new germplasm has

been obtained through irradiation. Among leading

commercial varieties generated from irradiation in

the p ast 30 years are Emai 6, Xinshu gua ng 1,Ningm ai 3, Zheng liufu, Jinfeng 1, and Shannon gfu

63. Howev er, the u se of irradiation in w heat breed ing

has becom e less common , since its limitations for

producing desirable variations has been widely

recognized.

Anther cultureAnther culture has been a sup plemental breeding

meth od since the late 1970s. At p resent, it is u sed to

shorten breed ing cycles, to create new variation, and

to develop new varieties. The first commercial wheatvariety derived from anther cultu re, Jinghu a 1, wa s

released in Beijing in 1984. Huapei 764, developed

using anther culture, is grown in Gansu Province,

and Kuihua 1 is grown in the winter wheat area of

Xinjiang. Generated throu gh anth er cultur e, Beijing8686, with short statu re and early matu rity, was

released in Beijing in 1995. Although considerable

resources have been allocated to an ther culture, very

few outstanding v arieties have been d eveloped

compared with conventional breeding. In general,

four factors have largely red uced the efficiency of anther culture in wh eat varietal development:

difference in genotypic response to an ther culture,

low ind uction frequency of pollen callus, low

differentiation frequency of green p lantlets, and

chromosome dou bling.



10

Utilization of Taigu dominantmale-sterile wheat ( Ta1 or ms2 )Taigu m ale-sterile wheat w as d iscovered in Taigu

County of Shanxi Province in 1972. Its male

sterility is controlled by a d omina nt gene, ms2 ,

also called Ta1 by Ch inese scientists. A small

nation-wide n etwork led by th e ChineseAcadem y of Agricultu ral Sciences has

investigated the effects of recurrent selection an d

dev eloped n ew varieties through the use of Taigu

male-sterile wh eat. Recurrent selection has b een

adop ted for pyram iding major and m inor genes

for scab resistance, for improving salt anddrought tolerance, and for improving yield

performa nce. Nanjing Agricultural University

and South China Agricultural University reportedthat both scab resistance and yield performance

could be improved simultaneously through

recurrent selection.

The Ta1 or ms2 gene is also emp loyed as a

crossing tool by conventional breeding programs,

and 19 new varieties were released a ccording to a

report p ublished in 1994. The most pop ular

varieties from Taigu wh eat include Jihe 02 andLuma i 15, wh ich show high yield poten tial and

early matu rity, Lun kan 6 and 7, combining saltand drough t tolerance with high yield potential,

and Emai 11 and T 400, with high yield

performa nce and scab resistance equal to or better

than Sumai 3. Details of using Taigu w heat inChina are well documented in a Chinese book

titled Use of Taigu M ale-St erile Wheat in Wheat

Breeding , pu blished in 1995.

Variety release proceduresand naming system

After two to three years of yield testing w ithin theinstitute, outstanding ad vanced lines (one or two

lines from each p rogram) are sent to cooperative

prov incial yield trials or/ and regional yield trials.

Provincial yield trials are distributed within

provinces and coordinated by the provincial seed

adm inistration agency, and may be divided into

several types based on wheat typ es (winter

hard iness), sowing times, and irrigation

conditions. Regional yield trials coordinated bythe Ministry of Agricultu re are sown across

several provinces w ithin the sam e ecological

zones. It takes two to three years to complete

most p rovincial and regional yield trials.

In general, 10 to 20 advan ced lines are includ ed

and planted in some 10 locations for regional

yield trials. Demon strative prod uction trials

include several top advanced lines; one standardvariety (check) is also included to evalua te

varietal performance in farmers’ fields. Varietiesreleased at the provincial level are determined by

the resu lts of provincial yield trials and

dem onstration p rodu ction trials. Regional yield

trials are designed to identify a variety’sad apta tion area; varieties released by m ore than

two p rovinces or having good performance in

regional trials could be registered by the Ministry

of Agriculture.

Though there are several ways of naming a

variety in China, the alternative nam e of theprovince is generally u sed along w ith the

abbreviation of the institute and the variety

characters. For examp le, Yu is the alternative

nam e of Hen an Province, and Mai is wheat in

Chinese; thu s Yum ai means wh eat from Hen anProvince. Yangm ai mean s wh eat variety from

Yangzh ou Prefecture Agricultural Research

Institute of Jiangsu Province. Feng m eans

abund ant harvest in Chinese, and Kang means

resistance, so Fengkang means abund ant h arvest

and good d isease resistance. Alternative nam es of some provinces and abbreviations of some

institutes, as well as som e variety traits, are given

below in Chinese.



11

Alternative names of provincesJing = Beijing

Ji = Hebei ProvinceLu = Shandong Province

Yu = H enan ProvinceShaan = Shaanxi Province

Jin = Shanxi Province

Chuan = Sichuan Province

Yun = Yun nan ProvinceNing = Jiangsu Province

Wan = Anh ui Province

E = Hubei Province

Gan = Gansu Province

Ning = Ningxia Autonom ous Region

Xin = Xinjiang Au tonom ous Region

Nei = Inner Mongo liaFu = Fujian Province

Gui =Guizhou Province

Long = H eilongjiang Province

AbbreviationsZhengzhou = Capital city of Henan Province

Taiyuan = Cap ital city of Shanxi Province

BAU = Beijing Agricultur al Un iversity (renamed

China Ag ricultural Un iversity, CAU)

Yan = Yant ai Prefecture Agr icultu ral Research

Institute of Shand ong ProvinceYang = Yangzh ou Prefecture Agr icultu ral Research

Institute of Jiangsu Province

Xuzh ou = Xuz hou P refecture Agricultural

Research Institute of Jiangsu Province

Mianyang = Mianyang Prefecture AgriculturalResearch Institute of Sichuan Province

Lifen = Linfen Wheat Research Institute of Shan xi

Province

Ke = Keshan Wheat Research Institute of

Heilongjiang Province

Common Chinese wordsused in naming varietiesMai = Wheat

Nong = Agriculture

Chun = Spring

Dong = Winter

Feng = Abund ant harvest

Kang = Resistance

Ai = Short

Hu a = Anther Culture

Han = Drought

Zao = Early Maturity

Bai = Wh ite

Hong = Red

Mang = Awn

Contribution of Landraces andIntroductions to Wheat Improvementin China

Chinese local varieties are characterized by early

matu rity, more kernels per spikelet, and good

adaptation to local environments. Landraces with

resistance/ tolerance to low temperature, heat,

drou ght, w aterlogging, salinity, acid soil, low soilfertility, and head scab have been identified.

How ever, on the nega tive side, Chinese wh eats are

rather ta ll, low yielding, and often susceptible to

prevailing diseases, lodging, and shattering.

Therefore, varieties are introduced from Italy, USA,

former Soviet Union , Roman ia, Mexico (CIMMYT),Australia, Canada, and other countries to improve

local varieties or for use d irectly by farmers. It wa s

reported that m ore than h alf of varieties released in

1950-1986 were dev eloped from crosses betw een

imported varieties and Chinese landraces or their

derivatives.

Utilization of landracesLandraces formed the basis for wh eat improvement

programs in China, and names of landracesfrequentlypr esent in the pedigrees of improved

varieties are sh own in Table 1.7.



12

Direct use of foreign varietiesIntrodu ced varieties have p layed an imp ortant role

in Chinese wheat produ ction. Outstandingintroductions include Mentana, Abbondan za, Funo,

St1472/ 506, Qua lity, and CI12203. Direct use o f introdu ctions is d etailed in Table 1.8. It was

concluded that a few early maturing hard red

winter w heats from USA were u sed m ostly in the

Table 1.8. Direct use of introduced wheats in China.

Original Chinese Maximum annual Sownname name Origin* acreage (000 ha) region

Ardito - Italy 400 (in 1960) Zone III

Villa Glori Zhongnong 28 Italy 200 (in 1960) Zones III and IVMentana Nanda 2419 Italy 4700 (in 1958) Zones II, III, IVFuno - Italy 1200 (in 1977) Zones II, III, IVAbbondanza - Italy 2100 (in 1966) Zones II and IIISt 1472/506 Zhengyin 1 Italy 1100 (in 1979) Zone IILibellula - Italy 35 (in 1986) GansuCI 12203 Gansu 96 USA 670 (in 1959) Zones VI and VIIIEarly Premium Nongda 1 USA 130 (in 1959) Zone IMinn 2761 Songhuajiang 2 USA 70 (in 1959) Zone VIMerit - USA 46 (in 1959) Zone VIUkraine 0246- FSU 230 (in 1961) XinjiangNew Ukraine 83 - FSU 170 (in 1964) Xinjiang and GansuNew Ukraine 84 - FSU 32 (in 1975) XinjiangRed Star - FSU 57 (in 1972) XinjiangPredgornaia 2 - FSU 44 (in 1986) XinjiangCajeme F71 - CIMMYT 56 (in 1982) Yunan, Zones V,VII, VIIIPenjamo 62 - CIMMYT 100 (in 1976) Zones VII and VIIIMexipak 65 - CIMMYT 50 (in 1985) Yunnan, Xinjiang0230** CIMMYT 40 (in 1989) YunnanQuality - Australia 800 (in 1959) Zone IIOrofen - Chile 330 (in 1979) Zones III,V,VII,VIIIThatcher Songhuajiang 1 Canada 33 (in 1957) Zone VICI 12302 Songhuajiang 7 Canada 110 (in 1976) Heilongjiang

* FSU = Former Soviet Union.** 0230 = CM26346-A-17Y-6Y-4M-0Y.Source: Zheng and Liu (1993).

breeding programs of North China Winter Wheat

Region (Zone I), wh ile USA hard red sp ring w heats

are well-adap ted to the Northeast Spring Wheat

Region (Zone VI). Italian va rieties p erformed very

well in Yellow and Hu i River Valleys (Zon e II),Yangtze Valley (Zon e III), Sou thw est Wheat Region

(Zone IV), and North west Spring Wh eat Region (Zone

VIII). Some varieties from the former Soviet Union

Table 1.7. Landraces frequently present in the pedigrees of improved varieties.

Landrace Main characters used in breeding Major varieties developed

Jingdongmen Fast grainfilling Liying 3 and 4, Aiganzao, Liaochun 10Hechuanguangtou More kernels per spikelet Shannong 205, YaanzaoChengduguangtou More kernels per spikelet Wuyimai, Fan 6 and 7, Ganmai 8 and 23Mazhamai Adaptation, good yield Bima 1, Bima 4, Jinan 2, Beijing 8, Taishan 1

Shjiazhuang 54, Ji 12057Yanda 1817 Adaptation, winter hardiness Nongda 183, Nongda 311, Dongfanghong 3

Nongda 139, Beijing 10, Hanxuan 10Youzimai Good adaptation Youbaomai, Jinan 9, Lumai 7, Lumai 13,

Lumai 14, Yannong 15

Source: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (1995).



14

durum contr ibut e less than 1%, respectively. A few T.

orientale an d T . polonicum were also collected. Three

endemic subspecies of T. aestivum discovered in

China are: T. aestivum spp. yunn anense King includ ing

16 botanical varieties from Yun nan ; T. aestivum spp.tibetanum Shao hav ing 23 botanical varieties from

Tibet; and T. aestivum spp. petropavlovskyi (Udaez. et

Migusch) Dong including seven botan ical varieties

from Xinjiang .

The Future

Although w heat breeding in China has achievedmu ch since 1949, there are still many u nsolved

problem s. In most less developed a reas of the

country, wh eat breeding lags behind produ ctionrequirements. Breeding for powdery mildew

resistance and improved ind ustrial quality needs to

be strengthen ed. Genetic diversity of new ly releasedvarieties is relatively limited. Cooperation am ong

wheat breeding programs, exchange of genetic

material and information, and multi-locational

testing of adv anced lines must be encouraged.

Dup lication among w heat programs has to be

reduced to a m inimu m so as to imp rove resource useefficiency. Well-trained scientists are also needed to

improve w heat breeding m ethodology.

Developm ent of varieties with high yield p otential,

broad ad apta tion, good stability, resistance to biotic

and abiotic stress, and acceptab le ind ustrial qualitywill be Ch ina’s m ajor breed ing objectives; how ever,

priorities vary w ith the region. To help a chieve this,

wheat breeding sup port programs, which deal with

such things as alien gene transfers and introduction

and development of new germp lasm with high yield

poten tial, good ind ustrial quality, and m ulti-resistance to diseases and pests, should be more

closely related to p ractical breeding.

Breeding for high yield poten tial remains the first

priority, since the Chinese p opu lation increases by

more than 1% each year and arable land diminishes

by 1%. To further improv e yield p otential,

emph asis is placed on developing long-spike

materials with more kernels or higher kernel

weight per spike; breeding for semidwarf stature,

straw q uality, and better lod ging resistance; andresistance/ tolerance to pow dery mildew and high

temperature during grainfilling. A few advanced

lines in Zone II yielded more than 9 t/ ha in thepast few years, but other attributes need further

improv emen t before they can be comm ercially

released. Hybrid wheat using T-cytoplasm and K-

cytoplasm, chemical hybridizing agents, and dual-

line hybrids w ill continue to be a lternatives for

yield improvement.

Drought tolerance for rainfed areas should bestrengthened because varieties w ith drough t

tolerance or better w ater u se efficiency are u rgently

needed. Initially most wheat breeding programs in

China d eveloped varieties for optimu menvironments, and few p aid attention to drough t

tolerance even thoug h half of the country ’s whea t

area is rainfed, particularly the spring sown spring

wh eat reg ions (Zon es VI, VII, and VIII).

Chinese wheats generally have poor bread making

and nood le making q uality. Varieties with goodbread m aking quality introdu ced from USA and

other coun tries show late matu rity, weak straw,

susceptibility to d iseases, small kernel size, and

low yield poten tial. Better quality Chinese wh eats

show less d esirable quality attributes than w heatsfrom USA and Canad a, and also have a 5-10% yield

disadvantage compared w ith Chinese standard

varieties. At present, the n ational progra m gives

priority to bread m aking qu ality; each year a large

number of crosses are made between lines with

good bread m aking quality characters and highyielding Chinese varieties to develop va rieties

combining ear ly matu rity, disease resistance, good

qua lity, and high yield poten tial. Research w ill also

be condu cted to determ ine the selection criteria for

Chinese noodle making quality.



15

Chapter 2.The North China Winter Wheat Zone

• Fast grainfilling rate and high temperaturetolerance at ripening.

• Early maturity, to sow a second crop earlyenough to increase production and avoidsprouting d amage after late June.

• White kernel preferred, although red grainis also acceptable.

Subzone II, Loess Plateau, including central andsouth eastern Shanxi Province, north ern Wei

Plateau an d Yanan Prefecture in Shaanxi

Province, and Qingyang and Pingliang

Prefectures in Gan su Prov ince, is characterized by

semi-arid an d continental climate, loess soils, andpoor soil fertility. Althou gh the irrigated area ha s

increased, dryland farming still predominates,

and a single crop per year or three crops in two

years is the most common cropp ing system. Some

1.2 million ha of w heat are cropp ed each year.

Breeding objectives includ e:• Winter hardiness, since average temperature

in Janu ary ran ges from -5.0 oC to -9.0 oC, with -

30 oC minimu m temperature.

• Drought resistance or tolerance, strong

tillering ability, and ph otoperiod sensitivity.

• Tolerance to poor soil fertility.• Resistance to yellow rust (Pingliang and

Tianshu i, Gansu Province, are hot spots),

pow dery mildew, leaf rust, barley yellow

dw arf (BYD), red stu nt tran smitted by

leafhopp ers, and blue stunt transmitted by

mycoplasm.• For irrigated areas, high yield p otential and

early matu rity.

• White kernel preferred, although red grain is

also acceptable.

General Information and BreedingObjectives

The North China Winter Wheat Zone (Zone I),

where true winter-habit wheats are grow n, is

located on the n orthern border (exclud ing Xinjiang)

of the autumn sown w heat area in China, including

the n ortheastern plain of H ebei Province, Beijing,and Tianjin, the central and sou theastern p arts of

Shanxi Province, north ern p arts of Shaan xi

Province, most of eastern Gansu Prov ince, and the

southern p art of the Liaodong Peninsula of

Liaoning Province. The acreage sown to winter

wh eat ann ually is around 2.5million ha, accoun ting

for about 8.8% of total wheat area in China. Wheat

is sown from mid Septemb er to early October and

harv ested from m id June to m id July. It is

subdivided into two subzones:

Subzone I, Northeast ern Plai ns of Hebei Prov ince,

compr ising Beijing and Tianjin, and north ern H ebei

Province, has good irrigation, and high yields can

generally be obtained . Two crops are h arvested

annually; wheat-maize rotation or intercropping is

pra cticed, and th e ann ual w heat area is 1.3 million

ha. Breeding objectives includ e:

• High yield potential and stable performance,good tillering ability, short statu re, andlodging resistance.

• Winter hardiness, since average temperaturein Janu ary ran ges from -3.5 oC to -8.0 oC with aminimum temperature of -21 oC.

• Drought resistance in spring and p hotoperiodsensitivity.

• Resistance to stripe rust, powd ery mildew,leaf rust, and ap hids.



17

Table 2.2 . Duration, varietal type, and leading varieties in northern Shaanxi, western part of Zone I f rom the1940s to the present.

Duration Variety type Leading variety*

1940s Landraces Zizhou Baimangmai, Huangmangmai, SuideChangmangmai, Yanan Laomangmai, Yanan Laomai,Siyuehuang, Hongtumai

1950s Introductions Zhongsu 68, Kanred, Ukarine 0246

Early 1960s Improved varieties Nongda 36, Nongda 183, Shijiazhuang 407, Huabei 187with drought tolerance

Late 1960s Rust resistance Nongda 311, Taigu 49, Beijing 5

1970s Locally developed Yanan 6, Yanan 11, Yanan 15, Beijing 10, Nongda 155,new varieties Nongda 157

Late 1980s Locally developed Qinmai 4,Yanan 17, Yanan 19, Yulin 3, Yanan 17 “ s” -1,to present new varieties Changwu 131

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing acreage.Source: Jin (1983) and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1996).

Table 2 .3. Durat ion, varietal type, and leading varieties in Qingyang Prefecture, eastern Gansu, western part ofZone I, from 1950s to the present.


Before 1954 Landraces Qimai, Jianmai, Mangmai, Tuzimai

1953-58 Introductions from Shaanxi and landraces Bima 1, Baiqimai

1958-64 Introductions from Beijing Nongda 36, Nongda 183

1965-78 Introduction and locally bred varieties Jinan 2, Xifeng 9, Qingxuan 15

1978 to 87 High yield and broad adaptation Qingfeng 1, Xifeng 16

Aft er 1987 Resist ance to drought, cold, and BYDV Xifeng 18, Xifeng 19, Qingnong 2,Yulin 3


Table 2 .4. Durat ion, varietal type, and leading varieties in Pingliang Prefecture, eastern Gansu, western part ofZone I, from 1950s to the present.


Before 1960s Landraces and introductions Baiqimai, Henanhong, Cheyenne/EarlyBlackhull,Bulgarian 10

1970s Locally bred varieties Pingliang 1, Pingliang 21, Zhong 11-7

1980s to present High yielding and resistance Qinmai 4, Xifeng 16to rust and abiotic stress




18

Pedigrees of Major Varieties

Landraces and w heat breedingLandraces are characterized by strong winter habit,

ph otoperiod sensitivity, strong tillering ability,tolerance to drou ght an d p oor soil fertility, barley

yellow d wa rf (BYD) resistance in no rthern Shaanxi

and eastern Gansu, and good ad aptation to the local

environment. However, they are tall and have p oor

lodging resistance, yellow rust susceptibility, small

spikes, and sm all kernel size, thus low yieldpotential.

Wheat breed ing in this zone started in the late 1920s.

Dingxian 72, Yan jing Baima ngbai, Yanda 1885, an d

Mingxian 169 were released b y reselection, an d Beixi11 and Zh ongsu 68 were released by hybrid ization inthe early 1950s. All these varieties maintained the

ad apta tion of local varieties, but their straw stren gth

was slightly improved . Dingxian 72 was d istributed

in some pa rts of Hebei Province; Mingxian 169 and

Zhon gsu 68 were grown in central Shan xi. How ever,

their acreage was very limited, amoun ting to about53,000 ha in the early 1950s. Improved varieties, as

exemplified by N ongd a 183 and its derivatives, were

largely grown since the late 1950s.

There are seven key b reeding institutes in Zone I, i.e,

the Ch inese Academy of Agricultu ral Sciences(CAAS), Beijing (Pekin g) Agricultu ral Un iversity

(BAU or PAU, renam ed Ch ina Agricultural

University, CAU), and Beijing Acad emy of

Agricu ltural Sciences (Beijing AAS) in Beijing; Shan xi

Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Shanxi AAS) in

Taiyu an ; Yanan Prefectu re Agricultu ral ResearchInstitu te (Yana n PARI) in Yanan, Shaa nxi Prov ince;

and Qingyan g Prefecture Agricultural Research

Institute (Qingyang PARI) and Pingling PrefectureAgricultural Research Institute (Pingling PARI) in

Gansu Province. In total, some 140 varieties w ere

released from 1950 to 1990; most varieties weredev eloped by v arietial hybridization (Table 2.5),

althoug h introd uction, reselection, and w ide crosses

were also used.

Nongda 183, the first commercial varietyderived from Yanda 1817/ TriumphYand a 1817, a reselection of land race Pingy ao

Xiaobaimai from Shan xi, show ing tolerance to drou ght

and poor soil fertility, strong tillering a bility, and good

adap tation, was crossed with Triumph , an early winter

variety introd uced from Kansas State College, toimprov e rust an d lod ging resistance of local varieties.

A group of new varieties combining ru st resistance

with high y ield p otential, such as N ongd a 183,

Non gd a 36, Non gd a 311, Huab ei 187, Huabei 672, and

Shjiazhuang 407, were released (Figure 2.1). Genetic

analyses ind icated the stripe rust resistance of thiscross was controlled by a sing le domin ant gen e. These

varieties were wid ely used from the late 1950s to the

early 1960s; they becam e the core p arents of severalwheat breeding p rograms in this zone.

Non gd a 183, released by BAU in 1957, was th e mostoutstan ding variety selected from Yand a 1817/

Trium ph . (Non gd a is the Chinese abbreviation for

BAU.) It w as characterized by good resistance to stripe

rust, cold an d d rough t, early matu rity, good tillering

ability w ith high tillering rate, w hite kernel, high y ield

potential, and wide ad aptation. Based on four years’data und er irrigated cond itions, the average yield of

Non gd a 183 was 3,709.5 kg/ ha, 39.8% higher than thelocal variety Guan gtoub ai. On av erage, it yielded

2,320.5 kg/ ha u nd er rainfed conditions over three

years, 23.1% better than the local variety Guan touba i.

It also outyielded the check variety by more than 10%in regional yield trials. Non gd a 183 became a lead ing

variety in Subzon es I and II, and covered 170,000 ha at

its peak in the early 1960s.

Table 2.5. Number of variet ies developed by variousmethods in Zone I.

Breeding method 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Total

Introduction 10 0 0 0 10Reselection 3 5 3 3 14Hybridization 7 19 30 56 112Wide crosses 0 4 0 0 140




19

Non gd a 36, a sister line of Nong da 183 and

morp hologically very similar, was a lso released b y

BAU in 1957. It had better perform ance in d rough t

prone areas and was a leading variety in eastern

Hebei, Xinxian Prefecture of Shanxi, northern Shaanxi,and eastern Gan su, with a n acreage of 170,000 ha at its

peak in the ea rly 1960s.

Non gd a 311, released by BAU in 1963, had a similar

performance to Nongd a 183, but m atured 1-2 days

late, with red kernel. All varieties derived from Yand a

1817/ Trium ph , except Non gd a 311, became

susceptible to stripe ru st in 1964, a severe epid emic

year. Non gd a 311replaced Non gd a 183, and its sowingarea expanded rapidly, with an average annu al sown

acreage of 330,000 ha in th e 1960s.

F3 lines from Trium ph / Yand a 1817 were d istributed to

several institutes in this region, and Hu abei 187 was

released by CAAS. It was planted in Beijing, centralShanxi, north ern Shaan xi Plateau and Xingjiang.

Beijing 5 a nd Beijing 6 w ere reselected from H uab ei

187 in 1962, and the former p erformed better u nd er

poor soil fertility cond ition in rainfed areas. Taiyuan

566 and Kashi 4 were also released from Yanda 1817/

Trium ph in Shanxi Province a nd Xinjiang, respectively.

Improvement of Yanda 1817/TriumphderivativesStripe rust and lodging resistant va rieties for irrigated

cond it ions. In the mid 1960s, with the stead y

improv emen t in w ater an d fertilizer availability, yield

performance up to 6,000 kg/ ha was n ot unu sual for

irrigated areas. The breeding p rogram s in Beijing and

Shanxi Province focused on breed ing varieties

respon sive to inp uts, with resistance to lodging an d

stripe rust, good yield p otential, and bigger grain size.

Non gd a 183, Hu abei 672, and Beijing 6 were u sed a s

major p arents crossing w ith the introduced rust-resistant varieties with large head and grain. Thus

Dongfangh ong 3, Nong da 139, and Beijing 10 were

released, and each covered m ore than 333,000 ha at

their maxmim sowing season.

Dongfangh ong 3, a reselection of Nongd a 45, was

released by BAU in 1967. It possessed good winter

hard iness, medium to late matu rity, resistance to stripe

rust and lodging with strong stem, large head, biggrain size, and high yield poten tial. It was planted in

eastern p art of Zone I and north Shaanxi.Dongfangh ong 3 occupied 500,000 ha at its maximu m

sowing season and took a leading position in

prod uction un til 1980. Nongd a 45 was d erived from

Wheat-Agropyron Hybrid 186/ Nongda 17/ / EarlyPremium. Wheat-Agropyron Hybrid 186, introduced

from Russia, was n oted for its big head an d strong

stem. Non gd a 17 with very early m atur ity, is a sister

line of Non gda 183. Early Premium, an early winter

variety, morp hologically un distingu ishable from

Trium ph , also introd uced from Kansas State College,

showed good resistance to stripe ru st. Nongda 45performed thick stem, large head , resistance to stripe

rust, and broad a dap tability, but late matu rity.

Zaoying45, a r eselection of Nongd a 45, was crossed

with line 334, and Chan gzhi 648 (Jinmai 15) was

released in 1976. It was resistant to sp routing a ndrusts,and cover ed 69,000 ha in south east Shan xi.

Theirpedigr ees are detailed in Figure 2.2.

Nongda 17 Nongda 36 Nongda 183 Nongda 311 Shijiazhuang 407 Huabei 187 Huabei 672

reselection

Kashi 4 Beijing 5 Beijing 6

Figure 2 .1. Varieties derived from Yanda 1817/Triumph.

Shanxi Pingyao Xiaobaimai

reselection

Yanda 1817 x Triumph



20

Nongd a 139 was developed from N ongda 183/

Virgilio/ / Yand a 1817/ / 30983 by BAU in 1969

(Figu re 2.3). Virgilio, originated in Italy, posses sed

resistance to stripe rust and leaf rust, with short an d

thick stem, and big h eads, and 30983, a rustresistant winter wh eat, was introdu ced from U.S.A.

Nongd a 139 possessed short stature and good

resistance to lodging an d strip e rust, high effective

tillering ability, good winter hard iness, white

kernel, but late ma turity. Because of the ou tstand ing

performa nces of Nongd a 139 in p rodu ctivity, rust

resistance, and good winter hardiness, it was

extensively planted in the irrigated areas w ith

ann ual sowing acreage of 370,000 ha. Taiyuan 633(Jinmai 16) was also released in Shanxi Province in

1975. It performed well und er both irrigated andrainfed environments and its annual sowing area

reached 67,000 ha in Shanxi Province.

