Evaluation of durum wheat cultivars under certified organic production in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico

Abstract

Durum wheat cultivars Don Lupe Oro C2020 and the regional check CIRNO C2008, and Baroyeca Oro C2013 and the check, were evaluated for grain yield during the crop seasons 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, respectively, in a plot with organic certification, at the Norman E. Borlaug Experimental Station in the Yaqui Valley, Sonora, