Abstract
Key messageGrain yield of hybrid varieties and population varieties in official German variety trials increased by 23.3 and 18.1%, respectively, over the last 26 years. On-farm gain in grain yield (18.9%) was comparable to that of population varieties in variety trials, yet at a level considerably lower than in variety trials. Rye quality is subject to large year-to-year fluctuation. Increase in grain yield and decline of protein concentration did not negatively influence quality traits.Performance progress of grain and quality traits of 78 winter rye varieties tested in official German trials to assess the value for cultivation and use (VCU) were evaluated during 1989 and 2014. We dissected progress into a genetic and a non-genetic component for hybrid and population varieties by applying mixed models, including regression components to model trends. VCU trial results were compared with grain yield and quality data from a national harvest survey (on-farm data). Yield gain for hybrid varieties was 23.3% (18.9 dt ha−1) and for population varieties 18.1% (13.0 dt ha−1) relative to 1989. On-farm yield progress of 18.9% (8.7 dt ha−1) was considerably lagging behind VCU trials, and mean yield levels were substantially lower than in field trials. Most of the yield progress was generated by genetic improvement. For hybrid varieties, ear density was the determining yield component, whereas for population varieties, it was thousand grain mass. Results for VCU trials showed no statistically significant gains or losses in rye quality traits. For on-farm data, we found a positive but non-significant gain in falling number and amylogram viscosity and temperature. Variation of grain and quality traits was strongly influenced by environments, whereas genotypic variation was less than 19% of total variation. Grain yield was strongly negatively associated with protein concentration, yet was weakly to moderately positively associated with quality traits. In general, our results from VCU trials and on-farm data indicated that increasing grain yield and decreasing protein concentration did not negatively affect rye quality traits.
Highlights
Rye has been recognized to be relatively drought tolerant compared to other cereal crops (Schittenhelm et al 2014)
The share of population varieties, differs largely between regions; for example, in the federal state of Brandenburg with very sandy and low fertile soils, population varieties are in 32% of rye area, whereas in Niedersachsen, only 9% of the rye area is planted with population varieties (Muenzing et al 2014)
value for cultivation and use (VCU) trials In Table 3, we compare the gain or loss achieved in VCU trials separately for hybrid and population varieties, and on-farm expressed as the difference between overall trend 2014 and 1989
Summary
Rye has been recognized to be relatively drought tolerant compared to other cereal crops (Schittenhelm et al 2014). Until 1960, winter rye was the main cereal crop in Germany, its acreage exceeding that of winter wheat. In 2014, 3.85 million tons of rye grain were harvested (StatJ 2015). In 1984, the first three hybrid varieties were released in Germany. Their higher yield potential, as compared to population varieties, allowed a fast adoption in practical farming. In 1994, already 44% of rye grain was harvested from hybrid and 56% from population varieties (Seibel and Weipert 1994). In 2014, about 81% of rye grain came from hybrids. The share of population varieties, differs largely between regions; for example, in the federal state of Brandenburg with very sandy and low fertile soils, population varieties are in 32% of rye area, whereas in Niedersachsen, only 9% of the rye area is planted with population varieties (Muenzing et al 2014)
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