Beijing 10 was released from H uab ei 672/ Xinshi

14/ / Skorospslka L-1/ Hu abei 672 by CAAS in1965 (Figure 2.4). Hua bei 672 wa s a sister line o f

Non gd a 183. Its produ ctivity and resistance to

lodging surpassed that of Nongd a 183, but its

extension wa s limited by sm all kernel size, late

matu rity, and red gr ain. Skorospslka L-1 with g ood

agronomic characters and rusts resistance, wasintrodu ced from Russia to Ch ina in 1956. Xinshi 14

was selected from Youzim ai/ Meimai 10 (from USA)

in Shijiazhu ang. Beijing 10 had a good combination

of yield compon ents an d p erformed 3750-5250 kg/

ha u nder good irrigated conditions, with white

grain, and med ium m aturity, but it showed

susceptiblity to leaf rust. It took a leading position

in production and its largest sowing area reached

570,000 ha in 1978. Tang ma i 2 was relected from

Beijing 10 in 1968. It mat ured earlier th an Beijing 10and was extended in eastern Hebei and has been a

leading variety in southern Xinjiang Autonomous

Region with an acreage of about 270,000 ha in 1990.

Drought resi st ant and po or soi l t olerant variet ies

for ra infed areas. In central Shanxi Province, 70%

of wheat is grown u nd er rainfed conditions. Since

the mid 1950s, various breeding programs have

focused on improving the d rought resistance of

Hu abei 187, Non gda 16, and Taigu 49 which w ere

derived from Yand a 1817/ Triumph . Hanxuan 10

(Jinm ai 5), Taiyu an 116 (Jinm ai 1), an d Jinn ong 3

(Jinmai 13) were released in Shan xi Province

(Figure 2.5). Breeding experience ind icated th at

selection criteria for d rough t resistant var ieties

includ ing strong tillering ability, quick tu rninggreen in spring , fast grainfilling rate, relatively high

thousand kernel weight and good seed plump ness,

and yield p erformance und er dry conditions.

Nongda 183 x Virgilio Yanda1817 x 30983 (USA)

F1 x F1

Nongda 139

Figure 2.3. Pedigree of Nongda 139.

Nongda 17 x Wheat-Agropyron Hybrid 186

F1 x Early Premium

Nongda 45reselection

Dongfanghong 3 Zaoying 45 x Line 344

Changzhi 648

Figure 2.2. Pedigrees of Nongda 45 and its derivatives.

Youzimai x Meimai 10(USA)

Huabei 672 x Xinshi 14 Skorospelka L-1 x Huabei 672

F1 x F1

Beijing 10

reselectionTangmai 2

Figure 2.4 . Pedigree of Beijing 10.



21

Hanxuan 10 was bred from Nongda 16/ Hu abei 187

by Jinzhong Prefectura l Agricultu ral Research

Institu te (Jinzh ong PARI) in 1966. It showed

outstanding p erformance und er rainfed conditions

and wa s the major variety in rainfed areas of centralShanxi, particularly in the areas of poor soil fertility.

Its sowing area reached 120,000 ha and was a lso

planted in northern Shaanxi. Hanxuan 10 was

crossed w ith 67-312, and Jinmai 17 w as released in

1976. It performed better than Han xuan 10 in terms

of yield p otential and drough t resistance and covered

17,000 ha in centra l Shanxi.

The F 3 pop ulation of Triumph / Yanda 1817 was

crossed to Mingxian 169, a local variety with d rough t

resistance and strong toleran ce to p oor soil fertility,and Taiyuan 116 was released b y Shanxi AAS. It w as

grown for many y ears in central Shan xi Province

wh ere nine out of ten years were dry. It was extended

to 27,000 ha in cent ral Shanxi.

There are large areas of saline and alkaline land in

Bohai Bay region including Tianjin. The Genetic

Institute of Chinese Acad emy of Sciences operated a

breeding p rogram in this region and Keyi 26 wa s

developed from Runan Fenzhimai ( T. turgidum )/

Qua lity/ / Early Premium in 1973 (Figure 2-5). It wascharacterized by strong tillering a bility, good winter

hard iness, disease resistance, and tolerance to

drou ght, salinity, and alkalinity. Keyi 26 outyielded

Non gd a 311 by 17% und er saline conditions. The

acreage of Keyi 26 and other Keyi varieties was abou t

280,000 ha in central Hebei Province and Tinjin, and

they also covered some 33,000 ha in no rth Wei Plateau

of Shaan xi Province. Its major shortcomings w ere

susceptibility to stripe ru st, weak straw, and limited

yield potential.

Beijing 8 derived fromBima 4/ Early PremiumBima 4/ Early Premiu m w as an excellent cross in the

North Winter Wheat Zone and H uang-hu ai

Facultative Wh eat Zon e. CAAS crossed Bima 4 w ith

Early Premium in Shijiazhu ang of Hebei Province, F 3

were introd uced to Beijing , and Beijing 8 wa s

developed in 1962 (Figure 2.6).

Beijing 8 had m odera te winter h ardiness, highresistance to stripe ru st, and w hite kernel and good

seed app earance. It matured tw o d ays earlier than

Non gd a 183. In Beijing, it outyielded check variety

Non gd a 183 by 30.1% based on th e regional yieldtrials w ith 35 locations collected in 1964 and 1965.

Bima 4 x Early Premium Heine Hvede x Orofen

Beijing 8 x F1

Beijing 14reselection

Hongliang 4 Hongliang 5 Jimai 1 Jimai 2

Figure 2.6 . Pedigree of Beijing 8 and it s derivatives.

Nongda 16 x Huabei 187 Triumph x Yanda 1817

Hanxuan 1 Hanxuan 2 Hanxuan 10 x Line 67-312 F3 x Mingxian 169

Jinmai 17 Taiyuan 116

Runan Fenzhimai (Triticum turgidum ) x Quality

F6 x Early Premium

Keyi 26Figure 2.5. Pedigrees of Hanxuan 10 and Keyi 26.



22

Beijing 8 w as also extensively tested at various

locations in Huang-huai Facultative Wheat Zone.

According to the d ata collected from five

representa tive locations of regional trial from 1963 to

1965, Beijing 8 sh owed 28% yield increase over Bima1. It was grown in the plains of North ern Winter

Wheat Zone, but its sowing area d eclined after

suffering from w interkill in 1967-68 wh eat season .

Aroun d 1970, it became the lead ing var ieties in

southern p arts of Hebei and Shanxi, northern p arts of

Henan, Shandon g, Jiangsu and Anhu i Provinces, and

the largest an nu al acreage reached 1.7 million ha . In

1975, du e to the ep idemic of new p hysiological race

17 in n orthern China, it became susceptible to striperust, and was replaced by other varieties.

The German variety Heine H vede (H.H.) showed

strong w inter habit, with thick and short stem, big

head, and resistance to stripe rust, but matu red too

late. Iden tification for stripe rust resistance is acommon p ractice in winter w heat breeding program

in north China. Orofen, a spring habit wheat

introdu ced to China in 1962, show ed excellent

resistance to the three rusts. Both Heine H ved e and

Orofen performed high yield potential. In an attempt

to exploit desirable gene combination from the tw o

varieties, CAAS crossed H .H. with Orofen in 1962.

Three-way cross (H.H./ Orofen/ / Beijing 8) was

mad e to improv e adap tability, early maturity, stripe

rust resistance, and high yield potential

simultaneously.

Beijing 14 was released in 1970 which w as resistant to

lodging and stripe ru st, with big head, big and w hitekernel and med ium m atur ity. In 1972, Hon gliang 4

with early maturity and Hon gliang 5 having medium

maturity suitable for optimu m growing conditions,

were reselected from Beijing 14. The 1,000 kern el

weight of these tw o varieties was abo ve 40 g. Jimai 1

(12057) and Jimai 2 (12040), reselections of Beijing 14,became the major varieties in central and sou thern

par ts of Hebei un der m ediu m soil fertilityenvironm ent. In 1979, the total acreage w as more

than 110,000 ha .

Resistant varieties released by the use of1B/1R translocation linesVarieties carrying the 1B/1R translocation . Leaf rust

occurred several times in this zone after the late

1960s and pow dery m ildew started to become a

limiting factor for wh eat p rodu ction in 1970s.

Beijing 8 x Virgilo

Nongda 45 x Beijing 8 F1 x Beijing 6

Youmangbai 4 x Lovrin 10 Youmanghong 7 x Lovrin 10

Fengkang 2 Fengkang 8

Neuzucht x Jiangdongmen Aurora x Jimai 2

Chi5021 x Rusalka (Bulgarian) 7021 x Lovrin 13 F3

F1 x F1 Radiation

Nongda 146 Yuangdong 3

Beijing 14 x Kangying 655

Fengkang 13

Figure 2.7. Pedigrees of varieties carrying the 1B/1R translocation.



23

Therefore, whea t breeding objectives ha ve focused

on development of varieties having high yield

potential and lodging resistance, with multiple

resistance to stripe and leaf rusts, and powdery

mildew. Lovrin 10 and Lovrin 13, both fromRomania, were introd uced to China in 1972. They

showed resistance to lodging, three rusts and

pow dery m ildew, and good agronomic characters

including d esirable maturing ap pearance, but also

very late m atur ity. They were frequen tly crossed

with improved local varieties, and a group of

outstanding varieties with better yield potential

and mu ltiple disease resistance were released in the

early 1980s (Figure 2.7).

CAAS cooperated with Beijing AAS releasedFengkang 2 an d Fengka ng 8 in 1983. Fengkan g 8

showed good resistance to rusts and pow dery

mildew, high yield poten tial (14.3% higher th an

Non gd a 139 in regiona l yield trials), big grain size,medium maturity, good w inter hardiness, and

broad ad aptation. It w as the leading v ariety in

1980s, covered 330,000 ha annually in this region.

Fengkang 2 with short stature and better yield

poten tial, wa s suitable for optimu m cond itions, with

high resistance or imm un e to stripe and leaf rusts, and

powdery mildew. However, the awnless character

limited its p opu larity, and it only covered 170,000 ha. In1987 and 1988, Fengkang varieties contributed 820,000

ha in Subzone I wh ich m ade u p 75% of the total

wheatar ea.

Nongd a 146 was released from Chi 5021/ Rusakla/ /

7012/ Lovrin 13 by BAU in 1986. It show ed good

resistance to three rusts and pow dery m ildew, good

winter h ard iness, early matu rity, short stem with good

lodging resistance. It w as sow n in Beijing, Tianjin, andnorth H ebei.

Yuand ong 3 was d eveloped from Aurora/ Jimai 2 by

rad iation of an F 3 material by CAAS in 1989. It ha d high

yield potential with early maturity, and was highly

resistant to stripe and leaf rusts and powd ery mildew. Italso showed good tolerance to saline-alkaline soil and

high temp erature. Yuand ong 3 was sown in Baoding

and Cangzhou Prefectures of Hebei and north p art of

Hu ang-Hu ai Facultative Zone, and Xinjiang.

Youmanghong 7 x Lovrin 10 Jingshuang 6 x Predgornaia 2

F1 x Jingshuang 3

5189 x 31770A

Beijing 837

Lovrin 10 x Youmanghong 7 Fengkang 2 x Changfeng 1

80-3775A x Zhongmai 5036 Jing 411 Jing 437

Beinong 2

Aurora x 5238-016

F1 x Hongliang 4 Youmanghong 7 x Lovrin 10 50123 x Nongda 183

F4 x Jingnong 79-106 Jinnong 79-1 x Dai 177

Jingdong 8 Jingdong 6

Figure 2.8 . Pedigrees of derivat ives of the 1B/1R translocation.



25

Yanan 6, showing resistance to th e viruses, good

winter h ard iness, drou ght tolerance, better yield

poten tial and broad a da ptab ility, was released for

commercial prod uction in th e early 1960s. It

performed w ell und er irrigated conditions and poorsoil fertility en vironm ents.

Subsequen tly, Bulgarian 10 was crossed with Taigu

49, and Yanan 11 was released by th e Yanan PARI in

1974. Bulgarian 10 was also resistant to three rusts,

but had late maturity and very poor cold and

dro ugh t tolerance. Taigu 49, a d erivative of Yand a

1817/ Triumph , was tolerant to cold, drought an d

rust w ith good agronom ic chara cters. Yanan 11inherited m ost of its chara cters from the tw o paren ts

and became the ma jor variety in hilly regions north to

Yanan and its annu ally sowing area reached 27,000 ha.

How ever, it matu red ra ther late. Beijing 5 show ing

tolerance to rust and early maturity was crossed with

Yanan 9, and Yanan 15 performing resistance todiseases and early matu rity was developed by Yanan

PARI in 1973. It was not on ly resistant to v irus d iseases

and stripe ru st, but also showed strong resistance to

high temp erature. It wa s the major variety in north Wei

Plateau and northern Shaanxi with the largest

extension area of 40,000 ha. Nongd a 155 and N ongd a

157 introdu ced from Beijing w ere recommend ed for

use in the p roduction in Yanan and Luochuan areas,

respectively.

Pingyao Landrace

Reselection

Yanda 1794 x Rs 8547 (Russia)

Zhongsu 68 x Comanche (USA)

Yanan 6

Bulgarian 10 x Taigu 49 Kumai x Beijing 6

Yanan 11 Yanan 9 x Beijing 5 Yulin 3

Yanan 15 x Yanan 13

Yanan 17 Yanan 19

reselection St2422/464 x Xiaoyan 96

Yanan 17 “ s” -1 7014-5 x Zhongsu 68

F1 x F 16-71

Changwu 131Beijing 8 x Suwon 11

F1 x Skorospelka 3B (Russia)

Changwu 7125 Kang 655 7122 x 251

Qinmai 4

Figure 2.9. Pedigrees of w heat varieties for North Shaanxi.



26

Yanan 13 carrying Zh ongsu 68 in its ped igree was

crossed with Yanan 15 to imp rove yield p otential,

disease resistance, and dw arfing the p lant height.

Yanan 17 was released by Yana n PARI in 1982; it

outyielded Yanan 15 by 14%, with high resistance towh eat blue stu nt an d BYDV, and lodging. It became

the leading var iety in Yanan with th e largest ann ual

acreage of 67,000 ha. Yanan 19, a sister line of Yana n

17, was also recommend ed to extend in 1985, with the

largest ann ual sow ing area of 47,000 ha, mostly

distributed in sou th Yanan . Yanan 17 “s”-1, a

reselection of Yanan 17, was released by Yanan PARI

in 1987. It performed better than Yanan 17 in yield

poten tial and disease resistance. Yanan 17 “s”-1positioned its leading role in late 1980s in south

Yanan, with around 53,000 ha in 1990. It is also sownin Pingliang and Qingyang Prefectures of Gansu.

The Yulin Prefectura l Agriculture Institute

(abbrev iated Yulin PARI) released Yulin 3 in ear ly1980s, which was d erived from Kum ai/ Beijing 6.

Kuma i is a land race of Henan Province. Yulin 3

showing resistance to drought and cold, and virus

disease, and mostly distributed in the dry hilly area of

nor th Yu lin, reached 67,000 ha in 1985. Meanw hile, it

was sow n in Qingyang Prefecture of Gansu.

Changw u 131derivated from St2422/ 464 / Xiaoyan96/ / Zhongsu 68/ 3/ F16-71, was realeased in 1989.

F16-71 was an introd uction from Roman ia, showing

good resistance to rusts. Changw u 131 had good y ield

poten tial, high resistance to rusts, but sh owed

susceptibility to w heat blue stu nt an d BYDV, and poorresistance to drought and cold. It was extended in

Chan gw u an d Binxian counties of north Wein Plateau,

and Pingliang and Qingyang Prefectures of Gansu,

with a sowing area of 87,000 ha in 1990.

Qinma i 4, released in 1982, had high yield p otentialwith lodging resistance, good winter hardiness, and

resistance to stripe ru st. It was m ainly distributed in

north Wei Plateau and some p arts of Qingya ng in

Gansu Province, and covered 100,000 ha in 1987.

Breeding w heat for virus resistance in north

Shaanxi ind icated th at the resistance wasgenetically controlled, but d isease severity was

closely related to en vironmen tal conditions.

Resistance to virus w as relatively dur able since thedisease performance of early introductions has

pra ctically remained un changed , for examp le, once

extensively sown variety Zh ongsu 68 still maintainsits virus resistance with a severity less than 10%.

Wheat varieties in Qingyang andPingliang, Gansu ProvinceQi ngyang P refecture. Local varieties w ere

characterized by tolerance to cold, drou ght andpoor soil fertility, but show ed susceptibility to

diseases and had poor yield potential. Theintroduced v arieties Cheyenne/ Early Blackhull and

New Ukraine 83 had outstanding p erformance and

they were u sed as m ajor parents in crossing w ith

local varieties, and new v arieties were d eveloped .Cheyenne/ Early Blackhull also played an

impor tant role in prod uction; its extension started

in the m id 1950s, and it was still grown in th e late

1970s. Improved varieties from Beijing a lso ad apted

well in eastern Gansu . Pedigrees of wh eat varieties

used in Qingyang are p resented in Figure 2.10.

Cheyenne/ Early Blackhull showed good resistance

to drou ght, cold, blue an d red stun ts, BYDV and

stripe rust. It had big gra in size and stab le yield

under various conditions. Its major shortcomings

were late matu rity and difficulty in thresh ing. The

Qingyan g PARI of Gansu Province crossed a

land race, Baiqimai, with Cheyenn e/ Early

Blackhu ll, and released Xifeng 1 in 1964. Its sowing

area reached 44,000 ha in 1970s. Jinnan 2, a leading

variety in Huang-Huai Facultative Wheat Zone in

1960s, was introdu ced and showed outstanding

performa nce. It wa s a leading variety in 1970s and

its sowing area reached 65,000 ha in 1976, sharing

37% of the w heat acreage in Qingy ang P refecture.



28

Hongqimai x Local Rye New Ukraine 83 x Cheyenne/Early Blackhull

Pingliang 1 F35616 x (Xibei 612 + Xinshimai)

Pingliang 21

Cheyenne/Early Blackhull x Abbondanza

Zhongliang 11

Reselection

Zhong 11-7

Figure 2.11. Pedigrees of wheat varieties used in Pingliang Prefecture.

Pingliang Prefecture. Pedigrees of wheat va rieties

used in Pingliang are show n in Figure 2.11.

Pingliang 1 (Ganmai 5) was developed through

natural hybridization between local landrace

Hon gqimai an d rye in 1962. The local rye wa sresistant to frost injury an d had strong drough t

resistance. Pingliang 1 w as also resistant to frost

injury and drough t and stripe rust, and h ad

strong stem. It was grow n extensively in the

eastern p lain of Pingliang area.

The Pingliang PARI crossed a F 3 line of New Ukraine

83 x Cheyenne/ Early Blackhull by mixed pollination

with Xibei 612 and Xinshi 3, and Pingliang 21 was

released in 1969. It retained cold tolerance, drou ght

tolerance, strong tillering ability, and resistance tostripe ru st and BYDV. It was the major variety w ith a

largest ann ual acreage of 45,000 ha.

The Tiansh ui Prefectural Agriculture Institute

(Tianshu i PARI) crossed Cheyenn e/ Early Blackhull

with Abbondan za and released Zhon gliang 11. Zhong

11-7, a reselection of Zho nglian g 11, was released in

1973. By 1983, it extend ed to 35,000 ha .



29

Chapter 3.The Huang Huai Facultative Wheat Zone


The Hu ang-Hu ai Facultative Wheat Zone (Zone II),wh ere facultative wh eat is mostly grown, is located in

the war m, tempera te Hua ng (Yellow) and H uai River

Valleys, south Ding and Cang Cou nties of Hebei

Province, the entire Shan don g Province, Linfen and

Yun cheng Prefectures of Shanxi Province, the central

par t of Shaanxi Province, Tianshu i Prefecture of GansuProvince, most parts of Henan, and parts of Anhui and

Jiangsu Provinces north of the H uai River. It is the

most important wheat prod ucing area, with an annu al

wh eat acreage of some 12 million ha; it has a bout 40%

of the national wh eat area and accounts for 45% of

total wheat produ ction in China.

Abou t two-third of the wheats in Zone II are seeded

under full or supplemental irrigation, although rainfed

wheats are also cropped in southeastern Shand ong,

western Henan, central Shaanxi, and southern Shanxi.

Two crops are har vested an nu ally in irrigated areas,and the most common cropping systems includ e

wheat-maize, wheat-cotton, and wheat-tobacco

rotations. In rainfed cond itions, the cropp ing system

entails growing th ree crops in two y ears, i.e., a spr ing

crop (maize, sorghum , millet)-wh eat in winter-

summ er crop (soybean or sweet potato or mun gbean).

The wheat seed ing da te varies from late Septem ber to

mid October and harvesting ranges from late May to

early Jun e.The sou thern par t of Zone II is connected

tothe Autu mn -sown Spring Wheat Zone (Zone III)

inthe mid dle and lower valleys of the Yangtz e River,and the north ern pa rt of Zone II is adjacent to the

North China Winter Wheat Zon e (Zone I). Therefore,

winter, facultative, and sp ring type w heats are

cultivated, but facultative wheat takes a dominant

place in produ ction.

In general, four su bzones are recognized, i.e., the

Western H illy, the N orth Ch ina Plain, Hu aibei Plain,and Jiaodon g Hilly Subz ones.The Western H illy

Subzone is located in th e western p art of Zone II,

including western H enan, Linfen and Yuncheng

Prefectures of Shanxi Province, Central Shaanxi

Plain and Tianshu i Prefecture of Gansu Province.

Linfen an d Yun cheng Prefectures, situated in thesouth ern p art of Fen River Valley, make u p th e main

wh eat prod ucing area of Shan xi Province. CentralShaan xi Plain, located in th e Wei River Valley, is

suitable for growing w heat and produ ces most of

the wh eat in Shaan xi. The North Ch ina Plain

Subzone is located to the east of the Taihan gMountains, and includes the south-central part of

Hebei Province, most p arts of Shan don g Province

(except Jiaodong Peninsu la), and the Yellow River

Valley in Hen an P rovince. The H ua ibei Plain

Subzone includes areas nor th of the Hua i River in

Henan, Anhu i, and Jiangsu Provinces, and p art of

southern Shandong. The Jiaodong Hilly Subzone,located to the east of the Jiaolai River in Shan don g

Province, includ es Yantai and Weihai.

Although d ifferences may be observed am ong

subz ones in terms of soil type, cropp ing system,disease incidence, and varietal type, they share

similar breed ing o bjectives:

¥ High yield p otential (up to 9 t/ ha und er

optimum conditions) and stable performance,

short stature with lodging resistance.

¥ Early maturity to ensure early planting of summ er crops.

¥ Reasonable winter hardiness since the average

temp erature in Janua ry rang es from -1 to -5 o C

and minim um temp eratu re from -15 to -23.9 o C.

Tolerance or resistance to hot, dry w ind is

required in late May du ring grainfilling stagesince temperatures over 30 ° C are common ; the



30

absolute maximum temperature can be as high as

40 ° C.

¥ Drough t resistance, particularly in spring for

varieties cultivated under rainfed conditions,

wh ere rainfall ranges from 120 to 250 mm d uringthe wheat season.

¥ Resistance to stripe rust, pow dery mildew, leaf

rust, Septoria tritici blotch, and aph ids is generally

required. Breeding for resistance to tak e-all, head

scab, BYDV, flag sm ut, comm on b un t, and stem

rust is needed d epend ing on location.

Varietal Replacement

Six varietal replacemen ts have been record ed in Zon e

II, and th e breakdow n of stripe rust resistance is themajor reason for variety changes. New ly released

varieties have better agronom ic traits. One thou sandkernel w eight increased from abou t 25 g to 40 g, plant

height d ecreased from 110 cm to 80 cm, and harv est

index increased from 25-30% to 40%. Disease and

insect resistance also improved, and dam age du e to

stripe ru st was b asically controlled. At the sam e time,

threats from stem rust, flag smu t, stinking smu t, andgall-mid ge w ere alleviated. A variety w ith early

maturity and tolerance to late sowing was gradu ally

increased to match the chang ing crop system. The

du ration, variety type, and leading v arieties for each

replacement a re presen ted in Table 3.1.

Pedigrees of Major Variet ies

Major local varieties and their reselectionsLocal varieties and th eir reselections p layed a lead ing

role in w heat p rodu ction in 1950s; they became thecore parents of wheat breeding p rograms in Zone II.

Youzim ai, which show ed good yield, early maturity,

and broad ad aptation, was w idely distributed in

northern H enan, western part of Shand ong Province,

and south ern H ebei. It was a leading v ariety in 1950sand the largest sowing area reached 730,000 ha.

Mazha mai, characterized by h igh yields, good

drough t tolerance, and easy shattering, was cropp ed

mostly in Centra l Shaan xi Plain, south Shaan xi, and

Tianshu i Prefecture of Gan su Prov ince, and its largest

sowing acreage was ab out 550,000 ha. Pingyua n 50originated in northern Henan and w as extended to

southern Shanxi, western Henan , southern Hebei and

west Shand ong w ith acreage of about 600,000 ha.

Table 3.1. Duration, variety type, and leading varieties in Zone II from 1950 to the present.


Early 1950s Landrace and reselections Youzimai, Mazhamai, Pingyuan 50, Shangqiu Hulutou, Fushan Banjiemang,Fengxian Hongtutou, Xuzhou 438, Qida 195, Biansuimai

Middle 1950s Improved varieties with resistance Bima 1, Bima 4, Xinong 6028, Shijiazhuang 407, Nanda 2419, Qualityto stripe rust and high yield

1960s Stripe rust resistance derived from Jinan 2, Beijing 8, Shijiazhuang 54, Neixiang 5, Funo, Abbondanza,various resources and Italian introductions Jinnan 4, Zhengzhou 15, Zhengzhou 24, Shaannong 1, Shaannong 9, Xibei

612,Shijiazhuang 52, Xuzhou 8

1970s High yield potential and resistance Taishan 1, Fengchan 3, Boai 7023, Zhengyin 1, Jinan 9, Xuzhou 14,

to stripe rust Jinan 8, Taishan 4, Changle 5, Aifeng 3, Zhengzhou 683, Youbaomai,Beijing 10

1980s Semidwarf varieties and 1B/1R derivatives Bainong 3217, Jinan 13, Fu 63, Yumai 2, Shaan 7859, Lumai 1, Jimai 26,Boai 74-22, Lumai 5, Lumai 7, Lumai 8, Lumai 11, Jinmai 21, Xiaoyan 6,Xian 8, Jimai 3, Jimai 7, Jimai 23, Jimai 24

After 1990 Improved 1B/1R derivat ives Jimai 30 , Lumai 14, Lumai 15, Yumai 13, Yumai 18, Yumai 21, Yumai 25,Yumai 29, Yumai 41, Shaan 229, Jinmai 31, Jinmai 33, Xuzhou 21

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing acreage.Source: Jin et al. (1983) and Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (1996).



31

Shangqiu H ulutou and Fengxian Hongtutou

performed w ell und er rainfed conditions. They were

distributed in eastern H enan, and areas north to the

Hu ai River of Jiangsu a nd An hu i Provinces, and each

covered a bout 330,000 ha a nn ually. FushanBanjieman g, Qida 195, and Biansuim ai were m ostly

cultivated in Shand ong Province. Xuzh ou 438, a

reselection of local variety from Jiangsu , was mainly

distributed in south-central Shandong, eastern

Henan, and in the H uaibei Plain Subzone. It was on e

of the m ajor var ieties in the 1950s and its largest

sowing acreage was around 1 million ha.

Wheat breedingThere are eight key breed ing locations, i.e.,

Shijiazhu ang in H ebei Province, Jinan, Taian, an dYantai of Shand ong Province, Xuzh ou in Jiangsu

Province, Zheng zhou of Henan Province, Linfen of

Shanxi Province, and Yangling in Shaan xi Province,

established in H uang Hu ai Facultative Wheat Zone.

From 1949 to 1990, 596 var ieties were re leased byvarious breeding methods and detailed information is

presented in Table 3.2. It is ind icated that

hybridization, introduction, and reselection have

been the m ost successful breeding m ethods in Zone

II. Pedigrees of leading varieties from early 1950s to

present are d escribed below.

Early improved varieties derived bycrossing landraces with rust resistantintroductionsSeveral leading va rieties were released throu gh

hybrid ization between local varieties such as

Mazha mai, Youz imai, and Xibei 60 and introdu ctions

carrying strip e ru st resistance including Qua lity, Villa

Glori, and Trium ph . Three crosses, i.e., Mazha mai/

Qua lity, Xibei 60/ Villa Glori, and Trium ph / Yand a

1817, formed the basis of wheat imp rovemen t at its

initial stage in Zone II and prom oted th e secondvarietal replacemen t.

Mi les tone v ari et ies deri ved from Maz hamai /Q ual it y.

Mazha mai, a local variety from Central Shaanxi, had

broad ad aptability and high yield, but showed

susceptibility to stripe an d leaf rusts. The variety

Qua lity, introdu ced from Au stralia, conferred

resistance to stripe rust and lodging. Althou gh it was

a spring ty pe, it still performed w ell in centralShaanxi and Yangtze Valley. North west Ag ricultural

University (North west AU), located in Yangling,Shaanxi Province, crossed Mazha mai w ith Qua lity

and r eleased Bima 1 an d Bima 4 in 1947 (Figure 3.1);

they w ere popu larized after a severe epidemic of

stripe rust in 1950. Bima w as nam ed by using th e firsttwo letters of two paren ts, Quality (nam ed Biyum ai in

Chinese) and Ma zham ai. Bima 1 and Bima 4 marked

the first milestone in the history of wh eat breeding in

China, since they were the first two distingu ished

improved varieties developed for commercial

produ ction through hybridization between a local

Chinese landrace and an introduction. Theirperformance was outstanding in a wide range of

environm ents, and Bima 1 became well known for

occup ying the largest sowing acreage in China.

Bima 1 was cha racterized by large hea ds, high 1000kernel weight, good yield potential, white grain, early

matu rity, stripe ru st resistance, and wid e ada ptability.

Based on data collected from 36 counties in 1951 and

1952, on average it outy ielded local varieties by 30%.

Therefore, it w as extend ed r apid ly. Bima 1 w as a

leading va riety in the 1950s and early 1960s and wa ssown in almost every part of Zone II and, even

Table 3.2. Numbers of variet ies developed byvarious methods in Zone II.

Method 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Total

Introduction 43 52 46 41 182Reselection 20 13 24 7 64Hybridization 30 93 97 93 313Mutation 0 0 9 8 17Others 1 0 0 2 3Total 94 164 184 154 596

Source: Prof. Zhao Defang, Henan Provincial Academy of AgriculturalSciences (1996).

Mazhamai x Quality

Bima 1 Bima 4

Figure 3.1. Pedigrees of Bima 1 and Bima 4 fromlandrace x introduction crosses.



32

farther, in th e area just sou th of Beijing. It was sown

under either irrigated or rainfed conditions, with the

largest ann ua l sowing a creage of 6 million ha in 1959.

Bima 4, with shorter statu re and better cold tolerancethan Bima 1, was respon sive to inpu ts (fertilizer an d

water) and p erformed w ell und er irrigated

conditions. Its adap tability was n ot so broad as that of

Bima 1, which limited its sowing a rea. Its maximu m

seeding acreage reached 1.1 million h a in 1960.

Xinong 6028 carry ing bl os som-midge res is tance.

Xibei 60, reselected from the local variety Laomai

from central Shaanxi, was su itable for cultivation, butsusceptible to stripe ru st and grain sha ttering. Villa

Glori,originated in Italy and introd uced to Chin a in1930, was nam ed Zh ongn ong 28 in China . It was

highly resistant to stripe rust an d wheat blossom-

mid ge. North west AU crossed Xibei 60 with Villa

Glori and in 1948 released Xinong 6028, whichshowed high yield and resistance to stripe rust and

blossom-midge (Figure 3.2). Xinong is the Chinese

abbreviation for Northwest AU.

Xinong 6028 was u sed in p rodu ction for almost 20

years. It was extremely valuab le for its tight glum e

structure and effective blossom -midge resistance; itsrust resistance also persisted for a long time. Xinong

6028, suitable for seeding un der op timum conditions,

was extended simultaneously w ith Bima 1 and Bima

4. It was extensively grown in areas w here blossom

midge limited wheat prod uction and played a veryimportant role in controlling blossom-midge damage.

In the early 1960s, Bima 1 becam e su sceptible to stripe

ru st, but Xinon g 6028 still covered 300,000 ha

annually.

Varieties developed by crossing local landraces w ith

rust resist ant int roduct ions. The Hebei Academy of Agriculture Sciences (Hebei AAS), located in

Shijiazhu ang, H ebei Province, released Shijiazhu ang

407 from Trium ph / Yand a 1817 in 1956 (Figu re 2-1). Itwas resistant to cold, stripe rust, and flag smu t, had

strong tillering ability and wid e adap tability with

early maturity, and produced high, stable yields.High yielding, widely adapted Shijiazhuang 52 was

dev eloped from Trium ph / Shite 14 by Hebei AAS in

1965. Shite 14 was reselected from a local va riety

originated in sou th Shanxi. Shijiazhu ang 52 was a

leading variety in the midd le and southern p arts of

Hebei from 1965 to 1968, cover ing 200,000 haannually.

Youba omai was released in 1964 by th e Yantai

Prefectural Agricu lture Research Institu te (Yan tai

PARI) from Youz imai/ Baod a 300 Bao (Chinese n ame,

an introduction with u nknow n original name). It wasshort and high yielding (7.3 t/ ha) under optimu m

conditions, but show ed su sceptibility to stripe and

leaf rusts and pow dery m ildew. Its sowing area

reached 330,000 ha in 1977, mostly in Shand ong

Province. Jinan 9 was released in 1965 from Xinshi 3/

Early Premium by th e Shand ong Academy of

Agricultural Sciences (Shand ong AAS), located inJinan. It had good w inter hard iness, early matu rity,

resistance to stripe ru st and hot wind , and w hite

kernels. Jinan 9 becam e a lead ing var iety in

Shand ong from late 1960s to early 1970s with sow ing

acreage o f 670,000 ha in 1972. The ped igrees of Shijazhu ang 52, Youba omai, and Jinan 9 are

presented in Figure 3.3.

Improving rust resistance of early varietiesMost imp roved varieties lost their resistance to stripe

rust d ue to th e change in p hysiological races in 1957.A group of rust resistant and h igh yielding varietieswere d eveloped by imp roving Bima 1, Bima 4,

Xinong 6028, and Shijiazhu ang 407. They were the

basis of the third v arietal replacement.

Improv ement of Bima 1 and Bima 4. Numerous

crosses were made aiming at improving winter

Laomai

reselection

Xibei 60 x Villa Glori

Xinong 6028

Figure 3.2. Pedigree of Xinong 6028 developed bycrossing a landrace and an introduction.



33

hardiness and adaptability, transferring stripe rust

resistance, and dw arf plant heigh t of Bima 1 and Bima

4. Outstand ing va rieties such as Jinan 2, Beijing 8,

Shijiazhu ang 54, Zhengz hou 15, Jinan 4, Changle 5,

and Zhengzhou 24, were developed from Bima 4/

Early Premium, simu ltaneously in the m id 1950s by

several institutes (Figure 3.4).

Jinan 2, released by Shan don g AAS in 1959, showed

stripe ru st resistance, early matu rity, high yield, and

big grain size; it wa s suitable for cultivation u nd ervarious conditions and the top leading variety of

Zone II in 1960s an d early 1970s. Its an nu al sowing

acreage r eached 2.0 million ha in 1967. Jinan 4, a

reselection from Jinan 2, wa s pop ular for its wh ite

grain, an d covered 500,000 ha in 1973. Changle 5 w as

reselected from Jinan 4 in 1970, and show ed toleran ce

to drought an d h ot wind. It performed very w ell

un der rainfed areas w ith poor soil fertility and salt-

alkalinity, and covered 500,000 ha in 1980, mo stly in

Shand ong Province.

Beijing 8, the second leading variety of Zon e II in thesame p eriod as Jinan 2, also showed good resistance

to stripe ru st and high yield, and was characterized

by wh ite grain and early ma turity, and tolerance todrou ght a nd poor soil fertility. It w as extensively

grown in Hebei, Shanxi, Shand ong, and Henan

Provinces and covered 1.3 million h a ann ually.

Shijiazhuang 54, released by the Hebei AAS in 1964,

was th e third leading v ariety of Zone II with similaragronomic and disease performance, but m ore

un iform in canopy. Its largest annu al acreage reached1.3 million h a; howev er, it was less widely d istributed

than Jinan 2 and Beijing 8.

Zhengzhou 14, Zhengzhou 15, and Zhengzhou 24were mainly d istributed in H enan Province.

Skorospelka L1, introdu ced from the form er USSR,

conferred strong ru st resistance in late 1950s and wa s

once directly used for sm all-scale produ ction. Xuz hou

Prefectural Agricultural Research Institute (Xuzh ou

PARI)of Jiangsu Province released Xuzhou 8 fromBima 1/ Skorospelka L1 in 1962 (Figu re 3.5). It was a

winter type, had good yield p otential and large

heads, showed resistance to stripe an d stem rusts

(stem rust is a limiting factor for wh eat prod uction in

Xuzhou area), with medium m aturity and w hitegrain. Its annu al sowing a rea wa s 270,000 ha.

Local variety of Shanxi Youzimai x Baoda 300 Bao*

reselection Youbaomai

Shite 14 x Triumph

Shijiazhuang 52

Youzimai x Meimai 10 (USA)

Xinshi 3 x Early Premium

Jinan 9

Figure 3.3. Pedigrees of Shijiazhuang 52, Youbaomai,and Jinan 9 developed by crossing a landrace withan introduction.* Introduction of unknown origin.

Bima 4 x Early Premium

Shijiaz- Zheng- Zheng-Jinan 2 huang 54 zhou 14 zhou 24 Beijing 8

reselection reselection

Jinan 4 Zhengzhou 15

r eselection

Changle 5

Figure 3.4 . Pedigrees of variet ies developed fromBima 4/Early Premium.

Bima 4 x Skorospelka L1 Bima 1 x Skorospelka L1

Jinan 8 54405 x Orofen Xuzhou 8

Taishan 1

Bima 1 x Mara

Zhengzhou 683

Figure 3.5 . Pedigrees of variet ies derived from Bima1 and Bima 4.



34

Jinan 8 and 54405 were d eveloped from Bima 4/

Skorospelka L1 by the Shand ong AAS in 1965. Jinan 8

showed good responsiveness to fertilizer and water

and p erformed very well und er optimu m growing

conditions; it was mostly seeded in Shand ong andcovered 330,000 ha in 1972.

Taishan 1, developed from 54405/ Orofen by

Shandong AAS in 1971 (Figure 3-5), was the second

most pop ular variety in w inter and facultative wheat

areas of China, just u nd er Bima 1. An ou tstand ing

line, 54405 was not released d ue to its susceptibility to

stripe ru st. Orofen, a Ch ilean v ariety, was

characterized by resistance to stripe and stem ru sts,big spike and big grain size, and broad adap tation in

China. Taishan 1 wa s the top lead ing variety in ZoneII from 1975 to 1983; its broad ad apta tion w as w idely

recognized and its sowing area moved to the

south ern bord er of Zone I. It outyielded th e check

variety by 5.0-31.8% in two years of regional yieldtrials, and had good resistance to stripe ru st, medium

plant statu re, and wh ite kernels. Its sowing area

reached 3.8 million ha in the early 1980s, distributed

in all areas of Zone II.

The Hen an Acad emy of Agricultural Sciences

(HenanAAS) stationed in Zhengzhou , cr ossed Bima 1with Mara , and released Zhen gzhou 683 in 1968

(Figure3.5). Mara, an Italian dw arf variety with stif f

straw, was d irectly used for small-scale produ ction in

Zone II. Zhen gzhou 683 was characterized by spring

habit, resistance to stripe ru st and h ot wind , broadadaptability and high yield potential. It was mainly

grown in southern Henan and northern Anhui with a

largest acreage o f 470,000 ha.

Improv ement of Xinong 6028. Xinon g 6028 wa s

heavily involved in the crossing program; Shaannong

1, Shaan non g 9, Xibei 612, and Fengchan 3 were

sequen tially released in Shaanxi Province. Their

ped igrees are presented in Figure 3.6.

Shaannon g 1 was d eveloped from Bima 1/ Xinong

6028 in 1965 by the Shaan xi Acad emy of Agricultu ralSciences (Shaanxi AAS) stationed in Yan gling. It had

wh ite grains, matured 1-2 days earlier than Bima 1,

show ed resistance to stripe ru st, blossom and flag

smut, and had wide ad aptability. It was mainly

grown in the central Shaanxi plains from 1965 un til

early 1970s with sowing acreage of about 470,000 hain 1966.

Xibei 612 and Shann ong 9 w ere develop ed from Bima

5/ Xinong 6028 by Shaanxi AAS in cooperation w ith

Northwest AU in 1955 and 1956, respectively. Bima 5

is a sister line of Bima 1 and Bima 4. They wererespon sive to water and fertilizer and resistant to

lodging. They were mainly grow n in Central Shaan xi

Plain, and the largest acreage of Shaan non g 9 and

Xibei 612 wa s abo ut 470,000 ha a nd 200,000 ha,

respectively.

The Northwest AU crossed Denmark 1 (introducedfrom Denmark w ith unknow n nam e) with Xinong

6028 and released Fengchan 1, Fengchan 2, and

Fengchan 3 in 1965. They were resistant to stripe ru st

and lodging and d rought. The high yield p otential

and broad ad aptability of Fengchan 3 wasoutstan ding . It was extend ed in central Shaan xi plain

in 1966 and then grad ually expand ed to other p arts

of Zone II with largest acreage of 1.86 million ha in

1977.

Third-generation varieties developed bycrossing second-generation varieties withintroductions

Improv ement of Shi ji az huang 54. Heine Hved e, a

very late, short statured winter wheat variety from

Germany with strong resistance to stripe rust, was

crossed w ith Shijiazhu ang 54, a comm ercial varietywith early matu rity, and Jimai 3 was released in 1975.

Bima 1 x Xinong 6028 Bima 5 x Xinong 6028

Shaannong 1 Shaannong 9 Xibei 612

Denmark 1 x Xinong 6028

Fengchan 1 Fengchan 2 Fengchan 3

Figure 3.6 . Pedigrees of variet ies derived fromXinong 6028.



35

It was characterized by broad adap tation w ith good

performance und er low input conditions, resistance

to stripe rust and hot wind , and high and stable

yield. It was a lead ing variety in south -central Hebei

from 1978 to early 1980s an d its largest acreage wa sabou t 220,000 ha.

The Wheat Research Institute of Shan xi Academ y of

Agricultural Sciences (Shanxi WRI) located in Linfen,

crossed Shijiazhuang 54 with Abbondanza and

released Weidong 8 (Jinm ai 10) in 1969. Weidong 7

(Jinmai 7), derived from Shijiazhu ang 54/ F 5 line of

British wheat/ Anh ui 5, was also released in 1969.

Abbond anza, an Italian variety with resistance to

yellow rust and wid e adap tability, was extensively

grown in the w estern and southern p arts of Zone II.Line 6055mB, from British wh eat / Anh ui 5, was also

resistant to stripe ru st. Jinmai 7 and Jinmai 10 were

the ma jor varieties un der irrigated cond itions in

Shanxi Province. Jinmai 11 was d eveloped fromJinm ai 10/ Jinm ai 7 in 1977. Jinm ai 11 was

characterized by good lodging resistance, high

tillering surv ival percentage, high yield poten tial,

early matu rity and stripe rust resistance. It covered

160,000 ha in southern Shanxi in early 1980s.

Ped igrees of Jimai 3, Jinm ai 7, Jinm ai 10, and Jinm ai11 are p resented in Figure 3.7.

Improv ement of Fengchan vari et ies . The Northwest

Botanic Research Institute of the Chinese Academ y of

Sciences (No rth west BRI), located in Yangling,

Shaanxi Province, crossed Fengcha n 1 w ith Xiaoyan

759 an d r eleased Xiaoyan 4 in 1967. Xiaoyan 759 wasan ad dition line selected from th e hybrid p rogeny of a

complex wide cross between Elyt rigia elongata (Host)

Nevski and several wheat varieties including Xinong6028, Villa Glori, Produ ctor S-6 and Qu ality. Xiaoyan

4 was characterized by semi-dwarf stature with good

lodging resistance, high yield poten tial and broad

adaptation, resistance to stripe rust and drought. It

covered about 200,000 ha in 1978, mostly in central

Shaanxi and Hen an Prov inces. The release of Xiaoyan4 and its extension marked th e first examp le of

app lication of wide cross or tran sfer of alien gene towheat breeding in China.

Xiannon g 39 was d eveloped by crossing Xinong 6028

with Suw on 86, a late dwar f winter whea t fromKorea. It was aroun d 65 cm in statu re and h ighly

resistant to lodging, bu t susceptible to leaf rust,Septoria tritici blotch, and scab. It matured late and

suffered severely from p rematu re senescence at late

ripening stages. Fengchan 3 was then crossed w ith

ad vanced lines from Xiann ong 39/ 58(18), and Aifeng

2, Aifeng 3, and Aifeng 4 w ere d eveloped in 1970.Aifeng 3 was th e best representative, characterized by

short statu re with better resistance to lodging an d

disease, and yielded 6,000 kg/ ha un der optimum

conditions. It was m ainly grown in th e high yielding

areas of central Shaan xi and Hen an Provinces, andcovered over 330,000 ha annually in late 1970s. Jimai

7, a reselection of Aifeng 3, was released by Hebei

AAS in 1978; it wa s a leading variety in sou th H ebei

in early 1980s with annual acreage of 200,000 ha.

Yuma i 2 (Baofeng 7228) was d evelop ed from 65(14)3/ Resistant H uixianhon g in 1983 in H enan Province. On

average, it outyielded check variety Zhengyin 1

(St1472/ 506) by 27% in provincial and regional yield

trials. It was characterized by d war f stature, early

matu rity, strong tillering ability and un iform sp ike,

tolerance to hot wind, and suitable for growing u nder

Heine Hvede x Shijiazhuang 54

Jimai 3

British wheat* x Anhui 5

Shijiaz- Abbon- Shijiaz-

huang 54 x danza huang 54 x 6055mB

Weidong 8 (Jinmai 10) x Weidong 7 (Jinmai 7)

Linfen 10(Jinmai 11)

Figure 3.7. Pedigrees of Jimai 3 and Linfen 10derived f rom Shijiazhuang 54.* Introduction from Britain with unknown name.



36

optimu m cond itions. Yum ai 2 wa s a leading var iety

from 1983 to 1993 in central H enan , and covered

arou nd 730,000 ha in 1985.

Baiquan Agricultural College (Baiquan AC)dev eloped Bainong 3217 by imp roving Xiann ong 39,

a d erivative of Fengchan 3, in 1975. It showed stable

and high yield p otential (15.8% better than Zhen gyin

1 in provincial yield trials), broad ad ap tation, early

matu rity, and tolerance to stripe ru st. In th e 1980s,

Bainong 3217 was the leading v ariety in Zon e II,

mostly in Hen an, with a largest sowing acreage of 2

million h a in 1984.

The p ed igrees of Aifeng 3, Xiaoyan 4, Bainon g 3217,

and Yum ai 2 are presented in Figure 3.8.

Yannong 15 and Fu 63 derived from Youbaomai. St

2422/ 464, an Italian introdu ction, was crossed w ith

White Youbao, a reselection of You baom ai, and

Yann ong 15 (Figure 3.9) was d evelop ed by Yan tai PARI

in 1977. It wa s characterized by sem i-dw arf stature,resistance to lodging and yellow and leaf rusts, strong

tillering ability, good yield poten tial (7 t/ ha), and go od

bread making qua lity. Althoug h it suffered severely

from tip bu rning (a trait inherited from St 2422/ 464)

and its grains were small, its high yielding

performance was widely recognized.

Fu 63 was released in 1978 by Shand ong Agricultura l

University (Shan don g AU) throu gh irrad iation of F 4

seed of Yuoba o/ Orofen (Figure 3.9) with Co 60 30000

roentgen ra ys. It had high yield p otential, earlymatu rity, and w ide ad apta bility, but was su sceptible to

stripe rust, leaf rust, and pow dery m ildew. It was a

leading va riety in early 1980s with a largest annu al

acreage of 1.1 million ha.

Improvement of outstanding int roductions Improv ement of Nand a 2419. Nanda 2419 (Mentana)

was introd uced to China in 1932 and released for

prod uction in 1939 in th e Yangtze Valley (Zon e III). It

extended rapidly to the southern and western parts of

Zone II after 1950. It was well-known for its resistanceto rust an d lodging, early m aturity, and high yield, but

its extension w as limited by its poor thresh ing qu ality

and poor cold resistance in Zone II. Naixiang 5 and

Xuzhou 14 were developed by improvement of Nand a

2419 (Figu re 3.10).

Neixiang 5 was develop ed by the N eixiang Prefecture

Agricultural Research Institute (Neixiang PARI) in

Fengchan 1 x Xiaoyan 759

Xiaoyan 4

Denmark 1 x Bima 6

Xinong 6028 x Suwon 86 F1 x Jiyuan Xiaofushou(branched common wheat)

Xiannong 39 x 58(18)2

Hybrid x Fengchan 3

65(14)1 65(14)3 x ResistantHuixianhong

reselection

Aifeng 3 Yumai 2

Funo x Neixiang 5 Zhengzhou 6 x Fengchan 3

F1 x Xiannong 39 Xinong x Yanda 2464(4)3

F2 x F1

Bainong 3217

Figure 3.8 . Pedigrees of Aifeng 3, Bainong 3217, andYumai 2 derived from Fengchan 3.

Youbaomai x Orofen

F4 (radiation)

reselection Fu 63

White Youbao x St 2422/464

Yannong 15

Figure 3.9. Pedigrees of Fu 63 and Yannong 15derived from Youbaomai.



37

Hen an Province by crossing Nan da 2419 with m ixed

pollination of Qua lity, Baihuo mai, and Baiman gmai in

1955. It had big head s and big grains, early matu rity,

and outyielded Nand a 2419 and Bima 1 by more than

10%. It wa s a lead ing variety in 1960s, and occup ied

1.4 million ha an nu ally in sou th p art of Zone II andsom e areas of the Yangtze Valley (Zone III).

Xuzh ou 14, with early matu rity and h igh resistance to

stripe ru st, was developed from Early Premium/

Nan da 2419 by the Xuzhou Prefectura l Agricultural

Research Institute (Xuzhou PARI) in 1965. It showed

broad ad aptability, performed well und er drough t

and poor soil fertility conditions, and became a

leading v ariety in 1970s, reaching an acreage of

670,000 ha in 1973.

Improv ement of Funo and Abbondanza. In 1956, a

group of Italian varieties includ ing Funo,

Abbond anza, Tevere, Mara, Auton omia, San Pa store,

and Produ ctore S-6, were introdu ced to China. After a

few years of testing, Funo and Abbondanza were

recognized as high yielding varieties with wide

adap tation and short stature. They w ere distributed in

the southern an d w estern p arts of Zone II,respectively. Fun o and A bbond anza covered 1.2

million and 2 million h a, respectively, at their largest

sowing seasons. They w ere used as p arents inreselection an d crossing, an d Bonon g 7023, Bonon g

74-22, Taisha n 4, Taisha n 5, and Jinan 13 were releas ed

by various institutes (Figure 3.11).

Bonon g 7023, a reselection of Fun o, was released by a

state farm in Boai county of Henan Province in 1969.

It matu red 1-2 days earlier, had better tolerance to

drough t and high temperature, higher and more

stable yield th an Fun o. Bonon g 7023 was a m ajor

variety in southern Henan and northern Anhui in the

1970s and covered 1.3 million h a in 1980. Bono ng 74-

22 was also reselected from Funo in 1974, which w assomew hat sh orter than Bonon g 7023, resistant to soil-

borne mosaic and h ad white grains. It gradu ally

replaced Bonong 7023 and became a m ajor variety inthe same region.

Taishan 4 w as released by th e Shand ong AAS from

Hu ixianhong/ Abbondanza in 1971. Huixianhong, a

local variety from northern H enan, showed med ium

maturity, a large number of head s and short stem,wh ite grain, and high yield poten tial. It outy ielded

Pingyu an 50 and Bima 4 by about 10% un derirrigated conditions, but wa s susceptible to rust.

Abbondanza showed good resistance to stripe rust

and lodging, had big head s with big grain. Taishan 4,

about 85 cm in stature, was shorter than both parents.It had h igh yielding poten tial, resistance to stripe ru st

and hot win d, and covered 300,000 ha an nu ally in late

1970s.

Taishan 5 was d eveloped b y the Shand ong AAS in

1974 from crossing ad vanced line of Huixianhong /

Abbondanza with white Orofen. Orofen originated inChile, wa s introdu ced to China in 1959. It was

extensively grown in spring w heat zones owing to its

wide adaptation, large heads, big kernels, and

Nanda 2419 x (Quality + Baimangmai + Baihuomai)

Neixiang 5

Early Premium x Nanda 2419

Xuzhou 14

Figure 3.10. Pedigrees of Neixiang 5 and Xuzhou 14derived by improvement of Nanda 2419.

Funo

reselection

Bonong 7023 Bonong 74-22

Huixianhong x Abbondanza

Taishan 4 advanced line

White Orofen x x White Orofen

Jinan 13 Taishan 5

Figure 3.11. Pedigrees of Bonong 7023 , Bonong 74-22, Taishan 4, Taishan 5, and Jinan 13.



39

Hen an AAS in 1976, and wh ich covered 260,000 ha in

1983. Zhen gzhou 761 wa s crossed Yansh i 4, and

Yum ai 18 (Aizao 781) was released in 1990. It was

characterized by semid wa rf stature (Ai in Chinese)

and early matu rity (Zao in Chinese), and suitable forwheat/ maize or wheat/ cotton interplantation system,

fast grainfilling rate an d resistance to hot w ind an d

stripe and leaf rusts. It has been a leading va riety

since 1990 in H enan and Anh ui Province, and

occupied 670,000 ha annually.

St 2422/ 464 was crossed w ith Xiaoyan 96 and

followed by a laser treatment, and Xiaoyan 6 was

released by the N orthw est BRI in 1980. It wa scharacterized by high yielding p otential (outy ielding

the check variety by more than 15%) and wid ead apta bility, resistance to yellow rust a nd Septoria

tritici blotch, and good bread-ma king qu ality. It

performed well under both d rought and irrigated

conditions and usually appeared goodlooking atripening stag e in all environm ents. Xiaoyan 6 was th e

leading va riety in central Shaanxi for around 10 years

in 1980s with ann ual sow ing area of 400,000 ha.

Jinmai 31 carrying St2422/ 506 in its ped igree was

released by th e Wheat Research Institute of Shan xi

AAS in 1991, and was m ainly grown in Shan xiProvince with a n an nu al acreage of 170,000 ha.

Xuz hou 21 developed from Puy ang 3665/U P301.

Xuzhou 21 was d eveloped from Pu yang 3665/ UP 301

(Figu re 3.15) by the Xuzh ou PARI in 1986. Puyan g3665 wa s a commercial variety from H enan and UP

301, an Ind ian v ariety, was introdu ced from CIMMYT.

Xuzhou 21 performed w ell und er late sowing

conditions; it was high yielding (6.8-10.2% better than

Yum ai 2), highly resistant to stripe ru st and wh eat

blossom midge an d tolerant to hot wind . It served asa leading variety from 1985 to 1992 in north An hu i

and Jiangsu, and south H enan, with largest extension

areas of 800,000 ha in 1988.

Varieties derived from 1B/1R translocation

linesSome Europ ean varieties carrying 1B/ 1R

translocation su ch as Lovrin 10, Lovrin 13,

Predgornaja 2, Kavkaz, Aurora, and Neuzucht

performed good resistance to three rusts and

pow dery mildew, and high temperature at ripening,

and good combining ability for yield improvement,

but v ery late matu rity. They w ere frequen tly involved

in crossing p rogram in early 1970s as a source of

mu ltiple resistance after introd uction to China and a

group of outstanding varieties were released in the

early 1980s. However, in the late 1980s, most varietiesderived from 1B/ 1R lines became su sceptible to

stripe rust.

Varieti es deriv ed from Lovrin 10. Jimai 23 and Jimai

24 were released by the H ebei Agricultural Un iversity(Hebei AU) in 1986, and Jimai 26 was released by the

Shijiazhu ang Prefectural Agricultura l Research

Institute (Shijiazhuang PARI) in 1988. They possessed

resistance to stripe rust, and hot w ind, wide

ad apta bility, and high an d stable yield. They w ere the

leading v arieties in H ebei Province in late 1980s andearly 1990s. Jimai 23 an d Jima i 24 each covered

around 300,000 ha in 1988, and Jimai 26 reached

600,000 ha in 1990. Lumai 3 and Lumai 7 carrying

Lovrin 10 in their paren tages were released by

Liaocheng Prefectura l Agricultur al Research Institute

(Liaocheng PARI) an d Yan tai PARI of Shand ongProvince in 1983 and 1985, respectively. They showed

good resistance to stripe ru st and were mostly grown

in Shandong Province, and became the leading

varieties in late 1980s. Lum ai 3, performing well

und er both irrigated and rainfed conditions, covered400,000 ha in 1986, and Lum ai 7 reached 600,000 ha in1988. Pedigrees of these v arieties are presented in

Figure 3.16.

Varieti es develo ped from Lov rin 13. Luma i 13 and

Luma i 14 carrying Lovrin 13 in their pa rentage w ere

released by the Yantai PARI (Figure 3.17). 74(11)

Puyang 3665 x UP 301

Xuzhou 21

Figure 3.15 . Pedigree of Xuzhou 21 der ived fromimprovement of UP 301.



40

Heine Hvede x Orofen

Beijing 8 x Hybrid

Aifeng 1 x Anyang 10 Lovrin 10 x 70-114

hybrid x hybrid

Jimai 23 Jimai 24

Lovrin 10 x Aifeng 3 Aiganzao x Lovrin 10

Lumai 3 x Jinfeng 1

Jimai 26

Virgilio x Rulofen

6594-930 x Youxuan 26

Lovrin 10 x F5

Lumai 7

Figure 3.16 . Pedigrees of Jimai 23, Jimai 24, Jimai26, Lumai 3, and Lumai 7 derived from Lovrin 10.

mixture-1-1-3 (from Lovrin 13/ 3/ Youxu an 57 (a

reselection of Youba omai)/ / Xiaoyingsu (a Japa nesesemidw arf)/ Orofen) was crossed with Laiyang 584,

and Luma i 13 wa s released in 1989. It was a sem i-

dw arf with resistance to stripe and leaf rusts and

pow dery m ildew. It performed w ell in rainfedconditions and had good yield potential,

contributing 230,000 ha in Shand ong. C149 alsoderived from 74(11)-1-1-3, was crossed with F 4 / 530,

and Lum ai 14 (Yan 1604) was re leased in 1990. It

combined th e high yield poten tial with resistance to

rusts and powd ery mildew, and early maturity. It

has been one of the leading variety in Shandong

Province from 1990 to present, covering m ore than670,000 ha each year.

Varieti es develo ped from Predgornaia 2.Predgo rnaja 2, a winter w heat variety from the

former USSR, was heav ily involved in crossing

progra ms; Yum ai 7, Yum ai 10, Yum ai 13, Jinm ai 21,Jinmai 30, and Shaan 7859 were d eveloped from it

(Figure 3.18).

Lovrin 13 x Taishan 1 Xiaoyingsu* x Orofen

White Youbao x 6590-772-6

x 76(17)6-1

C149 74(11) mixture 1-1-3 x Laiyang 584

Lumai 13

Virgilio x Rulofen Shiyuanjiao x Shijiazhuang Black Awn

6594-878 x Youxuan 57 B 6590-722-6 x Xiangyang 2

F2 x F1 6590-722-6 x L227/4

F3 x F4

76-26

C149 x F4 /530

Lumai 14

Figure 3.17. Pedigrees of Lumai 13 and Lumai 14derived from Lovrin 13.* An int roduction from Japan.

Predgornaia 2 x Yanshi 4

Yumai 7 Yumai 10

Fengchan 2 x Bima 4

hybrid x Nanda 2419

687-44 x Predgornaia 2

Jinmai 21

Youbaomai x Youmangbai 2

F3 x Perdgornaia 2

Bainong 3217 x 9612-2

Yumai 13

Abbondanza x Mara Fengchan 3 x 62(9)2-1

Predgornaia 2 x 66-46-18 Sibley 81 x F1

7576F3 x 6811(2)

Shaannong 7859

Figure 3.18. Pedigrees of Shaannong 7859, Yumai 13,and Jinmai 21 derived from Predgornaia II.



41

Yum ai 7 (Yanshi 9) and Yum ai 10 were d evelop ed

from Predgorn aia 2/ Yansh i 4 by the Yansh i County

and Yuxi Agricu ltural College in 1985 and 1988,

respectively. Yum ai 7 wa s a h igh yielding variety

show ing 18.2% yield ad vanta ge over Yum ai 2 inregional yield trial, suitable for optimu m cond itions

and showed good resistance to yellow rust and hot

wind . It served as a leading variety from 1984 to

1991, and covered 800,000 ha in 1986. Yum ai 10

performed w ell und er irrigated and rainfed

conditions w ith good toleran ce to late planting , it

covered 300,000 ha in 1991, mostly in Henan

Province. The Hena n AAS introd uced F 1 of Bainong

3217/ 9612-2 from the Lu ohe Prefectural Agriculture

Institu te an d r eleased Yumai 13 in 1989. 9612-2 was

derived from (Youba o/ Youm angb ai 2)F 3 / / Predgorn aia 2. Yum ai 13 show ed g ood resistance to

stripe ru st and hot w ind, wide adap tation, flexible

performance under various sowing dates and

fertilizer levels, and high y ield, bu t was su sceptibleto pow dery m ildew. It was one of the leading

variety in H enan in early 1990s and covered 400,000

ha in 1990.

Line 687-44, derived from Fengchan 2/ Bima 4/ /

Nan da 2419, was crossed w ith Predgorn aia 2, and

Jinma 21 was released by Cotton Research Institute of

Shanxi AAS in 1985. Jinmai 21 show ed more th an 10%

yield increase in Shan xi and Shan don g provincialyield trials and regional yield trials in Zone II, good

performance under various moisture conditions. It

covered 570,000 ha in 1988, mostly in southern Shanxi

and Shandong.

Shaannon g 7859 carrying Pred gornaja 2 in its

ped igree was released by Shaan xi AAS in 1986. It w as

characterized by w ide adap tation and good yield

poten tial, resistance to stripe rust and hot w ind. Itwas a lead ing variety from 1986 to 1990 in north

Jiangsu and Anhu i and sou th Hen an, which coveredabout 1.2 million ha in 1990.

Jimai 30 dev eloped from Aurora. Shi 4144 was cross ed

with line from 78-3147 derived from Aurora, an d Ji5418 (Jimai 30) was releas ed b y th e Hebei AAS in 1988

(Figure 3.19). It showed disease resistance, broad

ad apta bility, early matu rity, high yield p otential, and

was su itable for cultivation in favorable

environm ents. It took a leading p osition in Zon e II

from late 1980s to the present an d covered more than

1.2 million h a in 1990 in H ebei, Henan, n orth Jiangsu,and Anhui.

Varieties developed from Neuzucht. Neuzucht

showed resistance to the three rusts and pow dery

mildew, tolerance to hot wind at ripening stage, goodhead type and m edium p lant height with strong

straw, but it was too late in matu rity in China, and

could ha rdly be used in single crosses. Improv ed

germplasm w ith similar characters know n as

Aimengn iu 2, 4, and 5, (named for the first three

Chinese chara cters (Ai-Meng-Niu) of their threeparents) were developed by Shand ong Agricultural

University (Shan don g AU) throu gh a three-way cross

comprising Aifeng 3/ Mengxian 201/ / Neuzu cht.They

had short statu re, good d isease resistance, but w ere a

little late maturing .

Anhui 5 x Orofen

x Shijiazhuang 54

Xiangyang 4 x Xiannong 24216

XiannongAurora x 24216

F1 x 75-3400 Beijing 14 x Shijiazhuang 63

78-3147 x Shi 4414

Ji 5418 (Jimai 30 )

Figure 3.19. Pedigree of Jimai 30 derived f romAurora.



42

covered 400,000 ha from 1986 to 1988. Lum ai 8 and

Luma i 11 were both released in 1985. Lum ai 8 was

suitable for optimum growing conditions and

covered 300,000 ha in 1989, Lum ai 11 had outstan ding

performance und er rainfed and sup plementalirrigation cond itions and covered 380,000 ha in 1990.

Lu 215953 was releas ed in 1989 an d cov ered 550,000

ha in 1991. Lum ai 15, released in 1990, occupies m ore

than 700,000 ha each year a t presen t. The abov e-

mentioned breeding practices indicate that the

development of Aimengniu, a desirable improved

germplasm, was the key to success.

Newly released wheat varieties Drought resi st ant Jinmai 33 dev eloped t hrough

complex crosses . The Shanxi WRI released Jinmai 33in 1990. As indicated in Figure 3.21, it was derived

from a comp lex cross with d iverse origins, in wh ich

one fourth of the p arentage cam e from Zon e I (Beijing

materials characterized by toleran ce to abiotic stress).

Jinmai 33 had high an d stable yield, and strongdrough t resistance and became th e leading variety in

rainfed areas of south Shaanxi and neighboring

regions, and covered 500,000 ha in 1993.

Shaan 229 released t hrough improv ement of 1B/1R

deriv at iv es. Shaan 229 was released by the ShaanxiAAS from TB902/ Xiaoyan 6/ / Shaan 7853

(Figu re3.22) in 1993. TB902 show ed good r esistan ce

to stripe rust an d lodging, and big spike, but p oor

winter h ardiness. Shaan 7853, carrying th e 1B/ 1R

A group of varieties such as Lu mai 1, Lum ai 5, Luma i

8, Lum ai 11, Lum ai 215953, and Lum ai 15 were

dev eloped th rough Aim engn iu (Figure 3.20). They

were all characterized by sh ort statu re (about 80 cm),

high resistance to stripe rust and moderate resistanceto powd ery mildew, high and stable yield, and good

appearance at ripening. They became the leading

varieties in Shan don g since early 1980s. Lum ai 1 andLumai 5 were released in 1983 and 1984, respectively.

Lum ai 1 covered 670,000 ha from 1987 to 1990, and

Lumai 5 more suitable for optimum conditions,

Nongda 183 x Elia Jubileina I x Nongda 183

Naixue x 5027 hybrid x Beijing 8 Xianyang 4 x Xiannong 24216

hybrid x 036 Lerma Rojo x Ji 75-3440

hybrid x 76-1295Weidong 7 x Xianyang 4

Pingyang 79391 x Pingyang 76262

Pingyang 27 (Jin Mai 33)

Figure 3.21. Pedigree of Jinmai 33 derived from complex crosses.

Mengxian 201 x Neuzucht

Aifeng 3 x F1

Aimengniu 2 Aimengniu 5 Aimengniu 4 x Fu 66

reselection

Lumai 1 Lumai 5 Lumai 8 Lumai 11 Lu 215953

Funo

Radiation

Chengfu Yecora Ta 1-752M3 x F70 Yangmai 1* x Aimengniu 2

104-14 x F1

Lumai 15

Figure 3.20. Pedigrees of Aimengniu and it sderivatives.* Ta1 was incorporated into Yangmai 1.



43

translocation, possessed good agronomic characters,

resistance to stripe rust, drou ght, and low

temp eratu re in the w inter. Shaan 229 inh erited the

desirable characters from three parents, showed high

yielding p otential (16.7% and 8.4% higher tha n check variety Xiaoyan 6 and Jinmai 30 in provin cial and

regional yield trials, respectively), stable p erformance,

wide ad aptation, good w inter hardiness and

resistance to stripe rust and root rot and h ot wind . It

has been th e leading variety in central Shaan xi since

1995 and covered 400,000 ha in 1996.

TB902 x Xiaoyan 6 6811(2) x Kavkaz

F3(80356-10) x Shaan 7853

Shaan 229

Figure 3.22 . Shaan 229 derived by improvement of1B/1R translocation lines.

Bainong 791 x Yumai 2 Lumai 1 x Yanshi 4

F1 x F1

Yumai 21

394 A x Yumai 2

Yumai 25

Reselection

Yumai 41

Figure 3.23. Yumai 21, Yumai 25, and Yumai 41developed by improving Yumai 2.

Imp rov ement of Yumai 2. Yumai 21, Yumai 25,

and Yum ai 41(Wenm ai 4) characterized by better

yield potential, short stature, and early maturity

and tolerance to hot wind w ere released through

imp rovem ent o f Yum ai 2 (Figu re 3.23) in 1992,1993, and 1995, respectively. They a re the lead ing

varieties in Hen an Province at present.



45

Sanyuehu ang, Fangliuzhu , Caizihuan g, and

Jinhu abaipu became the leading local varieties used

for prod uction; each covered more th an 67,000 ha

annually.

Wheat breed ing progr am w as initiated in late 1910s

to early 1920s at the former Un iversity of Nan king

and Nationa l Central Un iversity. Jinda 2905,

dev eloped th rough reselection of local variety by the

former University of Nanking, was the key domestic

improved variety released for p rodu ction in the

Yangtze Valley before 1950s. Foreign varieties w ere

then introduced and varietal hybridization w as

started b y the former N ational Agricultu ral ResearchBureau in 1930s, and the first group of imp roved

varieties through h ybridization includ ing Liying 1,Liying 3, and Liying 4 w ere dev eloped in early 1940s.

Althoug h local varieties played an imp ortant role in

wheat p roduction and varietal imp rovement, they

had great limitations in yielding potential anddisease resistance.

Some Italian varieties possessed good ad apta bility in

Zone III and show ed resistance to stripe ru st and

high yield potential with short stature an d lodging

resistance. They were u sed directly in large-scale

prod uction after 1950. Most leading varieties in ZoneIII were derived from Italian germ plasm . However,

they were somewhat late in matu rity and showed

poor resistance to head scab compared with local

varieties. Much p rogress was achieved in crossing

Chinese wheats with Italian germplasm for raisingyield potential and d warfing p lant stature, and

improving resistance to head scab while maintaining

the early maturing as good as possible for supporting

the mu ltiple cropping system.

There are seven key b reeding locations in Zone III:

Nan jing and Yangz hou of Jiangsu Prov ince, Wuhanand Jingzhou of Hubei Province, Hefei in Anhu i

Province, and Ha ngzh ou of Zhejiang Province, and

Chan gsha in H un an Province. 202 varieties weredev eloped by various m ethod s from 1949 to 1990

(Table 4.2). Hyb rid ization , reselection, and

introduction have been the most successful breeding

meth ods in Zone III. Pedigrees of leading varieties

from early 1950s are described below.

Derivatives of Jiangdongmen and

Linpuzao, two early landraces Liy ing 3 and Huadong 6 derived from Jiangdongmen.

Jiangdongmen, reselected from an early maturing

local variety in Na njing, was th e earliest matu ringvariety in Jiangsu and Anhui Provinces, and played

an imp ortant role in imp roving ma turity in Zone III.

It showed p hotoperiod insensitivity and good

combining a bility for early m atur ity. Liying 3 an d

Hu adong 6 were developed from Jiangdongm en

(Figure 4.1).

Liying 3 was developed from Quality/ Jiangdongm enby the form er Nation al Agricultu ral Research Bureau

in the 1940s. It w as characterized by good yield

potential showing a 0.5-56.2% increase in 32 locations

for three years, plus early m atur ity, and resistance tostripe ru st. Liying 3 w as sow n ov er 20,000 ha in

Jiangsu Province in 1958.

Table 4.2. Number of varieties developed by various

methods in Zone II I.Method 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Total

Introduction 8 6 9 8 31Reselection 6 7 17 3 33Hybridization 7 16 57 22 102Wide cross 8 6 3 0 17Radiation 0 3 13 3 19Total 29 38 99 36 202


Local variety from Jingdongmen in Nanjing

Reselection

Quality x Jiangdongmen

Liying 3 x Pullman (USA)

Huadong 5042 x Jiangdongmen

Huadong 6

Figure 4.1. Pedigrees of Liying 3 and Huadong 6derived from Jiangdong.



46

Hu adong 6 was released from H uad ong 5042/

Jiangdongmen by the former East China Agricultural

Research Institute in 1958. Hu ado ng 5042, derived

from Liying 3/ Pullman (USA), was characterized by

high yield and resistance to rusts. Hu adong 6 showedph otoperiod insensitivity, early matur ity, and

resistance to stripe and stem rusts, and became one of

the leading v arieties in 1960s with a largest annu al

acreage of 130,000 ha.

Zhemai 1 and Zhemai 2 derived from Linpuz ao .

Linpuzao, another early maturing source from

Zhejiang Province in Zone III, perform ed sim ilarly

with Jiangdongmen, was characterized by earlymatu rity with strong h eritability, poor yield, and

susceptibility to lodging. Zhemai 1 and Zh emai 2were developed through improvement of Lipuzao by

Zhejiang Academ y of Agricultural Sciences (Zhejiang

AAS) (Figure 4.2).

Zhem ai 1 wa s selected from Linp uza o/ Taihe in 1970.

Taihe wheat w as introduced from Japan and showed

good y ield p erformance. Zhemai 1 was characterized

by early matu rity, and high a nd stable yield. It was

suitable for areas with three crops per year, and sow n

mainly in the lower v alley of Yangtz e River.

Zhem ai 2 wa s developed from 65-28/ Lipu zao in 1973.

65-28, derived from Zhenong 939/ Ardito/ /

Productor-6, was high yielding, but accompanied by

pre-matu re haying-off. Zhemai 2 was characterized

by short stature an d good lodging resistance, highyielding p otential with 25% increase over Zhem ai 1,

early maturity, and wide adaptation. It was suitable

for sowing in areas w ith three crops per year and

became the leading variety in Zhejiang Province w ith

an annual acreage of 67,000 ha in 1980s.

Derivatives of Nanda 2419Nan da 2419 was reselected from Italian variety

Mentana w hich w as introduced to China in 1932 and

recommen ded as a com mercial variety in 1939. Itoutyielded the local varieties by 4.0-46.3% in 32

locations for three y ears in th e Provinces of Jiangsu,

Zhejiang, and Anh ui, and had early m aturity, very

broad ad aptation, and good resistance to stripe rust.

Nanda 2419 had been the leading variety from mid

1950s to m id 1960s and its sowing acreage reached 4.7

million h a in 1958 through out Ch ina. How ever, itshow ed severe susceptibility to head scab, stem rust,

and sprouting, and was difficult to thresh.

Reselections an d hybrid izations were su ccessfully

mad e at various breeding programs in Zone III for

the improvement of Nanda 2419, and consequently,Emai 6, Neixiang 5, Wann ian 2, Jingzhou 1 were

released (Figu re 4.3).

The Hu bei Acad emy of Agriculture Sciences (Hu bei

AAS) treated seed of Nand a 2419 with Co 60 r-rays,

and Emai 6 was released in 1966. It retained th e early

Local variety in Suichang County

Reselection

Zhenong 939 x Ardito

F4 x Productore S-6

F4 (65-28) x Linpuzao x Taihe Wheat(Japan)

Zhemai 2 Zhemai 1

Figure 4.2. Pedigrees of Zhemai 1 and Zhemai 2derived from Linpuzao.

Mentana

Reselection

Nanda 2419

Radiation

Emai 6 Wannian 2

Reselection

Emai 9

Durum wheat Local rye ofFuno x (Spain) Nanda 2419 x Jingzhou

F3 x F6 Jingzhou 1

Jingzhou 66

Figure 4.3. Pedigrees of Emai 6, Emai 9, Jingzhou 1,and Jingzhou 66 derived from Nanda 2419 .



47

matu rity, broad ad apta bility, high and stable yielding ,

and stripe rust resistance of Nand a 2419, and

possessed some imp roved characters includ ing better

scab-resistance and cold tolerance, and red grain w ith

longer d orma ncy. Emai 6 norm ally yield 3-4.5 t/ hawith significant increase over Nan da 2419, and h ad

been on e of the leadin g varieties from late 1970s to

early 1980s, mostly in Hub ei Province with an ann ual

acreage over 330,000 ha. It was a lso grown in Anhu i

and Jiangxi Provinces.

Emai 9, a reselection of Emai 6, was released by the

Hu bei AAS in 1982. It rema ined the m ajor characters

of Emai 6, but ou tyielded Em ai 6 by 12% with w hitegrain and h igher thousand kernel weight and better

disease resistance. Emai 9 became on e of the leadingvarieties in the m idd le valley of the Yangtze River in

the 1980s, mostly in H ubei Province with a sowing

acreage of 230,000 ha in 1985.

Neixiang 5, carrying N and a 2419 in its parentage, is

detailed in Table 3.5.1. Wannian 2 was also reselected

from Nan da 2419 by the Agriculture Bureau of

Wannian County, Jiangxi Province in 1958. It retained

most of the d esirable characters of Nan da 2419, but

conferred improved resistance to head scab, and

waterlogging, and sprouting, and ease of threshing. Itwas su itable for grow ing in red soil and h illy areas

with p oor soil fertility, and wa s one of the leading

variety in 1960s, mostly d istributed in Provinces of

Jiangxi, Anh ui, and Jiangsu with an a nn ual acreage

over 330,000 ha.

The Jingzh ou Prefecture Ag ricultural Research

Institute (Jingzhou PARI) of Hu bei Province crossed

Nanda 2419 with local rye which matured early and

was toleran t to poor soil and slightly resistant to

disease, and Jingzhou 1 was d eveloped. Jingzhou 1released in 1965, showed im mu nity to stripe rust,

resistance to leaf rust and scab, tolerance to

waterlogging and poor soil fertility, and early

matu rity. It became on e of the m ajor varieties in

Hu bei Province in 1970s.

Jingzhou 66, derived from Funo/ duru m wh eat/ /

Nand a 2419/ local rye, was released by the JingzhouPARI in 1976. It was resistant to stripe rust, stem rust,

and powdery mildew, and slightly susceptible to scab

and possessed better yield with 20% higher thanJingzhou 1, and covered 120,000 ha in 1985 in H ubei

Province.

Derivatives of Funo, Tevere, andAbbondanza

Improv ement of Funo. Funo was introduced to China

in 1956 and recorded a largest acreage of 1.1 million

ha ov er all China in 1977, mainly in Anh ui, Jiangsu ,Hu bei, and Henan Provinces. Although Funo w as a

leading v ariety in Zones II and III, its late maturity

and susceptibility to scab and Rhizoctonia cerealisneed ed improv emen t. Yangm ai 1, Yangm ai 2,

Yangm ai 3, Wuma i 1 and Ewusa n 3 were dev eloped

throu gh reselection of Funo (Figure 4.4), andYangm ai 4, Sumai 3, and Een 1 w ere released throu gh

crossing Funo with other v arieties (Figure 4.5).

Funo

reselection

Wumai 1 Yangmai 1 Ewusan 3

reselection

Yangmai 2 Yangmai 3

Figure 4.4. Pedigrees of Wumai 1, Yangmai 1,Yangmai 2, and Yangmai 3 reselected from Funo.

Abbondanza x Rulofen

Lovrin 10 x 761 Funo x Taiwan Wheat

Een 1 Sumai 3

Nanda 2419 x Triumph

Hybrid x Funo

Yangmai 4

Figure 4.5. Pedigrees of Yangmai 4, Emai 1, andSumai 3 derived from Funo.



48

Yangm ai 1 was released by th e Yangzh ou Prefectura l

Agricu lture Research Institu te (Yang zhou PARI) of

Jiangsu Province in 1967 throu gh reselection of Funo.

It retained most of the d esirable chara cters of Funo,

but show ed m oderate resistance to Rhizoctonia cerealisand slight susceptibility to scab. Yangm ai 1

outyielded Funo an d Tevere by more than 10%,

showed wide ad aptation and 2-3 days early than

Funo. It was the leading v ariety in the lower valley of

the Yangtze River in late 1960s and 1970s, mostly

distributed in Provinces of Jiangsu , Zhejiang, Hu nan

and Jiangxi and covered 420,000 ha in 1978.

Yangm ai 2 and Yangm ai 3 were also released b y theYangzhou PARI in 1976 through reselection of

Yangm ai 1. They ma tured 5-6 days early th anYangm ai 1 with good toleran ce to late sowing an d

were su itable for crop rotations. Althoug h their

lodging resistance and yielding potential were not as

good as Yangm ai 1, Yangm ai 2 and Yangm ai 3performed well under low inpu t cond itions and

produ ced better yield than Yangmai 1 und er medium

fertility level. They replaced Yangm ai 1 and became

the m ajor var ieties in the lower va lley of the Yangtze

River from late 1970s to early 1980s, and each covered

200,000 ha a nn ua lly.

Wuma i 1, a reselection of Funo, w as released by

Wujin Coun ty of Jiangsu Province in 1968. It matu red

5-6 days earlier than Funo and retained rusts

resistance of Funo. Its resistance to scab and

Rhizoctonia cerealis was better than Funo. Wumai 1could also avoid some d amage of diseases, due to its

earliness and fast filling at the late grow ing stage, and

hence its yield was stable and wa s suitable for

growing in th e rice-wheat cropp ing area. It was one

of the m ajor va rieties in Jiangu Province in late 1970s

and cov ered 240,000 ha in 1977.

The State Farm of Ewu san in H ubei Province selected

Ewusan 3 from Funo. Ewu san had better rust-

resistance and high yield. It was extend ed to 91,000

ha in Jingzh ou Prefecture in 1973.

The Suzhou Prefectural Agricultur al Research

Institute (Suzhou PARI) of Jiangsu Province releasedSumai 3 from Fun o/ Taiwan w heat in 1970. It wa s

well-known a s a source of scab resistance which wa s

characterized by late initiation of scab establishment,slow disease spread and low percentage of infected

head s and low infection index. Its resistance ranked

first to the th ird p lace among m ore than 10,000 linesscreened at var ious locations an d in d ifferent years.

Scab resistance of Sumai 3 resulted from

transgressive inheritance since Funo w as highly

susceptible to scab and Taiwan w heat was mod erate

susceptible. Some genetic stud ies on scab-resistance

of Sum ai 3 indicated th at it was a dom inant or p artialdominant character; however, others suggested that it

was p olygenic in na ture. Therefore, the mechanism of scab resistance of Sum ai 3 still remains un clear.

Sumai 3 was frequently involved in crossing

programs all over south China and many d erivatives

such as Nin g 7840 performed good resistance to headscab.

Een 1 was released from Lovrin 10/ 761/ / Sum ai 3 by

the Exi Prefectura l Agricultural Research Institute

(Exi PARI) of Hu bei Prov ince in 1980. It was

characterized by high and stable yield, wide

adap tation, good resistance to lodging an d hightemperature at late growing stage, and early maturity

(2-3 da ys early than Emai 9). Based on th e da ta

collected from 26 locations o f yield trials in Hu bei

Province du ring 1982 and 1983, it outyielded Emai 9

by 5.0-30.6%. It was highly resistant to stripe rust,stem rust, and p owd ery mildew; moderately resistant

to leaf rust; and mod erately resistant or tolerant to

scab. Een 1 became a leading v ariety since 1985 and

shared 890,000 ha in 1990 mostly in the Prov inces of

Hubei, Anhui, Hunan, and Jiangxi, and Xingyang

Prefecture of Hen an Province.

Yangmai 4 w as released from N and a 2419/ Triumph /

/ Funo by the Yan gzhou PARI in 1982. It had high

yield p otential (up to 7.5 t/ ha) with thousand kernel

weight a bove 40 g, 35-40 grains per sp ike, and w ide

ad apta bility. It was m odera tely resistant to scab and



49

slightly susceptible to stripe ru st and pow dery

mildew. Yangm ai 4 became a leading v ariety in the

lower v alley of the Yangtz e River in the mid 1980s

with a largest annu al acreage of more than 470,000 ha.

Aiganz ao deri ved from Tevere. Tevere, introduced

from Italy, was a leading v ariety in the eastern p art of

Zone III in late 1950s and 1960s, but its late maturity

and severe susceptibility to scab needed

improv emen t. The Jiangsu Academ y of Agricultural

Sciences (Jiangsu AAS) crossed the early matu ring

variety H uad ong 6 with Tevere, and developed

Aiganzao in 1964 wh ich w as characterized by early

maturity and short stature with lodging resistance. Itpossessed better yield performa nce with 20% yield

advan tage over Huad ong 6, and was suitable forthree crops p er year and cotton-wheat interplanting

system, but w as severely susceptible to scab. It was

mainly sown in the areas south of the H uai River and

in the low er valley of the Yangtze River withinJiangsu an d Anh ui Province and the largest acreage

reached 67,000 ha.

Xiangmai 4 and Xinyang 12 deriv ed from

Abbondanza. Xiangm ai 4 and Xinyang 12 were

developed by imp roving the late maturity of

Abbond anza (Figure 4.6). Xiangm ai 4 wa s releasedfrom reselection of Abbond anza by the Xiangy ang

Prefectural Agricultural Research Institute (Xinyang

PARI) in 1962. It matured 2-3 days earlier than

Abbondanza and was resistant to stripe ru st and cold

and slightly susceptible to stem rust. It was sow n over100,000 ha in Xiangyang Prefecture in the 1970s.

Xinyang 12 was released from Abbondanza/ Neixiang

5 by the Xinyang PARI in 1970. It combined the early

matu rity of Neixiang 5 with the high yield poten tial Nanda 2419 x Triumph

Hybrid x Funo

Yangmai 4 x St 1472/506 F4 (9-16) x St 1472/ 506

radiation

Yangmai 158 Yang Mai 5 Ning Mai 3

Figure 4.7. Pedigrees of Yangmai 5, Yangmai 158, andNingmai 3 derived from St 1472/506.

Abbondanza x Neixiang 5

Reselection

Xiangmai 4 Xinyang 12

Figure 4.6. Pedigrees of Xiangmai 4 and Xinyang 12derived from Abbondanza.

and disease resistance of Abbond anza . It was su itable

for growing in h igh input environments w ith largest

annual acreage of 100,000 ha.

Yangmai 5, Yangmai 158, and Ningmai 3derived from St 1472/506Nin gm ai 3, Yangm ai 5, and Yang ma i 158 weredev eloped from St 1472/ 506 (Figure4.7). Ningma i 3

was released by th e Jiangsu AAS through ra diation of

1472/ 506 with Co 60 r-ray in 1975. It retained the major

desirable characters of St 1472/ 506 with sem i-dw arf

stem and good h ead typ e, and its 1000 kernel weight

was imp roved by 2-3 g wh ich rema rkably increasedyield po tential. It ou tyielded Yangm ai 1 by abou t 10%

and covered 200,000 ha in Jiangsu Province in 1983,

and was also sown in Anhui and Zhejiang Provinces.

Yangm ai 5 was d eveloped from crossing F4 line of

Nanda 2419/ Triump h/ / Funo, a sister line of Yang ma i 4, with St 1472/ 506 by th e Yan gzh ou PARI

in 1986. It show ed high y ield poten tial with 7-15%

yield increase comp ared with Yangm ai 3, Yangm ai 4,

and Ningmai 3, and produ ced stable yield un der

various sowing d ates. Yangmai 5 show ed wide

adaptation with better tolerance to lodging and coldand high temperature, and m oderate resistance to

pow dery m ildew and stripe rust. It became thelead ing va riety in th e lower Yan gtze Valley since 1985

with a largest acreage of 1.2 million ha in 1990.

Yangm ai 158 was d eveloped from Yangm ai 4/ St1472/ 506 by the Yan gzh ou PARI in 1993. It

outyielded Yangm ai 5 and Een 1by 10-20% in regional

yield trials, and h ad stable performance and wide

ad apta tion, and early matu rity. It also showed



51


The Southw estern Autu mn-sown Spring Wheat Zone(Zone IV), wh ere spring ha bit whea ts are sown

mostly in late autum n, is located in the u pp er Yangtze

River Valley and includ es most p arts of Sichuan and

Yun nan Provinces, all of Guizhou Province, Wud u

Prefecture in Gansu Province, and H anzhong

Prefecture in Shaanxi Province. Wheat is sown fromlate October to early November an d harvested from

mid to late May. Aroun d 3.3 million ha of w heat are

cropped ann ually. Ann ual p recipitation is abou t 1,000

mm with un even distribution, and rainfall during the

wh eat season v aries from 200 to 400 mm. Stripe ru st

and pow dery m ildew occur very frequently; headscab can also limit wh eat prod uction.

Breeding objectives include:

• High yield, short stature with good lodging

resistance for irrigated areas.

• Resistance to stripe ru st, powd ery mildew, andhead scab.

• Early maturity to fit the mu ltiple cropp ing system.

• Drough t tolerance for wh eat sown in hilly areas

withou t irrigation, and toleran ce to poor soil

fertility.

• White kernel is generally preferred.

There are th ree subz ones: Sichuan Basin, Yun nan

Plateau, and Guizhou Plateau. The Sichu an Basin

Subzone includes m ost parts of Sichu an Province,

Hanzhong Prefecture in Shaanxi Province, and Wudu

Prefecture in Gan su Prov ince. The averagetemp eratu re in Janu ary varies from 3 to 10 ° C, and the

minimum is -3 oC. In irrigated areas, wheat or

rap eseed is followed by rice, wh ile in the dr y sloping

area, wheat or barley is intercropp ed w ith maize and

sweet p otato. Aroun d 2.2 million ha of wheat aresown each year, with an average yield of 3.0 t/ ha.

The Guizhou P lateau Subzone, comprising all of

Guizhou Province, is located ea st of the Yun gui

Plateau. Wheat/ rice and wheat/ maize rotations are

the two m ost common crop ping system s. The soil is

characterized by poor fertility and low PH, and low

yield is generally obtained. Cur rently, around400,000 ha w heat a re harv ested a nn ually, with

average yields ranging from 0.7 to 1.4 t/ ha. Powd ery

mildew and leaf and stem ru sts are the major

diseases limiting w heat p roduction, although head

scab is also observed .

The Yun nan Plateau Subzone includes m ost of

Yun nan Province and a sma ll section of Sichuan

Province. There is a clear-cut d ivision b etween dry

and raining seasons. The dry season ranges from

November to April and the rainy season from Mayto October. Wheat is usu ally sown from late

September to mid N ovember and harvested in April

to early Jun e. Major d iseases includ e the three ru sts

and pow dery m ildew. Aroun d 700,000 ha of wheat

are cropped ann ua lly, and an average yield of 2.0 t/

ha is obtained. Wheat grown in this subzone can be

divid ed into Dimai and Tianma i. Dimai is the wh eat

grown u nd er dry conditions which is mostlyintercropped or rotated with maize. Dimai is usually

sown in late Septem ber to early October, and

matu res in late April to early May. Tianma i is thewheat grown und er irrigated conditions which is

mostly rotated w ith rice and sometimes with maize.

Tianma i is sown in late October to mid Nov ember,and matu res in m id to late May. Dimai shares tw o

thirds of the whea t acreage, and Tianma i makes up

the remaining one third.

Chapter 5.The Southwestern Autumn-sown Spring Wheat Zone



52


Five varietal replacements ha ve occurred in Sichu an

Basin Subzone (Table 5.1). It is worth emphasizing

that Fan 6 was the first landm ark variety in this zone,and all the major varieties grown since 1980s werederivatives of Fan 6 or its sister lines, which w ere

wid ely sown in the Provinces of Sichuan , Guizh ou,

and Yunn an, and also distributed in H anzhong an d

Ankan g Prefectures in Shaan xi Province, and par ts of

Hu bei and H unan Provinces. Wheat breeding

programs in Guizhou and Yunn an Provinces are lesscompetitive than those in Sichuan Province. Althoug h

locally released v arieties were adop ted by farm ers in

1980s, Italian introd uctions an d varieties from

Sichuan contributed largely to wheat production inGuizhou (Table 5.2). Four varietial replacements h ave

been recorded in Tianma i (irrigated w heat), Yun nanProvince (Table 5.3), and introdu ctions from Italy an d

CIMMYT have contribu ted largely to local wh eat

improv emen t. All the lead ing v arieties after 1980s are

CIMMYT wheats. Varietal change for Dimai (rainfed

wh eat) is not read ily recognized as in the Tianmai,

and Forlani from Italy and Neixiang 5 from Zone IIIcontributed a large a rea from ear ly 1960s to late 1980s.

Pedigrees of Leading Varieties

Landraces and w heat breedingLandr aces were domina nt in prod uction before 1949.

They were characterized by ph otoperiod insensitivity,

tall plant h eight, poor yield p otential, and good

tolerance to d rough t and poor soil fertility. Widely

grown landraces in Sichuan Basin includ ed Chengdu

Guangtou, Linshui Sanyuehu ang, PenganSanyuehu ang, and N anchong Hongkeke. They

yielded 1.5-2.3 t/ ha w ith some 45 grains per sp ike

and thou sand kernel weight of 30-35 g, and were 115

Table 5.1. Duration, variet y type, and leading variet ies in the Sichuan Basin Subzone of Zone IV f rom 1950 t othe present.

Duration Variety type Leading varieties *

Early 1950s Introduction and landrace Nanda 2419, Ardito, Villa Glori, Chengdu Guangtou, Jinda 2905

1960s Improved variety Shannong 205, Wuyimai, Hechang 5

Late 1960s Introduction and improved variety Abbondanza, Yananzao1970s High yielding, lodging and rust resistance Fan 6, Datouhuang, Fan 7, Youyimai

1980s Derivatives of Fan 6 Mianyang 11, Mianyang 15, Mianyang 19, Chuanmai 20, Shuwan 761

Late 1980s Improved derivat ives of Fan 6 M ianyang 26, M ianyang 20, M ianyang 25, 80-8, M ianyang 21,to present Chuanmai 22, to Shuwan 831

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing acreage.Source: Jin et al. (1983); Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1996).

Table 5.2. Duration, variety type, and leading varieties in Guizhou Plateau of Zone IV from 1950 to thepresent.

Duration Variety type Leading varieties*

Early 1950s Landraces Honghuamai, Baihuamai, Yuqiumai1954-64 Introductions Ardito, Nanda 2419

Late 1960s Introductions Abbondanza, Funo

1970s Improved variety and introduction from Henan Neixiang 5, Bimai 5

1980s Locally improved variety Bimai 13, Bimai 26

Late 1980s to present Sichuan variety and locally improved variety Guinong 10, Mianyang 21, Mianyang 19




54

Chinese, was once a ma jor variety in Sichuan with

good resistance to stripe rust and lodging, while

Hechuan Gu angtou conferred wide ad aptability and

early matu rity. Shan non g 205, wh ich combined the

desirable characters of two parents, showed shortstature w ith good lodging resistance, 10% better

yielding than th e leading variety Nan da 2419, early

matu rity, resistance to stripe rust an d w aterlogging,

and broad ad aptation. It was a leading variety from

late 1950s to late 1960s, covered 530,000 ha in 1966

mostly in the Provinces of Sichuan , Guizhou, Hu nan ,

Zhejiang, and Shanghai.

Yaanz ao was d eveloped from X-1/ Shannon g 205 bythe Sichu an AU located in Yaan in 1962. X-1 was a

derivative of local landrace Hechuan Hongp aidengcrossed w ith Italian introd uction Ardito. Yaanz ao

showed better than Shannong 205 in several aspects

such as high yield, early ma turity, resistance to stripe

ruts, head scab, and pow dery mildew, and widead apta tion. It was on e of the major varieties from late

1960s to early 1980s, and contribu ted 200,000 ha

ann ually at its largest sowing season.

Wuyimai was d eveloped from Chengdu Gu angtou/

Ardito/ / Fawn/ Quality in 1951 by the Sichuan AAS.

It showed high yield p otential and outyielded Nan da2419 by 15-20%, but was severely susceptible to stripe

rust w hich limited its further extension. It shared

abou t 67,000 ha in 1960, and was frequ ently used as a

parent in crossing p rograms and several good

varieties were released in Gan su Province (Zone VIII).

Datouhu ang was reselected from Chengdu Guangtou

by the Sichu an AU. It possessed similar characters of

Chengdu Guangtou, but w ith better performance in

terms of yield p otential and early ma turity.

Datou hu ang su itable for hilly areas of SichuanProvince, was on e of the m ajor var ieties from late

1960s to early 1980s and contributed 330,000 ha at its

largest sowing season.

Varieties developed by improving Nanda2419, Abbondanza, Mara, and FunoItalian varieties were directly used in prod uction and

also the major parents for wheat breeding p rograms

in this Zone. Nanda 2419, showing outstanding

performa nce in Sichuan, wa s the leading variety

from late 1950s to early 1960s and occupied morethan 50% of the wh eat areas in 1962. It was also

frequently involved in crossing p rograms in 1950s

for improving early maturity and kernel weight.

Abbondanza had excellent performance in this zone,

and became the lead ing variety from late 1960s to

early 1970s wh ich contributed a bout half of thewh eat acreage in 1970 in Sichuan Province. It w as

used to improve plant stature and yield potential in

breeding programs. Although Mara and Funo werenot d irectly used in prod uction in Zon e IV, they

showed good dwarfing ability.

Shuw an 8, Shuw an 24, Chuanm ai 3, and Chu anmai 5

were developed through the improvement of Nanda

2419. Shu wan 8, a good representative of d erivatives

of Nand a 2419, was derived from Hechang 5/ Nand a

2419 (Figure 5.2) by the Wanxian PARI in 1958. It

inherited m ost desirable characters of Nan da 2419,showed good resistance to stripe ru st and early

matu rity. Shu wan 8 was extended in eastern Sichuanand also in Shaanxi, Gansu and Yun nan p rovinces

and its sowing acreage reached 67,000 ha by the late

1960s.

Chuanm ai 10, Wud u 5, and Shuw an 761 were

developed through imp rovement of Abbondan za

(Figure 5.3). They show ed sh ort plant statu re and

early matu rity and each covered arou nd 67,000 ha

which p artially replaced Abbond anza.

Villa Glori x Quality

Hechang 5 x Nanda 2419

Shuwan 8

Figure 5.2 . Pedigree of Shuwan 8 derived fromintroductions.



55

Zunon g 7, Zunon g 9, Dahongman g, Chuan mai 8,

Chuanm ai 12, and Chuan mai 15 were developed

from Mara in 1962-69; they w ere sown in the hilly

areas in Sichuan Province. Zunong 7, a good

representative variety derived from Mara, wasdeveloped in Dazu Cou nty in 1962 and occup ied

abou t 67,000 ha an nu ally. Zunon g 7 was extensively

grown in Provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi and Hu bei

from late 1960s to ear ly 1980s.

The Nan chong Prefectural Agricultu re Research

Institute (Na nchong PARI) released Youyim ai from

Productore-6/ Funo. It w as characterized by h igh

yield poten tial, short statu re, and early m aturity (6-7days earlier than Abbondanza), and resistance to

stripe ru st, but suscep tibility to scab.

Fan lines developed through complexhybridization of multiple parentsFan 6 and Fan 7 were d eveloped from IBO 1828/

NP824/ 3/ Wuyimai/ / Chengdu Guangtou branched

wheat/ Zhongnong 483/ 4/ Zhongnong 28B

branched wheat/ IBO 1828/ / NP 824/ Funo by the

Sichu an AU in 1969 (Figu re 5.4). IBO 1828 and Funowere from Italy, and NP 824 was from Ind ia. Fan 6

showed short stature with good lodging resistance,

high yield p otential, ph otoperiod insensitivity, and

tolerance to late sowing, good resistance to stripe

rust and root rot, and broad ad aptation. It was the

leading variety from early 1970s to early 1980s, andshared 800,000 ha in 1979 althou gh it w as su sceptible

to stem rust an d leaf rust, powd ery mildew, and

head scab. Fan 7, a sister line of Fan 6, show edsimilarly to Fan 6, and was sow n abou t 130,000 ha in

1979.

Developm ent of Fan 6 and its sister lines was

recognized as the first milestone of wh eat breeding

in Zone IV. Fan 6 and 7 were not on ly wid ely used in

produ ction, but also the most outstanding p arents

for crossing p rograms in Zone IV; most leading

varieties developed in Sichuan Province since late1970s were d erived from th em. Their derivatives

were characterized by h igh yield potential and goodlodging resistance, broad adaptation, and their

resistance to stripe rust ma intained for more than 20

years.

Abbondanza Forlani x Abbondanza

reselection F1 x Germany Red

Chuanmai 10 Wudu 5

Ardit x Hechang 5

Shuwan 651 x Abbondanza Shuwan 28 x Abbondanza

F1 x F1

Shuwan 761

Figure 5.3. Pedigrees of Chuanmai 10, Wudu 5, andShuwan 761 derived f rom Abbondanza.

Chengdu Guangtou Zhongnong 483


Chengdu Guangtou Branched Wheat x Zhongnong 483 Branched Wheat

IBO 1828 x NP 824 Wuyimai x F1 Zhongnong 28 Branched Wheat x IBO 1828 NP 824 x Funo

F1 x F1 F1 x F1

F2 x F1

Fan 6 Fan 7 69-1776

Figure 5.4. Pedigrees of Fan 6 and Fan 7 derived from complex crosses.



56

Ma iny ang v ariet ies deri ved from Fan 6. The

Mianyan g Prefectural Agricultur al Research Institute

(Mianya ng PARI) was very su ccessful in developing

varieties from Fan 6; ped igrees of major varieties

derived from Fan 6 at Mianya ng PARI are presentedin Figure 5.5. The release of Mianyang 11 and other

Mianyang varieties was the second landmark of

wh eat genetic improv ement in Zone IV. Mianyang 11

was d eveloped from Fan 6/ 70-5858 by Mainyang

PARI in 1979. 70-5858 showed short stature ranged

from 60 to 65 cm, and resistance to stripe ru st and

powdery mildew. Mianyang 11 which outyielded Fan

6 by 11.3% based on th e d ata collected from

prov incial yield trials, showed short statu re (80-85

cm) and g ood lod ging resistance, tolerance to

pow dery m ildew and resistance to stripe rust, escape

from h ead scab du e to its early heading and

blossoming stages, early matu rity, and broa d

ad apta tion. It was th e leading variety in 1980s, andcontributed 1.5 million ha in 1984 wh ich w as mostly

distributed in Zones III and IV.

Mianyan g 15, Mianyan g 19, Mianya ng 20, and

Mianyang 21 were developed through reselection of

Miany an g 11 by Mian yan g PARI in 1984, 1984, 1987,

and 1989, respectively. They show ed similarly with

Mianyan g 11, and each outyielded check variety by

some 10%, with improvemen t of thousand kernelweight by 3-5 g (except for Mianyang 15). They

became the lead ing varieties from m id 1980s to early1990s in Zo ne IV. Mianyang 15 contribu ted more th an

700,000 ha an nu ally from 1988 to 1990, Miany an g 19

shared abou t 400,000 ha in 1992. Mianya ng 20 ma de

up 330,000 ha ann ua lly for several y ears after 1989,and Mianyang 21 covered 300,000 ha in 1993. From

1984 to presen t, the above Mainy ang v arieties

contributed 2.0 million ha ann ually.

Mianyang 25 and Mianyang 26 were developed from

improv emen t of by the Mianyan g PARI in 1995. The

dev elopmen t of Mianyan g 25 is characterized bycrossing at early generation (F3) and use of Mianyan g

11 and its reselection as pa rents. 1212 2 (F3)derived

from Baikeguyuh uang/ Chuann ong 65-4395 was

crossed with T 808 introd uced from former Soviet

Union , and Rf 2117 0-3 (F3) from T808/ 1212 2 wascrossed with advanced line named Mianyang 75-14,

T7154 k-5 (F3) wa s then crossed with Mian yang 11, and

Mianyan g 25 was d eveloped from T7915 k-3-69 (F3) /

Mianyan g 15. Mianya ng 25 showed some 10% better

yield than Mian yang 11 and its reselections, wide

adap tation, strong stature and good lodgingresistance, big w hite kern el (1000 kernel w eight of 50-

60 g), and better resistance to stripe rust and pow dery

mildew and head scab compared w ith Mianyang 11.

It is one of the leading varieies at present an d covered

240,000 ha in 1996 mostly in Sichu an P rovin ce.

IBO 1828 x NP 824

Airongsui x Yaanzao

70-5858 x Fan 6 Fan 6

Mianyang 11 reselection

reselection 808

Mianyang 15 Mianyang 19 Mianyang 20 Mianyang 21

Baikeguyuhuang x Chuannong Shannong65-4395 205 x Abbondanza

ChuannongT 808 x 12122 Mara x 65-4479

Rf 21170-3 Mianyang 7124 x 110617-3-3-1

x Mianyang 75-14

T 7154k-5 x Mianyang 11

T 7915k-3-69 x M ianyang 15

Mianyang 25

Fan 6 x Dalizao

Chuanyu 5 x NPFP

Mianyang 20 x Chuanyu 9

Mianyang 26

Figure 5.5 . Pedigrees of Mainyang varieties and 808derived from Fan 6.



57

Mianyang 26 was d eveloped from Mianyang 20/

Chu anyu 9. It is characterized by high yield poten tial

(10-30% better th an Mianyan g 11 and its reselections)

and broad ad aptation, uniform and short stature and

good lodging resistance, early matu rity, white and bigkernel (1000 kernel weight 50 g), and better resistance

to stripe rust, leaf rust, powd ery mildew, and h ead

scab in comp arsion with Mianya ng 11 and its

reselections. It is the leading variety in Sichuan

Province and covered 600,000 ha in 1996 mostly in

Sichuan Province.

A reselection of Fan 6, 808 was released by Zuq iao

Town ship of Chengd u in 1989. It showed earlymaturity, wide ad aptation, and ou tyielded th e

stand ard variety by 15% in provincial yield trials. 808became one o f the leading va rieties in Sichuan

Province since 1990 and contributed 400,000 ha in 1991.

Chuanmai and Chuanyu derived from Fan 6. Wheatvarieties released b y Sichuan A AS were nam ed

Chuanm ai. Chuan mai 20 was developed from 603-

15443 (Abbond anza/ Zhu yeqing)/ 987-1-2(406/

Yaanz ao/ / 69-1776) in 1984. It ou tyielded Fan 6 by 6%

in provincial yield trials, and show ed good resistance

to lodging and stripe rust. Chuanm ai 20 was one of the

ma jor va rieties from ea rly 1980s to 1990 in Sichu anProvince, and contributed 130,000 ha in 1986.

Chuanm ai 22, which was d eveloped from Mianyang

11/ Chuan mai 20 in 1989, showed tolerance to drou ght

and poor soil fertility, wide ad apta tion in both

irrigated and rainfed hilly areas, and resistance ortolerance to stripe rust, powd ery mildew, and h ead

scab. It w as one of the leading varieties in early 1990s

and contributed 500,000 ha in 1992, mostly d istributed

in Zones III and IV. Chuan mai 23 was d eveloped from

1200/ Kavkaz/ / 980/ Vanessa/ 3/ Chuanmai 20 in 1991.

Wheat var ieties released by Cheng du Biology Institute

of Chinese Acad emy of Sciences were nam ed

Chuanyu . Chuan yu 8 was d eveloped from Aerai/

Chu anyu 7 in 1986. It outyielded Mianyan g 11 by 4.5%

in provincial yield trials, and show ed early ma turity

suitable for the mu ltiple cropping system. Chuanyu 8

was one of the major varieties from 1986 to 1993 in

Sichuan Province, and contributed 110,000 ha in

1993. Chuanyu 12 developed from Ch uanm ai 8

crossing with Fan 6/ Taiyuan 110/ / A 170-8/ 3/ Fan

7/ 4/ 3130 in 1992, is one of the major varieties atpresent in Sichuan Province, and covered more tha n

67,000 ha a nn ua lly.

Shuw an 831, derived from Shuw an 761/ Fan 6, was

released by th e Wan xian PARI in 1986. It was

characterized by early matu rity, resistance to

lodging, waterlogging, and stripe rust, and

mod erate resistance to head csab. Shu wan 831 was

one of the major varieties in eastern Sichuan du ringlate 1980s and cov ered 230,000 ha in 1989. Ped igrees

of Chu anm ai 20, Chu anm ai 22, Chu anyu 8, andShuw an 831 are presented in Figure 5.6.

HechuanHongpaideng x Ardito

x Shannong 205 406 x Yananzao

Abbondanza x Zhuyeqing F3 x 69-1776

603-15443 x 987-1-2

Mianyang 11 x Chuanmai 20

Chuanmai 22

Fan 6 x Yuan 110

Abbondanza x Shannong 205 x A170-8

Aerai x Chuanyu 7

Chuanyu 8

Shuwan 761 x Fan 6

Shuwan 831

Figure 5.6. Pedigrees of Chuanmai 22, Chuanyu 8,and Shuwan 831 derived from Fan 6.



59

Major Varieties in Yunnan PlateauNanyu an 1 was developed from F 2 pop ulation of

Nan da 2419/ Minn II-50-25 by the Yun nan Acad emyof Agricultu re Sciences (Yun nan AAS) in 1972. Na nd a

2419 was a leading variety in Yun nan , and Minn II-50-25 showed high resistance to three rusts. Nan yu an

1 showed 20% better yield than Fun o, wide

adap tation, and resistance to three rusts, and it was

suitable for growing under medium fertility level dueto its tall plant height. It became on e of the leading

var ieties in late 1970s and cov ered 42,000 ha in 1978.

A reselection of Nan da 2419, 778 was released by the

Yun nan AAS in 1965. It w as chara cterized by h igh

yield potential with 10% better yield over N and a

2419, resistance to lodging, an d tolerance to ru sts. 778became on e of the lead ing varieties from late 1960s to

1970s and contributed 110,000 ha at its largest

sowingseason.

Fengmai 13 was d eveloped from Orofen/ 778 by theDali Prefectura l Agricultural Research Institute (Dali

PARI) in 1974. It combined the desirable characters of

both p arents, and outyielded 778 by 10%. It became

one of the leading v arieties from mid 1970s to early

1980s an d covered 67,000 ha at its largest sowing

season, but its further extension was slowed dow n

du e to its severe susceptibility to stripe rust an d ta ll

plant height.

Fanxium ai, developed from Abbondanza/ 59-3

(reselection of N and a 2419) by th e Xichang Prefectura lAgricultural Research Institute (Xichang PARI) of

Sichuan Province in 1969, was introdu ced to Yun nan

Province. It was characterized by h igh yield poten tial(10% better than Abb ond anza ), strong statu re with

good lod ging resistance, early matu rity, and

resistance to stripe ru st and tolerance to pow dery

mildew. It was suitable for growing und er medium

fertility. By th e late 1970s, it becam e th e m ajor var iety

in Yun nan a nd Guan gxi Provinces with a largestsowing acreage of 200,000 ha.

Xichan g 76-4 was d eveloped th rough the

improv emen t of Nan da 2419 by the Xichang PARI in

1970s. It show ed v ery early ma turity (14 da ys early

than its parents), big kernel ( thousand kernelweight,58 g), resistance to d iseases, and g ood

ad apta tion to cool environm ents. Xichan g 76-4

became the leading var iety and covered h alf of the

wh eat areas in the cool wh eat growing region of

Yun nan Province. Pedigrees of locally develop ed

major varieties in Yun na P rovince are presented in

Figure 5.8.

Nanda 2419 x M inn II-50-25

Nanyuan 1

Nanda 2419reselection

Abbondanza x 59-3 Orofen x 778 Abbondanza x Dongfengmai

Fanxiumai Fengmai 13 Zhongamai x Xichang 17

Xichang 764

Figure 5.8 . Pedigrees of major variet ies derived from Nanda 2419 in Yunnan.



61

Nanda 2419 x Rust Resist ant 5204

Orofen x Dixiuzao

Hongmangmai

Huadong 5 x Abbondanza

Orofen x F4

Jinmai 4058 Wenge 1

Pedigrees of Major Released Varieties

Landraces and w heat breedingLocal land races were characterized by p hotop eriod

insensitivity, early m atur ity, tall plant height, redkernel with good tolerance to sprouting and head

scab, easy shattering an d su sceptiblity to stem rust

and leaf rust. Under ordinary conditions, they

yielded about 1.5 t/ ha. Land races such as

Chenq iaomai, Xinmai, Zaom ai, Huan gma i, Baikemai,Hongkem ai, Hongheshang, and Apoliujiao w ere

widely sown in the Provinces of Guangdong and

Fujian. Pu xuan 58, a reselection of Apoliujiao, w as

released in 1963, became one o f the leading varieties

in Guan gd ong, and covered 67,000 ha at its peak

sowing season.

Wheat breed ing in Taiwan wa s started in 1921.

Varieties were introdu ced from Japan a t early stage

and hybrid ization breeding w as initiated in 1932.

Currently, there are two key breeding programs:

Jinjiang Prefectura l Agricultural Research Institute(Jinjiang PARI) of Fujian P rovin ce and Fujian

Acad em y of Agricultu ral Sciences (Fujian AAS). In

total, 111 varieties were developed from 1949 to 1990

by v arious b reeding meth ods (Table 6.2). As local

breeding programs progressed, most varietiesreleased in 1980s were develop ed th roughhybrid ization. Orofen w as successfully used in

breeding, and CIMMYT wheats w ere heavily

involved in crossing progra ms since late 1970s.

Detailed ped igrees of major released varieties are

described below.

Fumai 7 derived from Rulofen/FuzhoubaimaiFumai 7 was developed from Rulofen/ Fuzhou

Baima i by t he Fu jian AAS in 1968 (Figu re 6.1).

Rulofen, introdu ced from Chile, show ed h igh yield

and stem rust resistance. Fuzhou Baimai, a good-

performing landrace, was characterized by earlymaturity, broad adaptation, and tolerance to scab, but

showed tall plant stature with poor resistance to

lodging, and susceptibility to stem and leaf rusts.

Fuma i 7 show ed early maturity, high yield potential

(19.7% better tha n stan dard variety Apoliujiao), and

high resistance to stem ru st. It was w idely sown inthe coastal plains of the south ern China an d its

acreage reached 100,000 ha in 1975.

Hongmangmai and Jinmai 4058 derivedfrom OrofenHongm angmai was d eveloped from Orofen/

Dixiuzao by th e Jinjiang PARI of Fujian P rovin ce in

1969 (Figure 6.2). Dixiuz ao d erived from N and a 2419

crossing w ith rust resistant 5204 (of un know n origin),

showed early maturity, and resistance to stem rust.

Orofen, a variety from Chile, was a leading v ariety inZone V. Hongmangm ai had med ium matu rity and

Table 6.2 . Number of variet ies developed atdifferent times in Zone V.

Method 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s TotalIntroduction 5 6 8 4 23Reselection 2 11 9 2 24Hybridization 4 17 27 14 62Mutation 0 0 2 0 2Total 11 34 44 20 111


Figure 6-1 . Pedigree of Fumai 7 derived fromRulofen/Fuzhou Baimai.

Rulofen x Fuzhou Baimai

Fumai 7

Figure 6.2. Pedigree of Hongmangmai, Jinmai 4058,and Wenge 1 derived f rom Orofen.



62

Jinjiang Chizai x Huadong 5

Nanda 2419 x Wuyimai F2 x Orofen

Fumai 7 x Chuanmai 4 Rieti 11 x F4

B-5 White x Jinmai 2148 x B-5 White

Fufan 17 Fufan 16

show ed h igh yield p otential, with 32.6% increase

over standard variety Apoliujiao, good plant typ e

and fast grain-filling, and stem ru st resistance. It

became one o f the leading va rieties in coastal plain

subz one an d contributed 80,000 ha in 1978.

Jinmai 4058 and Wenge 1 w ere dev eloped from

Orofen/ Huad ong 5/ / Abbondanza by the Jinjiang

PARI in 1971. They combined the d esirable characters

of three parents, and show ed med ium maturity,

strong stem, and resistance to stem ru st. They w ere

the leading varieties in late 1970s, and Jinmai 4058

and Wenge 1 contribu ted 62,000 ha an d 41,000 ha in

1978, respectively.

Jinmai 2148 and Fufan 16 derived fromcomplex crossesJinmai 2148, Fufan 16, and Fufan 17, derived from

complex crosses (Figure 6.3), were dev elopedthrou gh shu ttle breeding between Jinjiang of Fujian

Province in sou th China an d H eilongjiang Province

located in northeastern China. They h ad broad

adap tation and were widely sown in the Provinces of

Fujian, Guan gd ong, Gansu , Qingh ai, Inner Mongolia,

and Heilongjiang.

Jinm ai 2148 was r eleased by th e Jinjiang PARI of Fujian Prov ince in 1973. Jinjiang Ch izai, a local

variety, showed d rought tolerance and w ide

adap tation, but also low p roductivity w ith tall plant

height and susceptibility to stem ru st. Huadon g 5,introduced from Jiangsu Province, showed high yield

poten tial and resistance to stem ru st. Rieti 11

conferring resistance to stripe ru st was introdu ced

from Italy. Jinmai 2148 outyielded Hon gma ngm ai by

10%, and showed wide ad aptation, medium m aturity,

and resistance to stem ru st. It became the leading

variety in Zone V and also widely distributed inQingha i, Gansu , and Inner Mon golia. Jinmai 2148

had the largest sowing acreage among all wheat

varieties in Zon e V, and its sowing acreage w as morethan 200,000 ha in 1978.

Fufan 16 and Fufan 17 were d eveloped by crossing

Jinm ai 2148 with B-5 White b y Fu jian AAS in 1976. B-

5 White conferring strong stem and lodging

resistance was used to reduce plant h eight andimprov e late m atur ity of Jinmai 2148. Fufan 16 and

Fufan 17 had strong stem, ma tured 3-5 days earlierthan Jinmai 2148, and were resistant to stem rust.

They grad ually replaced Jinm ai 2148 and became the

leading v arieties in coastal p lain subz one in 1980s.

Early maturing, semidwarf, high-yieldingCIMMYT-derived varietiesCIMMYT varieties su ch as Po tam S 70, Inia F 66 and

Tanori F 71 were introduced in early 1970s. They

showed early maturity, short stature, and resistanceto stem rust and lodging, but showed premature

haying -off and u nstable yield in different years, andsusceptibility to head scab and sprou ting. Their

acreage reached 35,000 ha. CIMMYT wh eats w ere

used to improve p lant stature, yield p otential, and

stem ru st resistance of local varieties. Guimai 1 andFufan 904 were released by th e Maize Research

Institute of Guan gxi Province and Fujian AAS,

resp ectively (Figure 6.4).

Jinm ai 71, released by th e Jinjiang PARI, conferred

strong stem and lodging resistance, but w as highly

susceptible to leaf rust and late in matu rity. Guimai 1was d eveloped from Jinmai 71/ Pu 142 in 1977. Pu

142 was from CIMMYT with early m aturity an d

resistance to leaf rust. It show ed early to m ediu m

maturity, very strong tillering ability, resistance to

powdery mildew and slight susceptiblility to leaf rust. In early 1980s, Guimai 1 occupied more th an

100,000 ha in south eastern Gu angxi.Figure 6-3. Pedigrees of Jinmai 2148, Fufan 16, andFufan 17 derived from complex crosses.



63

Timstein x Orofen

Hybrid x Liangjiangmai

Jinmai 71 x Pu 142 (f rom CIMMYT)

Guimai 1

Jinmai 2148 x Austral ia 1098

Jinmai 2625 x Nuri F70 Fuzaobai x

Fuaimai x 75-5253 Hongmangmai

Reselection

x Hongmang 22

Fufan 904

Fuan Baiheshang x Taihe (Japan) Wunongmai x Funo

Aiheshang Guanxin 1

Figure 6.4 . Pedigrees of Guimai 1 and Fufan 904,derived from CIMMYT wheats.

Figure 6.5. Pedigrees of Aiheshang and Guanxin 1 forthe inland hilly subzone.

mildew, and broad ad aptation. It became a leading

variety in sou th Fijian and eastern Guangd ong since

late 1980s.

Aiheshang and Guanxin 1 Aiheshang weredeveloped from Fuan Baiheshang/ Taihe by Ningde

Prefectural Agricultural Research Institute (Ningd e

PARI)of Fujian Prov ince in 1976 (Figure 6.5). Fua n

Baiheshan g, a local landrace, showed good

adap tability, and plum p grain and mod erate

susceptibility to scab, but was too tall (135-150

cm).Taihe, with short stature (75-80 cm), was

introduced from Japan. Aiheshang show ed m edium

matu rity, was 100 cm tall with g ood lodgingresistance, was resistant to scab, and outyielded Fuan

Baiheshang by 35.8%. It became a major cultivatedvariety in eastern and north eastern Fujian in the late

1970s an d 1980s.

Guanxin 1 was developed from Wugongmai/ Funoby a farmer breeder in Guanyang Cou nty of Guangxi

Auton omou s Region in 1976. It show ed red uced

plant h eight, tolerance to abiotic stress includ ing

drou ght, waterlogging , poor soil fertility and

preha rvest sprou ting, and biotic stresses such as leaf

rust, powd ery mildew and scab. It generally yielded

1.5-2.3 t/ ha, 20-30% better than Wugongm ai. It w asthe ma jor cultivated variety of Guan gxi in the late

1970s and the 1980s.

Fufan 904 was developed by crossing advanced line

Fuaimai 2/ 75-5253 with Hon gman g 22 by the FujianAAS in early 1980s. Fuaimai 2, selected from Jinmai

2625/ Nu ri F 70, showed early matu rity and

semidwarf stature, but its small heads an d small

grains limited its u se in prod uction. 75-5253 selected

from Fuzaobai/ / Jinmai 2148/ Australia 1098,

showed early matu rity, large heads and mediumgrains, but h ad low yield potential. Hongman g 22

showed early matu rity and large spikes with big

grains. Fufan 904 show ed ear ly matu rity (10-15 days

earlier than Jinmai 2148), strong statu re with good

lodging resistance, high yield p otential, big kernel

size (thou sand kernel weight w as some 50 g),mod erate resistance to stem rust and pow dery



65

Pedigrees of Major Released Varieties

Landraces and w heat breedingThere was little wh eat grown in this zone before

1900; wheat a creage expand ed to 1.5 million h a in

1931. The so-called landraces were varieties from

Hebei, Shan xi, and Shaanxi Provinces and InnerMongolia Autonom ous Region within China; the

former USSR, Austra lia, Canad a, USA, and Japa n.

The dom inant land races before 1949, includ ingBaimang, Zaoyang, Daqingmang, Hongm ang,

Hu omaizi, Guangtou, and Sanhe Guangtou, were

characterized by good adap tation to the localenvironm ent, susceptibility to stem ru st, tall stature,

thus p oor lodging resistance and low yield potential

(about .75 t/ ha).

Table 7.1. Major varieties involved in varietalreplacement in Zone VI.

Duration Variety type Major variety*

Before 1950 Selections of Baimang, Hongmang,

landraces Zaoyang, Huomaizi,Guangtu, Sanheguangtu,Kehua, Norin 29

1950s Resistance to Hezuo 2, Hezuo 4,drought and poor soil Hezuo 7, CI 12203,fert ili ty, tolerance Minn 2761to stem rust

1960s Resist ance to rust Fengqian 2, Kezhuang,and abiotic Keqiang, Kequn, Kequan,stress, high yield Liaochun 1, Liaochun 2potential

1970s High yield potent ial, Kehan 6, Kehan 8, Kehanstress resistance 7, Kefeng 1, Ke 69-701

Early 1980s Early maturity, Kefeng 3, Kefeng 2,high yield potential, Kelao 3, Kefeng 5,st ress resist ance Longmai 12

Mid 1980s High yield potential, Kehan 10, Kehan 9,to present early maturity, stress Xinkehan 9, Kehan 13,

resistance Longmai 19,Liaochun 9

* Varieties are listed based on sowing acreage.Source: Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1996).

There are three major breeding progr ams in Zon e VI,

located in Keshan and Harbin in Heilongjiang

Province, and Shenyang in Liaoning Prov ince.

Collection and identification of var ieties as w ell as

reselection started in 1910s at the Gon gzhu lingAgricultural Experiment Station. Nanfeng and Dahe

were developed through hybridization in 1930s.

Although 168 varieties were developed by various

breeding meth ods (Table 7.2), most leading varieties

were d eveloped through hybridization. Great

progress has been achieved in wheat breeding at

Keshan Wh eat Research Institute (Keshan WRI) and

most leading varieties in Zone VI from 1960s to

present w ere released by Keshan WRI. TheHeilongjiang A cadem y of Agricultura l Sciences

transferred d esirable characters of Elyt rigia intermediato common wheat through hybridization in 1957.

Varieties with better resistance to ru sts and abiotic

stress, includ ing Xiaobing 1, Longm ai 1, Longmai 2,

Longmai 3, Longm ai 9, and Longmai 10, were w erereleased by the wide crossing program; however,

non e of them became leading v arieties in Zone VI.

Rust resistant varieties developed bycrossing local reselections withintroductions

To imp rove d isease resistance, yield poten tial, andlodging resistance of local varieties, introd uctions

were crossed with reselections of local varieties:

Hezuo 2, Hezuo 4, Hezuo 6, and H ezuo 7 were

released, and their pedigrees are presented in Figure

7.1. These crosses w ere m ad e from 1937 to 1940 bythe former H arbin Agricultural Experiment Station,

Table 7.2 . Number of variet ies developed bydifferent met hods at various times in Zone VI.

BeforeMethods 1949 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Total

Introduction 4 9 3 1 0 17Reselection 7 0 0 1 2 10Hybridization 2 19 34 25 41 121Wide crosses 0 0 7 2 3 12Mutation 0 0 0 1 4 5Others 0 0 1 2 0 3




66

and jointly evaluated by th e Provinces of

Heilongjiang, Jinlin, and Liaoning. They w ere the

major varieties grow n in 1950s.

Hezuo 2 was d eveloped from Reward 137-8/ Mangou335A- 531 in 1954. Mangou 335A-531 is a reselection

of local variety, and stem ru st resistant Reward 137-8

was reselected from Reward originated from Canada.

Hezuo 2 showed tolerance to waterlogging d uring

grainfilling, fast grainfilling rate, an d early m atur ity.

How ever, it ha d tall plant h eight (100-110 cm) w ith a

weak stem and poor sh attering tolerance. It also

possessed som e tolerance to stem ru st and spot

blotch. Hezu o 2’s performan ce was outstan ding inHejiang Prefecture, where w aterlogging occurs

frequently. It occup ied 130,000 ha in th is zone in 1957.

Hezu o 4 wa s developed from Mangou 335A-531/

Marqu illo. Marquillo originated from th e USA, and

show ed resistance to stem rust, droug ht resistance inearly stage, and waterlogging tolerance during the

late growing period. Hezuo 4 showed relative strong

stem, big spikes, more kernels per spike, and

resistance to stem ru st. It adap ted w ell in the d ry and

cold areas along Keshan, Harbin, and Chan gchun,

wh ere it covered 140,000 ha in 1957.

Hezuo 6 was d eveloped by crossing Thatcher

(Songh uajiang 1 in Ch ina) with reselection of local

variety Zhaoan. It showed high yield potential, broad

adaptation, and resistance to stem rust, lodging,

waterlogging, preharvested sprouting, and

shattering. However, Hezuo 6 showed susceptibility

to spot blotch an d poor resistance to drought at

seedling stage.

Dongnong 101 was developed from Thatcher/

Lanshou by the Nor theast Agriculture College in1958; Lansh ou wa s a reselection of a local va riety. It

combined th e desirable chara cters of both p arents,

and was h ighly resistant to stem ru st. It showed a

10% yield adv antage over check varieties, comp act

plant type with good lodging and shattering

resistance suitable for ma chine harv est, goodresistance to drou ght in seedling stage, and

waterlogging toleran ce at late stage. Dongnon g 101showed good p erformance in the Songlun Plains and

the Three River Plains, with an an nu al sowing

acreage over 67,000 ha.

Hezuo 7 was developed from Pilot/ Lanshou. Stem

rust resistant Pilot was introdu ced from the USA. It

was resistant to d rought an d tolerant to p oor soil

fertility, had strong tillering ability and fast

grainfilling rate. How ever, it w as severely susceptible

to spot blotch and on ly suitable for growing in the

dry, high-temperature su bzone w ith largest annu alacreage of 120,000 ha.

Improvement of Hezuo 4Keqiang and Kezhuan g were developed from Minn

2759/ Hezu o 4 (Figure 7.2) in 1958 by the Keshan

WRI. Minn 2759, named Songhu ajiang 3 in Ch ina,was introduced from the USA and was

recommen ded as a comm ercial variety. Keqiang

showed a significant yield advantage over local

leading va rieties such as H ezuo 4, strong stem, broad

adap tation, medium to late maturity with

Reward M angou local variet y


Reward 137-8 x Mangou 335A-531 x Marquis

Hezuo 2 Hezuo 4

Thatcher x Zhaoan Thatcher x Lanshou Pilot x Lanshou

Hezuo 6 Dongnong 101 Hezuo 7

Figure 7.1 . The first group of resistant varietiesderived from reselection of local varieties crossedwit h introductions.

Minn 2759 x Hezuo 4 CI 12268 x Hezuo 4

Kezhuang Keqiang Fengqiang 2

Figure 7.2. Pedigrees of Keqiang, Kezhuang, andFengqiang 2, developed by improving Hezuo 4.



68

tolerance to high temp erature and waterlogging

du ring late stage. It was distributed to state farm s in

the newly reclaimed region in the north.

Liaochun 1 became su sceptible to leaf rust du e to thechange in p hysiological races. Liaochu n 5 and

Liaochu n 6 were dev eloped b y the Liaoning AAS by

crossing Liaochun 1with Frontan a from Brazil in 1966

and 1968, respectively. Frontana, introdu ced to Ch ina

in the 1950s, was h ighly resistant to all three ru sts,

but h ad tall stature and weak stem. It is not easy to

distingush Liaochun 5 and Liaochun 6

morp hologically, but Liaochun 5 show ed resistance to

stem ru st, slight su sceptibility to leaf rust, andperformed well un der poor soil fertility. Liaochun 6

showed resistance to the three rusts and broadad apta tion. By the en d o f the 1970s, each of these tw o

varieties occup ied ab out 67,000 ha, mostly in

Liaoning and Jilin Prov inces, Inner Mon golian

Autonomous Region, Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, andsome state farms in northern Heilongjiang Province.

Liaochun 9 w as developed from Shen 612/ Liaochun

7 by Liaoning AAS in 1980s. It showed good

performance und er drought and broad adap tation,

and covered 130,000 ha in 1996, mostly in Liaoning,

Jilin, and Inner Mon golia.

Liaochu n 10 was d eveloped from 1048/ Liao 70181-2

by th e Liaoning AAS in 1990. It w as chara cterized by

very early matu rity (75 da ys from sowing to harvest),

good bread -making qu ality, resistance to lodging an dhigh tem peratu re. Liaochun 10 covered 67,000 ha in

1996, mostly in Liaoning and Beijing.

Bingmai 302 was developed from Anhui 9/ Hechun 1

(Figure 7-3) by th e Agricultural Institute of the former

North east Agricultural Reclama tion Bureau in 1970.Anhu i 9 was an early maturing variety from Anhui

Province of Zone III, and Hechun I showed medium

matu rity and resistance to stem rust. Bingmai 302

show ed p hotop eriod insensitivity, fast grainfilling

rate, big kernel size, good resistance to lodg ing an d

stem rust, and input responsiveness. It was mostly

grown by state farms in Jilin, Hebei, and Shan xi

Provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regionwith largest acreage of over 67,000 ha.

Kequn sister lines developed by steppedcrossing of multiple parent sKequn an d Kefeng 1 were d eveloped b y crossing Ke59Wen F 3-67 with Ke 59Wen F 4-68 (Figure 7.4) by

Keshan WRI in 1966 and 1968, respectively. Both

paren ts of Kequn an d Kefeng 1 were also developed

by Keshan WRI.

Kequn experiments and demon stration werecondu cted at ma ny locations between 1964 and 1966.

Mean yield for these th ree years w as 20.8% more

than th ose of check varieties Keqiang an d Kezhu ang.Kequn extension started in 1966. It became a major

variety in north ern H eilongjiang Province. Its largest

acreage was 160,000 ha.

CI 12203China Chil i x Reliance Minn 2759 x Kehua Reselect ion

Ke 51 Wen x Mangou Ke 53 x Ke 55F1-41 335A-531 Za 652 Yuan304

Ke 56 x CI 12268 x Merit Ke 56F1 x CIYuan 142 12356

Ke 57 F1-44 x Ke 57 F1-71

Ke 57 F1-209 x Funo Ke 57 F1-3 x Ke 60 F3-347

Ke 59 Wen F4-68 xKe 59 Wen F3-67 x Ke 59 Wen F4 -68

Kefeng 1 Kequn Kequan Kehan Kehong

Ke 57 F1-209 x Funo

Ke59 Wen F3-67 x Ke 60 F3-347

Ke 64 F3-526 x Rulofen

Ke 69-701

Figure 7.4. Pedigrees of Kefeng 1, Kequn, and Ke690701 derived from crossing multiple parents.



70

Kehan 6, released in 1972, was char acterized by

resistance to d rough t, poor soil fertility, and low

temp eratu re at seedling stage, resistance to

waterlogging a t late growing stage, resistance to stem

rust, strong tillering ability, good yield p otential, andbroad ad aptation. It was grown extensively in thewet lowlan ds of Hejiang Prefecture.

Kehan 7, released in 1973, showed a 14% yield

advan tage over Kequan and Kehong in regional yield

trials, very strong d rough t resistance at seedling

stage, stronger stem and better waterlogging

tolerance than Kehan 6, and suitability for machine

harv esting. It was ma inly distributed in th e semi-arid

areas of the north-central and w estern pa rts of this

zone.

Kefeng 2 was d eveloped from Kehan 7/ Ke69-701 by

the Keshan WRI in in 1979. This cross wa s ma de to

combine th e w aterlogging resistance of Ke 69-701 and

drou ght resistance of Kehan 7. Kefeng 2 ou tyielded

Ke69-701 and Kehan 7 by 15-18% in regiona l yield

trials and pilot production trials, showed lodgingresistance with p lant h eight of 80-90 cm, resistance to

stem an d leaf rusts, tolerance to waterlogging, fast

grainfilling, and stable performan ce und er different

conditions, but it w as late maturing an d susceptibleto head scab and black chaff. Kefeng 2 started to

extend in 1979, rapidly becam e the leading variety in1980s, and covered 270,000 ha at its largest sowing

season.

Kehan 9 and Xinkeh an 9 were develop ed from

Kefeng 2/ Ke 74 F 5249-3 by the Keshan WRI in 1984

and 1988, respectively. They show ed high yieldperformance under d rought, late maturity, and p lant

height of 80-100 cm. Kehan 9 and Xinkehan 9 have

been th e leading v arieties from m id 1980s to present,and occup ied 500,000 and 430,000 ha, resp ectively, in

1996.

Kehan 10 was dev eloped from Ke 68-88/ Ke 68F 4-585-

13/ / T808/ Ke 69-513 (Figure 7.6) by the hybrid w heat

program focusing on the use of Timophoeevi

cytop lasm ic male sterility of Keshan WRI in 1988. It

outyielded the check var iety Kefeng 1 by 13% in

regional yield trials, had broad ad aptation, drought

resistance at seedling stage, waterlogging resistance at

late growing stage, resistance to stem an d leaf rusts,and mod erately susceptible to spot blotch an d head

scab. Kehan 10 is suitable for eastern H eilongjiang an d

par t of Inner Mon golia, became the leading variety in

1990s, and covered 512,000 ha in 1996.

CIMMYT wheats as d wa rfing an d resistance sources

CIMMYT wheat germp lasm was introdu ced to Zone

VI in early 1970s. CIMMYT germplasm was resistant

to lodging and diseases, showed strong tilleringability at early stage, but w as susceptible to

waterlogging an d showed premature h aying-off atlate growing stage, thus low yield was obtained.

CIMMYT wh eats su ch as Mexipak 66, Potam S 70,

Tanori F 71, and N ad odores w ere heavily involved in

various breeding programs in Zone VI to improveyield potential, dw arfing plant stature, and disease

resistance of Chinese w heats.

Kefeng 3 wa s dev eloped from Ke 71 F 1 370-7/

Nad odores 63 (Figure 7.7) by the Keshan WRI in 1982.

Ke 71 F 1 370-7 show ed strong toleran ce to

waterlogging at the late growing period and had goodtillering ability. Nadodores 63 from CIMMYT was

characterized by d warf stature and high yield

poten tial. It outyielded the check varieties Kehan 6

and Kefeng 2 by 17%, show ed good lodging resistance

with p lant height arou nd 80 cm, resistance to stemand leaf rusts, tolerance to drou ght, waterlogging, and

spot blotch and head scab, broad adap tation, and

stable performan ce. Kefeng 3 wa s suitable for growing

in irrigated cond itions; it became the leadin g variety

in 1980s, and covered 700,000 ha in 1987.

Ke 68-88 x Ke 68F4-585-13 T 808 x Ke 69-513

Advanced line x Advanced line

Kehan 10

Figure 7.6. Pedigree of Kehan 10 derived from thehybrid wheat program.



73

Table 8.1 . Duration, variety type, and leading variet ies in the plains of Zone VII f rom 1950s to the present.

Duration Variety type Major varieties*

1950s Local varieties and their reselection Huoliaomai, Bikeqi Xiaobaimai, Dingxinzai Chunmai, Baipi Xiaomai

1960s Introductions from other countries CI 12203, Orofen

1970s Locally improved varieties Orofen, Jinghong 5, Kechun 14, Neimai 4, Jinghong 9,Mexipak 65, Tanori F 71

1980s Varieties from Zone VIII and VI Ningchun 4, Tiechun 1, Neimai 5, Neimai 11,Jinmai 2148, Neimai 14, Neimai 17

1990 to Variet ies f rom Zone VIII and locally Ningchun 4, Ningchun 16, Nemai 21, Wumai 6 , Jinchun 9present improved varieties

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing area.Source: Jin et al. (1983); Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1996).

Table 8.2. Number of varietes developed by various

methods in Zone VII.Method 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Total

Introduction 8 5 16 8 37Reselection oflandraces 8 1 3 1 13Reselection ofimproved varieties 1 1 4 1 7Hybridization 2 10 38 21 71Others 0 0 2 2 4Total 19 17 63 33 132

Source: Inner Mongolia Academy of Agr icultural Sciences (1993).


Landraces and w heat breedingLandraces are well adapted to local environments

and cropp ing systems and have strong tolerance to

drou ght an d p oor soil fertility. At present, land races

and their reselections are still wid ely used in the cool,

hilly subz one. Xiaohongm ai has been grown for

more th an 100 years and is still the leading v ariety.Mangm ai, Hu oliaomai, Dabaipi, and Xiaobaipi also

have large acreage. Reselections of local varieties

such as Yulanm ai, Neimai 9, Neimai 10, and

Kangxuan 9 also contribute big area in prod uction.

There are four w heat breedin g program s in Zone VII,i.e., the Inn er Mongo lia Academ y of Agricultu ral

Sciences (Inn er Mon golia AAS) in H ohho t, Chinese

Acad em y of Agricultu ral Sciences (CAAS) in Beijing,

Zhan gjiaku o Prefectural Agricultural Research

Institute (Zhan gjiakuo PARI) in H ebei Province, and

Crops Research Institute for Cool and H igh Altitud eArea of Shanxi Academ y of Agricultura l Sciences

(Shan xi CRICHAA) in Datong of Shanxi Province.

From 1950 to 1990, 132 varieties w ere released

(Table8.2). Intr odu ctions an d reselections are w idely

used to develop new varieties, and many varieties

are developed through h ybridization as localbreeding programs progress. However, the leading

varieties Ningchun 4 and Ningchun 16 were

dev eloped b y wh eat breeders in N ingxia (Zone VIII).

Introductions from abroad or from springwheat areas of ChinaIntrodu ced from USA, CI 12203 was n amed Gansu 96

in China. It outy ielded local varieties by 20% and

showed resistance to lodging and stem rust. Gansu 96

performed w ell und er irrigated conditions andbecame the leading variety in 1950s with a sow ing

acreage of 160,000 ha in 1958.

Noongar, introduced from Au stralia, was nam ed

Sanlian 2 in China . It was sown in Hebei, Shan xi, and

Inner Mon golia in 1950s. Orofen, introdu ced to Zo neVII in early 1960s, show ed high yield poten tial and

broad a da ptation. It became the leading va riety in

irrigated areas and covered 67,000 ha in m id 1970s.

The popu larity of Orofen improved wheat

prod uctivity and controlled occurrence of stem ru st in

this zone.



74

Ningchun 4, introdu ced from Ningxia Autonomou s

Region, has been th e leading var iety in Inner Mon golia

from mid 1980s to the present. It is characterized by

high yielding p otential (7.5 t/ ha), short stature, and

good lodging resistance. It covered 170,000 ha in InnerMongolia in 1996. Ningchun 16, named Neima i 19 in

Inner Mongolia, was also introd uced from N ingxia

Autonomous Region. It covered 68,000 ha in 1996 in

Inner Mongolia. Details of Ningchun 4 and Ningchun

16 are presented in Ch apter 9.

Jinmai 2148 and Tiechu n 1 w ere introdu ced from

Fujian and Liaoning Provinces, respectively; details of

their pedigrees are presented in Chap ters 6 and 7.

Varieties developed by improvinglocal varieties Res elect ions in rainfed areas . Rainfed wheat occupies

aroun d 600,000 ha in the Inner Meng olia Auton omou s

Region. Reselection of local varieties is the major

breeding m ethod for rainfed wh eats. Varieties such as

Yulanm ai, Lianglaiyou Baipimai, Bihongsui, Kang xuan

9, and N eimai 1 were reselected from local varieties.They have played an important role in w heat

production in this region.

Crosses betw een local v arieties and introductions.

Local varieties were crossed with introd uctions to

improve their yield potential and maintain their

adaptability. Varieties such as Banong 5, Jinchun 2,

and Nongken 2 wer e released, and th eir pedigrees are

presen ted in Figure 8.1.

Banong 5 was developed from Damangm ai/ Merit by

the Bashang Agricultu ral Research Institute of

Zhan gjiakou Prefecture in Hebei Province

(Zhangjiakuo Bashang PARI) in 1956. Daman gmai

was a lead ing local variety with stron g stressresistance. Introdu ced from USA, Merit has a strong

stem and good resistance to stem rust. Banon g 5

combined the desirable characters of two parents,

outyielded Damangmai by 15-20%, and performed

well un der r ainfed cond itions with p oor soil fertility.

It was used in p rodu ction for more than 30 years. Its

largest annu al sowing area wa s around 20,000 ha.

Jinchun 2 was d eveloped from Orofen/ Xiaobaomaifrom Ying Cou nty by th e Yanbei Prefecture

Agricu ltural Research In stitu te (Yan bei PARI) in 1973.It yielded aroun d 4.5 t/ ha and h ad wide ad aptation.

It was suitable for sup plemen tal irrigation conditions

and became the leading variety for spring wheat area

in Shanxi Province.

Non gken 2 wa s develop ed in 1974 from Xinbaima i/ CI 12203 by th e Xishan zui Agricultura l Experiment

Station of Bayan zhu oer League of Inner Mon golia

Autonomou s Region in cooperation with China

(Beijing) Agricultural University. It showed good

salinity and drough t tolerance and broad adap tation,good tillering a bility, and resistance to leaf rust. Itcould avoid the d amage of stem maggot wh ich is a

major factor limiting wh eat prod uction in Inner

Mongolia.

Damangmai x Merit Orofen x Xiaobaimai (from Ying County of Shanxi Province)

Banong 5 Jinchun 2

Bikeqi Xiaobaimai Yulanmai x Ke 66-90

Reselection Neimai 21

Xinbaimai x CI 12203

Nongken 2

Figure 8.1. Pedigrees of Banong 5, Jinchun 2, Nongken 2, and Neimai 21.



76

Kechu n 14 wa s developed from Beijing 8/ Orofen in

1960s by th e Genetic Institute of Chin ese Academy of

Sciences located in Beijing. Beijing 8 w as an early

maturing winter wheat variety. Kechun 14 was

characterized by early m atur ity (3-5 days earlier thanOrofen) , comp act plant type, big sp ike, fast

grainfilling, and strip e rust resistance. It wa s

extensively grown in Inner Mongolia, northern

Shanxi, and n orthern H ebei.

High yielding, disease resistant CIMMYT-derived varietiesCIMMYT wheats had short statu re, more grains p erspike, high tillering surv ival rate, and rust resistance.

How ever, most could n ot be used d irectly in

prod uction du e to prematu re haying-off. Since the

1970s, several wh eat program s in this zone m ad e

crosses between local varieties carrying early

matu rity, resistance to prem ature h aying-off, andfast grainfilling rate w ith CIMMYTwh eats, and a

group of new varieties includ ing Jinghon g 9,

Jinchun 3, Jinchun 4, Neimai 11, Jinghong 10 (Zhong

8502), Neima i 17, and Mengyou 1 were released.

These new varieties were characterized by short

stature, resistance to the three ru sts, high yield

poten tial, good qua lity, and wid e ad apta bility. Their

ped igrees are presented in Figure 8.3.

Nanda 2419 x NP 798 Nanda 2419 x Minn I-50-25

F1 x F1

Mexipak 66 x Jinghong 4

Jinghong 9

reselection

Neimai 14

Chapingo F 74 x Neimai 4 Potam S 70 x Wenge 1

Neimai 17 Nemai 11 Longxi 35

Orofen x Dixiuzao Kechun 14 x Olesen Dwarf

Hongmangmai x Yecora F70 Jing 772 x Alondra” s” -Pima-77

Mengyou 1 Jinghong 10

Xiannong 39 x Mexipak 66 x Kechun 14

Jinchun 3 Jinchun 4

Yecora F 70 x Kechun 14 Lovrin 13 x International Rust Screening Nursery 680181

Jing 771 x Zhong 7606

F1 x durum wheat from CIMMYT (no name)

Zhongzuo 8131

Figure 8-3. Jinghong 9, Jinghong 10, Zhongzuo 8131, Neimai 11, and Neimai 17 derived from CIMMYT wheat s.



77

Jinghong 9 was d eveloped from Jinghong 4/ Mexipak

66 by CAAS in 1973. Jingh ong 4, a released v ariety,

show ed resistance to the three ru sts, big spikes, and

big kernels; how ever, it was tall and had poor

lodging resistance. Mexipak 66 was characterized byshort statu re, good lod ging resistance, and resistance

to the three rusts, but matured late and show ed

prem ature ha ying-off. Jinghon g 9 combined the

desirable characters of two parents, had the same

matu rity as Jinghon g 4, short statu re, good lod ging

resistance, strong tillering a bility, and wid e

ad apta tion. It outyielded CIMMYT wheats in all 26

test locations in Inner Mongolia in 1976. Jinghon g 9

was sow n mostly in Inner Mongolia, Hebei, andShanxi with a largest sowing area of 25,000 ha.

Neima i 14, a reselection of Jingh ong 9, wasdeveloped by Seed Production Station of Hohhot in

Inner Mon golia in early 1980s. The u niformity and

kernel size of Jinghon g 9 imp roved, bu t Neima i 14

matured later than Jinghong 9.

Jinchun 3 was d eveloped from Xiannon g 39/

Mexipak 66 by th e Xinxian Prefecture Agricultural

Research Ins titut e (Xinxian PARI) of Shanxi Prov ince

in 1974. Xiannon g 39 wa s a facultative w heat from

Shaanxi Province with shor t stature and

susceptibility to rust. Jinchun 3 show ed shor t stature,good lodging resistance, resistance to stem and leaf

rusts, tolerance to high temperatures, and fast

grainfilling rate. It was sow n m ostly und er irrigation

in the spr ing wh eat area of Shan xi Province, and its

ann ual sow ing area reached 13,000 ha in late 1970s.

Jinchun 4 w as developed from Mexipak 66/ Kechun

14 by the Yanbei PARI in 1976. It pos sessed sho rt

stature, good lodging resistance, resistance to the

three rusts, wide adap tation, and high yield potential

(7 t/ ha). Jinchun 4 took the leading p osition in theirrigated sp ring w heat area in Shan xi from late 1970s

to 1980s, and covered 13,000 ha annually.

Neimai 11 was d eveloped from Potam 70/ Wenge 1

by the Wuyu an Cou nty of Inn er Mongolia in early

1980s. It had short stature (85-90 cm), good lodgingresistance, high resistance to stripe and stem ru sts,

big spikes, and big kernel size. It outyielded check

variety Neimai 4 by 13.8% and p roduced 6 t/ ha. In themid 1980s, Neimai 11 was extend ed in irrigated areas

of Inner Mon golia, where it covered 25,000 ha an nu ally.

Longxi 35, sister line of N eimai 11, wa s released inFujian Province (Zone V) and becam e the leading

spring wh eat variety in Yulin Prefecture in Shaan xi

Province.

Jinghon g 10 (Zhon g 8502) was d eveloped from Jing

772/ Alond ra”s”-Pima-77 by CAAS in th e late 1980s. It

had semidw arf stature, big spikes, big kernel size, and

resistance to the three rusts. It yielded 5.3 t/ ha u nder

irrigated conditions, but was susceptible to preharvestsprou ting. Jinghon g 10 is grown in Inner Mo ngolia,

Gansu , and Xinjiang.

Neimai 17 was developed from Chap ingo F74/ Neimai

4 by the Agricultural Research Institute of Bayan zhu oer

League, Inner Mongolia, in 1982. Chapingo F74 hadshort statu re, early matu rity, and resistance to the three

rusts. Neim ai 4, a released variety, had tall stature.

Neima i 17 outyielded N eimai 4 by 10%, and sh owed

early matu rity and ru st resistance. It was grow n in

Inner Mong olia and covered 25,000 ha an nu ally;

how ever, its poor lodg ing resistance limited its furth er

extension.

Mengyou 1 was developed from Hongm angmai/

Yecora F70 by th e Inner Mon golia AAS in 1991;

Hongm angmai w as introduced from Fujian Province in

Zone V. It was chara cterized by good bread -makingqua lity, comp act plant typ e, resistance to stem and leaf

rusts and to premature haying-off, and wide

adaptation.

Zhon gzu o 8131 was released from Jing771/ Zhon g

7606/ / CIMMYTDuru m Wh eat by the CAAS in 1988. Itshowed resistance to stem and leaf rusts, and yielded

around 4.5 t/ ha. Zhongzu o 8131 was characterized by

high protein content and outstanding bread-making

qua lity with loaf volum e rang ing from 820-960 cm 3 (100

g baking test) and excellent crumb textu re. Currently,

most Chinese w heat lines and va rieties suitable forbreadmaking are d erived from Zhongzu o 8131.



78

Chapter 9.The Northwestern Spring Wheat Zone


The Northw estern Spring-sown Spring Wh eat Zone

(Zone VIII), wh ere true sp ring w heats are g rown , is

located in th e region of Loess, Qingha i, and Tibet

Plateaus, and includes eastern Qinghai Province,major areas of Gansu Province, and th e entire Ningxia

Auton omou s Region. It has a continental climate, andrainfall du ring the w heat season v aries from 50 to 250

mm . Wheat prod uction is thus heavily dep endent on

irrigation availability. Spring wh eat is the major grain

crop in this zon e with a sowing area of 1.1 million ha,accounting for 24% of the total spring-sown spring

wh eat acreage in China. Wheat is sown in March and

harv ested in July. Mostly one crop p er year is grown,

but w heat-maize, wheat-bean, and wheat-potato

intercropping or tw o wh eat-rice crops p er year are

also practiced.

There are four su bzones: the irrigated a reas along the

Yellow River, the hilly rainfed areas, the cold, humid

areas, and th e Hexi Corridor.

The irrigated areas along the Yellow River a recharacterized by h igh soil fertility and a w ell-

established irrigation system, where high yields are

generally obtained . Aroun d 200,000 ha of wh eat are

sown ann ually, and strip e rust is a major limiting

factor for wheat production.

The hilly rainfed su bzone, located in eastern Qingh ai,

central Gansu, and south N ingxia, is characterized by

low rainfall (100 mm) du ring the w heat season , poor

soil fertility, and heavy soil erosion; thu s low yields

are generally har vested. Aroun d 330,000 ha of whea t

are grown a nnu ally, and d rough t is the ma jor limitingfactor for wheat production.

The cold, hum id subzone, located on the northern ed ges

of the Qinghai and Tibet Plateaus is chara cterized b yhigh altitude (2100-4500 masl), cold, humid

environm ent, and a short frost-free period. Wheat is

sown in April and h arvested from late August to

Septem ber. Aroun d 270,000 ha of wh eat are cultivated

annu ally, and wheat p rodu ction is limited by stem rust,

stripe ru st, wheat blossom midge, preharvest sprouting,and lodging.

The Hexi Corridor, includ ing Wuw ei, Zhan gyi, and

Jiuqu n Prefectures of Gansu Province, is characterized

by flat land , a well-established irrigation system, an d

rare disease incidence; thus high yields (up to 9 t/ ha)can be obtained . Aroun d 330,000 ha of wh eat are

cultivated annually, and wheat production is limited by

high tem peratu re at late stag e, BYDV, take-all, root rot,

and smuts.

Breeding objectives in Zone VIII include:• High yield potential, short stature, and lodging

resistance.

• Resistance to stripe rust, and to BYDV, stem rust,

take-all, root rot, and smu t dep end ing on location.

• Tolerance to drought and low soil fertility under

rainfed conditions.


Five varietal replacemen ts have been recorded in th e

last 40 years. Detailed inform ation on d uration , varietytype, an d major varieties is presented in Table 9.1.

Chan ges in ph ysiological races of stripe ru st and

improv ed yield po tential are major factors driving

varietal replacement. The leading varieties from 1950s to

1960s w ere introd uced mostly from Italy; locally

developed varieties have contributed greatly to w heatprod uction since the 1970s.



79


Landraces and w heat breedingLocal landraces were characterized by good drough t

tolerance and su sceptibility to yellow and stem ru sts.Xiaohongm ai was sown in Qinghai Province for a long

time an d sowing acreage reached 20,000 ha in 1959. It

had tolerance to drough t and cold, and little

shattering; how ever, it showed susceptibility to

sprouting and stripe rust, and poor tolerance to

salinity and alkalinity. Honglaom ai and Bailongmai,the major landra ces in Gansu Province, had good

drou ght tolerance, relatively high and stable yield

performance, and wide ad aptation. They occupied

90,000 ha , or 80% of total whea t acreage in early 1960s.

Baidatou, with strong drought tolerance, was mostly

sown in Hexi Corridor of Gansu Prov ince and covered30,000 ha in 1959. Huom ai was the lead ing land race in

Ningxia, in both irrigated and rainfed areas.

Collection, evaluation, an d extension of land races were

don e by the local breeding p rogram s in early 1950s,

and varieties introd uced from Australia, Italy, and USAwere p opu larized from m id 1950s to 1960s.

Qua lity, an Australian introdu ction, show ed resistance

to stripe rust and lodging, and broad adap tation in

Zone VIII. Its popu larity started in early 1950s and

became th e leading variety w ith an acreage of 220,000ha in 1959 distributed in Qingh ai, Gansu , and N ingxia.

Table 9.1 . Duration, variety type, and leading variet ies in Zone VIII from 1950s to t he present.


Before mid 1950s Landraces Honglaomai, Bailaomai, Baidatou, Xiaohongmai, Huomai

Late 1950s Introductions Quality, CI 12203* * , Minster* * *

1960s Italian introductions Abbondanza, Funo

1970s Locally developed varieties Ganmai 8, Dudi 1

1980s Derived from Ningchun 4, Longchun 8, Wuchun 1, Wuchun 121,CIMMYT wheats Zhangchun 9, Dingxi 24, Humai 11

1990s Derived from Ningchun 4, Ningchun 16, Ganchun 16, Gaoyuan 602CIMMYT wheats

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing acreage.* * and * * * CI 12203 and Minster were named Gansu 96 and Wugong 744, respectively, in China.Source: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1996).

CI 12203, introd uced to Gansu in 1944, was nam edGansu 96 in Chinese. It was char acterized byresistance to stripe ru st, stem rust, stinking sm ut,and loose smut, tolerance to blossom midg e, goodlodging resistance, and broad adaptation. It becamethe leading variety in the spring-sown spring wh eatareas (Zones VI, VII, and VIII), and covered 670,000ha in 1959.

Abbondanza, originated in Italy, was introduced tothis zone in 1957. It yielded 15-25% better than

Qua lity and Gansu 96. Norm ally it yielded 3.7-4.5 t/ ha, sometimes reaching 7.5 t/ ha. Abbond anza w asthe leading v ariety in this zone in mid 1960s with alargest a creage of 400,000 ha in Zone VIII.

Funo, originated in Italy, showed high y ieldpoten tial, lodging resistance, and resistance to striperust. It was grow n in irrigated areas of GansuProvince.

The key breeding programs includ e the GansuAcadem y of Agricultural Sciences (Gansu AAS) andGansu Ag ricultural University (Gansu AU) locatedin Lanzhou , Ningxia Academ y of AgriculturalSciences (Ningxia AAS) located in Yinchuan,Qingha i Academ y of Agricultu ral Sciences (Qingha iAAS) and North western Plateau Biological ResearchInstitute (Northw est PBRI) of Chinese Acad emy of Sciences, both located in Xining. H ybridizationbreeding started in late 1950s. More than 140



80

varieties were released th rough reselection andhybrid ization since 1960s, but on ly a few v arietiessuch as Ganm ai 8 and Ningchun 4 covered large areas.

Varieties developed in GansuGanmai 8 derived from Wuyima i/Abbondanza.

Ganmai 8 was d eveloped from Wuyimai/

Abbond anza (Figure 9.1) by the Gan su AAS in 1964.

Wuyimai showed a 10% yield adv antage over

Abbondanza, rust resistance and m edium to earlymatu rity. Introd uced from Sichu an, it was

characterized by high yield potential with good

lodging resistance, high tho usan d kern el weight (42-

48 g), resistance to stripe ru st, early matu rity (five

days earlier than Abbond anza), and broad ad aptation.

Ganmai 8 became the leading variety in spring w heatarea in Gansu and Ning xia in early 1970s and

occup ied 670,000 ha in 1975. Longchun 8, a reselection

of Ganma i 8, became a leading v ariety in 1980s and

covered 110,000 ha in Gansu in 1986.

Varieties derived from crossing W uyimai/Abbondanza

w ith CIMMYT w heats. Wuchun 121, Wuchun 1, and

Ganchun 15 were developed by crossing Wuyimai/

Abbond anza with CIMMYT germp lasm (Figure 9.2).

CIMMYT wheats w ere mostly used for dw arfing the

plant stature.

Wuchun 121 was developed from Ganmai 8/ Nu ri

F70 by a farm er breeder in Wuw ei County of Gansu

Province in 1985. It w as characterized by sho rt

stature (85 cm) and g ood lod ging resistance. Wuchu n

121 has been one of the leading v arieties from 1986 tothe present in H exi Corridor of Gansu Province with

a sow ing area of 90,000 ha in 1991.

Wuchun 1 was d eveloped from Ganm ai 23/

(Kashibaipi + Mexipak 66) by Wuw ei Prefecture

Agricultural Research Institute (Wuwei PARI) in

1986. It show ed h igh yield p otential, short stature,

and good lodging resistance, but w as late maturing.

It has been one of the m ajor varieties from 1981 to thepresent, w ith 70,000 ha in 1987 mostly sown in H exi

Corridor of Gansu.

Ganchun 15 was developed from Penjamo 62/

Ganmai 42/ / Xinshuguan g 1 by the Gansu AU in late

1980s; Xinshu gua ng 1 w as introd uced fromHeilongjiang Province in Zone VI. It was

characterized by compact plant type and short

stature. Ganchun 15 covered 23,000 ha in 1991,

mostly und er irrigated conditions.

Ganchun 11 and 16 derived from 55 IV-4-3-1-1-2/

Abbondanza. Ganchu n 11 was d eveloped from 55 IV-4-3-1-1-2/ Abbond anza by the Ga nsu AU in 1975. The

pa renta ge of 55 IV-4-3-1-1-2, show ing to leran ce to

dry a ir, was unid entified. Ganchu n 11 wa s

characterized by compact plant type, lodging

resistance, and good p erformance un der u nfavorableconditions including poor soil fertility, salinity, and

dry air environment. It has been the leading variety

from early 1980s to the p resent in Jiuqua n Prefecture

of Gansu, and covered 40,000 ha in 1985.

Wuyimai x Abbondanza

Ganmai 8 Ganmai 23 Ganmai 42

Reselection

Longchun 8

Figure 9.1. Pedigrees of Ganmai 8 and Longchun 8

derived from Wuyimai/Abbondanza.

Ganmai 8 x Nuri F70 Ganmai 23 x (Kashibaipi + Mexipak 66) Penjamo 62 x Ganmai 42

Wuchun 121 Wuchun 1 F2 x Xinshuguang 1

Ganchun 15

Figure 9.2. Wuchun 121, Wuchun 1, and Ganchun 15 derived from Wuyimai/Abbondanza//CIMMYT wheats.



81

Ganchun 16 was developed from anther culture F1 of

Dan 357/ Ganchu n 11 by the Gan su AU in 1989. It

was characterized by broad adaptation, resistance to

stripe rust, and tolerance to high temperatures. It was

one of the leading v arieties in Linxia Prefceture of Gansu with largest ann ual sow ing acreage of 67,000

ha. Pedigrees of Ganchun 11 and Gan chun 16 are


Zhangchun 9 and Guanglin 135 derived from Funo.

Zhangchun 9 was d eveloped from Minxuan 116/

Abbondanza by Zh angye Prefecture AgricultureResearch Institute (Zhang ye PARI) of Gansu Province

in 1975, and Minxu an 116 was reselected from Funo.

It outyielded the check v arieties by 15-20%, showed

resistance to drough t and high temperatures, but was

susceptible to BYDV. Zhan gchun 9 was one of th e

major varieties in Gansu in 1980s with a largest

ann ual sow ing acreage of 33,000 ha.

Guan glin 135 was d eveloped from Linnon g 2/

Demark 2/ / Orofen/ (San Pastore + Abbondanza) by

the Linzh ao Agricultura l School in 1985. It wa s

characterized by high yield potential, good lodgingresistance, tolerance to high tempera ture and

drough t, moderate resistance to stripe ru st and

resistance to stem rust. Gua nglin 135 became one of

the major varieties in late 1980s and early 1990s in

Gansu and covered 40,000 ha ann ually. Pedigrees of

Zhangchun 9 and Guanglin 135 are presented inFigure 9.4.

Dingxi 24 developed from Bai laom angmai /

Kenjafen. Dingxi 24 was d eveloped from

Bailoamangm ai/ Kenjafen (Figure 9.5) by the

Dingxi Prefecture Agricultur al Research Institute(Dingxi PARI) of Gansu Provin ce in 1971.

Bailaomangm ai conferring toleran ce to poor soil

fertility an d stripe ru st wa s a local variety; Kenjafen,

with h igh yield poten tial, rust resistance, and

drought tolerance, was introduced from Chile.

Dingxi 24 outyielded Bailaomangmai by 6-63.7%,and show ed resistance to drou ght, poor soil fertility,

stripe rust, and stem rust. It became a leading v ariety

in rainfed area in Gansu in 1980s with a largestann ua l sowing a creage of 90,000 ha.

Doudi 1 and derivatives developed fromAbbondanza/Quality in NingxiaDoudi 1 and derivatives such as Ningchun 4 andNingchu n 16 were the major varieties in N ingxia

from 1970s to the p resent; their ped igrees are


55N-4-3-1-1-2 x Abbondanza

Dan 357 x Ganchun 11

Ganchun 16

Figure 9.3. Pedigrees of Ganchun11 and Ganchun 16.

Funo

Reselection

Minxuan 116 x Abbondanza

Zhangchun 9

Quality x Funo(San Pastor +Orofen x Abbondanza)

Linnong 2 x Demark 2

Advanced line x Advanced line

Guanglin 135

Figure 9.4 . Zhangchun 9 and Guanglin 135 derivedfrom Funo.

Bailaomangmai x Kenjafen

Dingxi 24

Figure 9.5 . Pedigree of Dingxi 24.



82

yield p otential (9 t/ ha) and ou tyielded N ingchun 4 by

3.7 to 8.4%, was ear ly matu ring (three d ays earlier than

Ningchu n 4), had resistance to yellow ru st and

pow dery mildew, and broad adap tation. Ningchun 16

became one of the lead ing varieties in Ningxia, Inn erMongolia, and Xinjiang w ith a sow ing acreage of

80,000 ha in 1995.

Varieties derived from Orofen in QinghaiQingchun 5 was developed from Abbond anza /

Orofen by th e Qingh ai AAS in 1969. It show ed high

yield poten tial (11.9 t/ ha) and resistance to lodg ing

and stripe ru st. Qingchun 5 was mainly sown in

Qingha i and Xinjiang in 1970s; its sow ing acreage

reached 20,000 ha in Qinghai in 1976.

Hu mai 11 was d eveloped from Qingchun 17/

Qingchun 5 by a farmer breeder in Huzh u Coun ty of

Qingha i Province in 1988. It perform ed w ell und er

rainfed conditions and was mod erately susceptible to

yellow and stem rusts. Hu mai 11 was one of theleading varieties in Qing hai from 1986 to early 1990s

and occup ied 20,000 ha, or 10% of the w heat a creage in

1988.

Qingchun 533 was d eveloped from 367B/ Alondra “s”

by th e Qingh ai AAS in 1988; Alondr a “s” w asintrodu ced from CIMMYT. It outyielded the check

varieties Abbonda nza and Jinmai 2148 by 16.7% and

12.4%, respectively, based on da ta from regional trials

from 1986 to 1987. Qingchun 533 showing resistance to

lodging an d strip e rust, is siutab le for irrigated

environments, and has been the leading variety inQingha i from 1989 to the present. It covered 60,000 ha

in 1992 in Qinghai and Gansu .

Gaoyuan 602 was d eveloped from Gaoyu an 182/ 3984-

88(3) by the N orth wes t PBRI in 1987. It wa scharacterized by high yield potential and d roughtresistance, broad ad aptation , early matu rity, and

resistance to yellow rust and high temp erature.

Gaoyu an 602 has been a leading v ariety in Qinghai

and Gansu since late 1980s and occupied 100,000 ha in

1992. Pedigrees of Qingchu n 5, Hu mai 11, Qingchu n

533, and Gao yua n 602 are presented in Figure 9.7.

Abbondanza x Quality

Doudi 1 Hongtu

Sonora 64 x Hongtu

81 NS 10* x Ningchun 4

F1 x Ningchun 4

Ningchun 16

* 81NS 10 carryingTa1 (Ms2 ) gene was introduced from CAAS.

Figure 9.6. Pedigrees of major varieties includingDoudi 1, Ningchun 4, and Ningchun 16 in Ningxia.

Doudi 1and H ongtu w ere developed from

Abbondanza/ Quality by the N ingxia AAS in 1969.

Doud i 1, the best of th e sister lines, outyielded

Abbond anza by 10-15%, had strong stem w ith good

lodging resistance, stripe ru st resistance, and broa d

adap tation with good performance under varioussoil fertility levels. Doud i 1 an d its sister lines

became the lead ing varieties in irrigated area s of

Nin gxia from 1970s to early 1980s, covering 70% of

the local wh eat acreage. They w ere also sown in

Inner Mon golia and Xinjiang.

Ningchu n 4, an alternative n ame of Yongliang 4, was

developed from Sonora 64/ Hongtu by the Seed

Station o f Yongn ing Cou nty in N ingxia in 1981.

Sonora 64 show ing short statu re, high yield

poten tial, and resistance to stripe rust, was

introdu ced from CIMMYT. Ningchun 4 had shor tstature (80 cm) with g ood lodging resistance, broad

adap tation, and high yield potential (9.0 t/ ha) with

15% advan tage over Dou di 1. It became the leading

variety in Zones VII and VIII from 1983 to present.

Its annu al sowing a creage reached 330,000 ha mostly

in Ningxia, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia.

Ningchu n 16 was d eveloped from 81NS 10/

Ningchun 4/ / Ningchun 4 by the Ningxia AAS in

1992; 81NS 10, carrying the Ta1 ( Ms2 ) gene, wa s

introdu ced from CAAS in Beijing. It showed high



83

Abbondanza x Orofen 30562 * x CI 12203

Qingchun 5 Qinghai 2 x Abbondanza

Qingchun 17 x Qingchun 5

Humai 11

Kechun 5 x Xiaoyan 759

Anther culture

Gaoyuan 182 x 3984-88(3)

Gaoyuan 602

Jubileina II (Bulgaria) x C. 258 (India)

Xingfumai x Hybrid

Rondine (Italy) x Hybrid

Tamworth (Australia) x 70-84

367 B x Alondra “ s”

Qingchun 533

Figure 9.7. Pedigrees of Humai 11, Qingchun 5, Qingchun 533, and Gaoyuan 602.* 30562 was from Percial’s world collection wi th unknown origin.



84

Chapter 10.The Qinghai-Tibet Spring and Winter Wheat Zone


The Qingha i-Tibet Spring and Winter Wh eat Zone

(Zone IX) includ es p art of Qingh ai Province, Aba

and Ganzi Prefectures in Sichuan, Zhongd ian and

Deqin Cou nties in Yun nan , and all of the Tibetan

Auton omou s Region. Zone IX is located on th e

Qingha i-Tibetan Plateau, wh ere one crop per year isgenerally p racticed. Aroun d 140,000 ha of w heat is

cultivated annually, mainly at 2,600 to 3,800 masl.

The highest spring wh eat and winter wheat yields in

small plots recorded in Tibet in 1979 were 14.8 t/ ha

and 13.0 t/ ha, resp ectively. In 1988, the highest yield

in small plots reached 15.3 t/ ha in Qingh ai. There aretwo su bzones, the Qinghai Plateau (spring w heat)

and the Tibetan Plateau (winter and spring wh eats).

Most spring wh eats in the Qinghai Plateau Subzone

are grown in th e Chaidamu Basin, which is

characterized by a short frost-free period (80-100days), low temperatures, low hum idity, annu al

rainfall below 200 mm , and little d isease inciden ce.

Factors such as w indy w eather, low temperature

du ring grainfilling, and late frost limit wh eat

prod uction. Wheat is generally sown in late March

and harvested from late August to early September.The common cropp ing rotation is wheat-wheat-peas

or rapeseed or potato in three years. The total spring

wheat acreage is some 40,000 ha. Breeding objectives

include high yield potential and early maturity.

The Tibetan Plateau Subz one is characterized by anot so severe winter and low temp eratures in

summ er, strong rad iation, long sunshine h ours, dry

winter an d sp ring, and an an nu al rainfall of 300-500

mm mostly from July to Septem ber. Growth p eriods

of spring and winter w heats vary from 150 to 160

da ys an d from 320 to 350 da ys, respectively. Wheatacreage is about 113,000 ha, with w inter w heat

covering abou t 74% of the area. One crop is harvested

annu ally in th e main agricultural area. Spring w heat

is sown mostly in m id to late March and harvested in

early or mid September, wh ile winter w heat is sownfrom late Septem ber to early October and harv ested

from late August to mid September. Breeding

objectives includ e high yield p otential, early

matu rity, cold tolerance for winter wh eat, and

resistance to stripe ru st, althou gh root rot, loose smu t,

bun t smu t, scab, BYDV, and a d isease caused by

Selenophoma sp. are also reported .


Four varietal replacements have taken p lace in thiszon e (Tables 10.1 and 10.2). Italian var ieties such as

Nand a 2419 and Abbond anza w ere the major

varieties in the Qing hai Plateau Subzon e. Nand a 2419

covered 80% of the sp ring w heat area from late 1950s

to 1960s, and Abbond anza h as been the leading

variety from late 1960s to the p resent. Heine H ved efrom German y, named Feimai in Chinese, with high

yield potential, stable performan ce, and broad

ad apta tion, accounted for 80% of the winter wh eat

area from late 1970s to the p resent.

Table 10.1. Duration, variety type, and leadingvarieties in the Qinghai Plateau Subzone.


Before 1960s Local variety Xiaohongmai

Early 1960s Italian introduction Nanda 2419

Mid 1960s to 1970s Italian introduction Abbondanza

1980 to present Derivatives of Abbondanza,Nanda 2419 Xiangnong 3,

Gaoyuan 506,Gaoyuan 602,Gaoyuan 338

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing area.Source: Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1996).



85


Landraces and wheat breedingWheat cultivation in the Qinghai Plateau Subzone

started in mid 1950s, when a few local varieties were

grown by farmers. Xiaohongm ai, the leading localvariety, covered arou nd 33,000 ha or abou t 80% of the

wh eat area at that time. It was characterized by

outstanding tolerance to cold, d rought, and poor soil

fertility, and strong tillering ab ility.

The Tibetan Plateau Subzone is rich in wh eat geneticresources. Local varieties, mostly sp ring typ e, are

characterized by tolerance to cold, drought, and poor

soil fertility, big spike, and big grain size, but sh ow

susceptibility to stripe rust, stem ru st, loose smu t,

an d Selenophoma sp. Outstan ding local varieties

include Lhasa Wumanghong, Shannan Baimai,Changd u Xiaomai, and Taizhao Hongm ai.

Lhasa Baimai, a spring type, wa s reselected from a

local variety by the Tibet Agriculture Research

Institute in 1957. It outyielded the local variety by 10-

15%, and had a growing period of 158 days and aplant height of 110 cm. Lhasa Baimai conferred

shattering resistance, cold tolerance, wide

ad apta bility and stable yield; how ever, it was

susceptible to the three rusts and loose smu t.

Rinong 2, a spr ing typ e, was reselected from a local

variety by the Rikaze Agricultu ral Experim ent

Station. It outyielded the local variety by 10-34%,

and was characterized by spring type, early

matu rity, short statu re (80 cm), lodg ing resistance,stron g tillering ab ility, toleran ce to poor soil fertility,

and susceptibility to stripe rust.

Wheat breed ing w as initiated in 1950s. There are

four key w heat breed ing p rogram s, i.e., Tibet

Agricultural Research Institute (Tibet ARI), located

in Lhasa, and Rikaze Prefecture Agricultu ral

Research Institute (Rikaza PARI), targeting the

Tibetan Plateau Subzone, and the N orthwestPlateau Biology Research Institute of Ch inese

Academ y of Sciences (North west PBRI) andQinghai Academ y of Agricultural Sciences (Qingha i

AAS), both located in Xining and targeting the

Qinghai Plateau Subzone. From 1950s to 1980s, 32

varieties were developed for the Tibetan PlateauSubz one by intr odu ction, reselection, and

hybridization.

Xiangnong 3, Gaoyuan 506,and Gaoyuan 338 derived fromNanda 2419 in Qinghai Plateau

Xiangnong 3 was developed from Nanda 2419/ Funo by the Agricultural Research Institute of

Xiangride Farm in 1970. It was cha racterized by

short statu re (90 cm), good lodging resistance, big

grain size (thou sand kernel w eight: 50-58 g), high

yield potential (11.3 t/ ha), and sh attering resistance,but show ed su sceptibility to stripe and stem rusts.

Xiangnon g 3 was suitable for the irrigated areas of

Chaidamu Basin and Qinghai Province.

Gaoyuan 506 was d eveloped from N eixiang 5/ 5/

Productore S-6/ / Nanda 2419/ Wheat AgropyronHybrid 186/ 4/ Nanda 2419/ 3/ C/ Triticum

compactum / A gropyron elongatum / / Wh eat

Agropy ron 599 in 1973 by the North west PBRI in

collaboration w ith N orthw est BRI of Chinese

Academy of Sciences. Agropyron elongatum showed

strong resistance to cold, drought, and various

diseases, vigorous tillering ability, and lodging

resistance. Gaoyua n 506 was characterized by

Table 10.2 Duration, variet y type, and leadingvarieties in the Tibetan Plateau Subzone.


Before 1960s Local varieties and Lhasa Wumanghong,

their reselections Shannan Baimai,Changdu Xiaomai,Lhasa Baimai, Ernong 2

1960s to 70s Int roduct ions Nanda 2419, Abbondanza,Heine Hvede(w)

1980s Locally developed Heine Hvede, Zangchun 6,varieties Zangchun 17, Zangdong 2

(w),Zangdong 4(w)

1990s Locally developed Heine Hvede, Zangdong 9varieties (w), Zangdong 10 (w),

Zangdong 6(w), Rikeze 54

* Leading varieties are listed based on sowing acreage; w = wint er type.




86

compact plant type, good lodging resistance, and

high yield p otential (20% better than Abbond anza ).

In 1975, it yielded 11.4 t/ ha in sm all plots at the

Delingha Farm . Gaoyua n 506 covered 10,000 ha in

1979, mostly in Qingha i and Xinjiang.

Gaoyuan 338 was d eveloped from Gaoyuan 506/ 70-

84-2-1-4 by the Northwest PBRI of the Chinese

Acad em y o f Sciences in 1976; 70-84-2-1-4 w as

developed from Rond ine B/ Xingfum ai/ / Jubileina

II/ C 285 by the Qinghai AAS, and had large heads

and large grains. Gaoyu an 338 wa s characterized by

short stature (80 cm), lodg ing resistance, big grain

size (thou sand kernel w eight: 56-62 g), and highyield p otential (15 t/ ha). It covered 3,000 ha in 1982.

Pedigrees of Xiangnon g 3, Gaoyuan 506, andGaoyu an 338 are presented in Figure 10.1.

Spring wheats derived from winterwheat in the Tibetan PlateauHeine H ved e (Feimai in Chinese) has been used in

prod uction since 1961. It is characterized by strong

winter type, long growing period (320-350 days), 80-

100 cm in statu re, resistance to lodg ing, shattering, and

stripe rust, and stable performan ce, but su sceptibilityto bu nt, leaf rust and stem ru st. Since late 1970s, Heine

Hved e has ann ually occupied ab out 67,000 ha, or 80%

of the winter w heat acreage in th is subzone.

Rikaze 54, a spr ing typ e variety, was d eveloped from

Rikaze 5/ Heine H ved e by the Rikaze PARI in 1972;Rikaze 5 had big spikes and large grain size, but w as

susceptible to the three rusts an d lod ging. Reselected

from a local variety, it was chara cterized by strongtillering ability, resistance to stripe rust andSelenophoma sp., wide adap tation, and high yield

potential (25-48% better than local varieties). It was themajor spring w heat variety in the Rikaze Prefecture in

late 1980s and ea rly 1990s.Funo x Nanda 2419

Xiangnong 3

Nanda 2419 x Wheat-wheat grass Hybrid 186

Triticum compactum x Agropyron elongatum

Productore S-6 x F1 F1 x Wheat-wheat grass Hybrid 599Nanda 2419 x F1

F1 x F1

Neixiang 5 x F2

Gaoyuan 506

Jubileina II x C 285 (India)

Xingfumai* x hybrid

Rondine x hybrid

Gaoyuan 506 x 70-84-2-1

Gaoyuan 338

Figure 10.1 . Pedigrees of Xiangnong 3, Gaoyuan 506, and Gaoyuan 338 derived f rom Nanda 2419 in t heQinghai Plateau Subzone.* Introduction of unknown origin.



87

Zangchun 6, with spring h abit, was d eveloped from

Nan da 2419/ Heine H ved e by the Tibet ARI in 1968.

It combined the desirable characters of two p arents

and showed high yield potential, strong stem,

resistance to lodging, shattering, and strip e rust, andbetter qu ality than local varieties. It ma tured 15-20

da ys earlier than N and a 2419 and yielded 2.3-3.8 t/

ha, 35-45% better than the local spring w heat. It

covered large acreage in Lhasa and Shannan

Prefectures an d w as also sown in oth er par ts of Tibet.

Spring type Zangchun 17 was d eveloped from

Neixiang 20/ Heine H ved e by the Tibet ARI in 1968.

Neixiang 20 wa s introdu ced from Zone II. It wascharacterized by high y ield poten tial (20% better

than the local variety), shattering resistance, strongstem, good lodging resistance, and wide ad aptation.

Zangchu n 17 was resistant to stripe rust, slightly

susceptible to leaf rust, very susceptible to stem ru st,

and susceptible to Selenophoma sp. It is presentlysown in Lhasa, Shan nan a nd Rikaze Prefectures.

Pedigrees of Rikaze 54, Zangchun 6, and Zang chun

17 are presented in Figure 10.2.

Winter wheat varieties released in theTibetan Plateau SubzoneChangd ong 1 was developed from Predgornaia 2/ Opal

by th e Tibet ARI in 1970s. Predgorn aia 2 was

introduced from Russia; Opal was introduced from

Great Britain. Changdong 1 was characterized by high

yield poten tial showing 12-16% better yield than H eineHvede, good winter h ardiness, short statu re (80-90 cm),

lodging resistance, and resistance to the three ru sts. At

present, it is used for production in the river valleys

and covered 1300 ha in Changd u Prefecture in 1987.

Rikaza 5 x Heine Hvede

Rikaze 54

Nanda 2419 x Heine Hvede Neixiang 20 x Heine Hvede

Zangchun 6 Zangchun 17

Figure 10.2. Pedigrees of spring wheats Rikaze 54,Zangchun 6, and Zangchun 17 derived from winterwheat Heine Hvede in t he Tibetan Plateau Subzone.

Zangdon g 2 and Zangdon g 4 were developed from

Forlani/ Heine H ved e by the Tibet ARI in 1972. They

were characterized by a short, strong stem, good

lodging resistance, and sh attering resistance.

Zangdon g 2 and Zangdon g 4 were suitable for Lhasaand Shannan areas.

Zangd ong 7 was d eveloped from F3 of Baiquan 221/

Xiangyan g 1 crossed with Triticum turgidum from

Nanyang by the Tibet ARI in 1980s. Baiquan 221 andT. turgidum from N anyang w ere introduced from

Hen an, and Xiangyan g 1 wa s from H ebei Province.

Zangdong 7 showed early maturity (15-20 days

earlier than H eine Hved e), large grain size (thousan dkernel weight: 52-60 g), and resistance to Selenophoma

sp., yellow mosaic virus, yellow ru st, and smu tdiseases. It was w ell suited to th e lower altitude area

where tw o crops per year is practiced.

Zangdon g 9 was developed from Heine Hvede/ Hyb rid 46 by the Tibet ARI in 1986; Hybrid 46 was

introdu ced from Great Britain. It outyielded Heine

Hvede by 10%, and showed early maturity (10 days

earlier than H eine Hvede), and resistance to smut,Selenophoma sp., yellow m osaic virus, and y ellow

rust. Pedigrees of Zangdong 2, Zangdong 4,

Zangdon g 7, Zangdon g 9, and Changd ong 1 arepresented in Figure 10.3.

Forlani x Heine Hvede

Zangdong 2 Zangdong 4

Predgornaia 2 x Opal Heine Hvede x Hybrid 46

Changdong 1 Zangdong 9

Baiquan 221 x Xiangyang 1

F3 x Triticum turgidum from Nanyang

Zangdong 7

Figure 10.3. Pedigrees of Zangdong 2, Zangdong 4,Zangdong 7, Zangdong 9, and Changdong 1 in t heTibetan Plateau Subzone.



89

Table 11.2. Duration, variety type, and leading spring wheat s in Northern Xinjiang from 1950s to t he present.


1950s Local variety Heimangchunmai, Datoumai

1960s Introduction Redstar, Mentana, Kashibaipi1970s Introduction Orofen, Abbondanza , Red Star1980s Local improved variety Xinchun 2, Xinchun 3, Siete Cerros, Mexipak 651990s Local improved variety Xinchun 3, Gailiangxinchun 2, Siete Cerros, Mexipak 65


Table 11.3. Duration, variety type, and leading winter wheats in Southern Xinjiang from 1950s to the present.


1950s Local variety and reselection Baidongmai, Hongdongmai1960s Introduction Odessa 16, Beixi 11

1970s Local improved variety Xindong 2, Kadong 1, Hongxuan 5011980s Introduction Tangshan 68981990s Introduction Jimai 30, Jimai 31, Jimai 26


Table 11.4. Duration , variety type, and leading spring wheat s in Southern Xinjiang from 1950s to the present.


1950s Local variety Datouchunmai, Heimangchunmai1960s to 1970s Reselection of local variety Kashibaipi1980s to present Introduction Siete Cerros, Mexipak 65



Landraces and w heat breedingLeading local land races of winter w heat, such asBaidongmai, Xiaohongdongmai, and

Kashibaidongmai, are characterized by strong

winter habit, tolerance to cold, p oor soil fertility

and drought, susceptibility to yellow rust, andpoor lodging resistance due to tall plant height.

The most popular local landraces of spring wheat,such as Heimangchunm ai and Datouchunm ai, are

characterized by late matu rity, strong tillering

ability, tolerance to drou ght a nd salinity, and

susceptibility to high temperature at ripening

stage and yellow rust.

Most leading wh eat varieties were released by thespring and winter wh eat programs of Xinjiang

Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Xinjiang AAS)

located in Urumqi, although several wheat breeding

programs at prefectural levels and from the

reclamation arm y had the same mission. Wheat

breeding was initiated by screening and evaluating

local land races, and then extend ing reselections of landraces and outstanding introduced varieties. Since

1949, 131 winter an d 116 spring w heat v arieties have

been released (Tables 11.5 and 11.6). Hy brid ization

contributed mostly to variety d evelopm ent after 1980,

althoug h a lot of dom estic introdu ctions w ere alsoinvolved. Details of major introdu ctions used

comm ercially in Xinjiang a re listed in Table 11.7.



90

Table 11.7. M ajor int roductions grown commercially in Xinjiang.

Maximum annualVariety Type Origin acreage (000 ha)

Ukraine 0246 Winter Former Soviet Union 230 (in 1961)New Ukraine 83 Winter Former Soviet Union 180 (in 1964)Xibei 612 Facultative Shaanxi Province 60 (in 1973)Tangshan 6898 Winter Hebei Province 278 (in 1991)Jimai 26 Facultative Hebei Province 64 (in 1994)Jimai 30 Facultative Hebei Province 67 (in 1994)Jimai 31 Facultative Hebei Province 60 (in 1995)Red Star Spring Former Soviet Union 57 (in 1973)Abbondanza Spring Italy 60 (in 1976)Orofen Spring Chile 113 (in 1976)Siete Cerros Spring CIMMYT (Mexico) 40 (in 1981)Mexipak 65 Spring CIMMYT (Mexico) 23 (in 1989)

Table 11.6. Number of spring wheat varietiesdeveloped at various times in Xinjiang.


Domestic introduction 3 1 17 12 33International introduction 14 1 10 3 28Reselection 2 3 2 0 7Hybridization 0 11 5 29 45Radiation 0 0 0 2 2Wide cross 0 1 0 0 1Total 19 17 34 46 116

Data source: Xinjiang Academy of Agricult ural Sciences (1993).

Table 11.5. Number of winter wheat varietiesdeveloped at various times in Xinjiang.


Domestic introduction 8 6 11 13 38International introduction 18 0 1 4 23Reselection 0 3 3 0 6Hybridization 0 14 22 25 61Radiation 0 1 0 0 1Wide cross 0 0 1 0 1Total 26 24 38 43 131

Data source: Xinjiang Academy of Agricult ural Sciences (1993).

Ukraine 0246, introduced to Xinjiang in 1939, was

sown m ostly in N orthern Xinjiang. It show ed good

tillering ability, big sp ike and grain size, resistance toyellow ru st, and outy ielded local variety by 10-15%.

New Ukraine 83, introd uced to Xinjiang in 1950, had

better performa nce than Uk raine 0246 in term s of

yield poten tial and yellow ru st resistance. Od essa 16

was sow n m ainly in Southern Xinjiang in 1960s and

1970s since it carried severa l desirable chara cters such

as cold tolerance and yellow ru st resistance.

Xibei 612 was d eveloped from Bima 5/ Xinong 6028 by

Shaanxi AAS and North west Agricultural University

in 1957. Bima 5 was d erived from Maza mai/ Qu ality.

Xibei 612 was mostly extended in Yili Prefecture since

it showed ea rly matu rity, high yield p otential, and

resistance to lodging and yellow rust.

Tangshan 6898 (Tangmai 2) was reselected from

Beijing 10 by the Tangsh an Prefectura l Agricultural

Research Institu te in 1971. It was cha racterized byearly maturity (which allowed sowing maize after

wh eat in Southern Xinjiang), high yield poten tial,

and broad adaptation. Tangshan 6898 has been the

leading variety in Southern Xinjiang from 1980s to

the present; it covered 278,000 ha in 1991, accounting

for 36% of wint er w hea t acreage in Xinjiang. Jimai 26,

Jimai 30, and Jimai 31, released in Hebei Province,have also become leading varieties in Southern

Xinjiang.

Red Star, show ing early matu rity, resistance to

drou ght, poor soil fertility, and h ot wind , outyielded

local variety Heima ng-Chu nm ai by more than 10%,

and was a lead ing variety from 1960s to early 1980s.



93

Kuihua 1 was developed from Jinghu a 1/ 77-13

through an ther culture by the Kuitun

Agricultural Research Institute of the

Reclamation Arm y in 1986. Jinhu a 1 wa s a w inter

wheat variety developed through an ther culturein Beijing . The ped igree of line 77-13 was not

documented. It carried high yield potential, and

resistance to lodging an d yellow rust, and

avoided the harm ful effects of hot w ind d ue to its

early matu rity. Kuihu a 1 has been one of the

leading varieties in Xinjiang since 1992. Pedigrees

of Yinon g 2, Yinon g 12, and Kuihu a 1 are


CIMMYT-derived spring wh eat varieties

Local varieties characterized by stron g resistanceto drought and hot wind w ere crossed w ith

CIMMYT wh eats; as a result, new varieties such

as Xinchun 2 and Xinchun 3 were released

(Figure 11.3).

Achun 1 was released from Yili 1/ Marqu is by

the Agriculture Institute of Aletai Reclamation

Arm y in 1977. Yili 1, a reselection of local

variety Datou mai, had strong tillering a bility,

short strong stem w ith good lodgingresistance and d rought tolerance, and w as

wid ely sown by farmers. Achu n 1, with better

resistance to yellow ru st and to lod ging thanYili 1, covered 43,000 ha in 1982, mostly in

Ataile Prefecture.

Achun 2 w as released from Achun 1/ Saric F70

by th e Ataile Prefectura l Agricultu ral Research

Institute in 1977. Saric F70 was introducedfrom CIMMYT. It was characterized by h igh

yield p otential, showing a 24.9% yieldadv antage over Achun 1 in regional yield

trials, as well as strong stem an d good lodging

resistance. It was sow n m ostly in Ataile

Prefecture and covered 30,000 ha in 1985.

Bima 6 x Xinong 6028 Bima 5 x Xinong 6028

Xibei 134 x Jinan 4

x Odessa 16 New Ukraine 84 x Xibei 612

Yinong 12 Yinong 2

Heine Hvede x Orofen

Beijing 8 x F1

Lovrin 18 x 5238/Youmangbai 2 Beijing 14

reselection

x Hongliang 4

Anther culture

Jinghua 1 x 77-13

Anther culture

Kuihua 1

Figure 11 .2. Pedigrees of Yinong 2 and Yinong 12 developed by crossing domestic varieties wi th internat ionalintroductions.



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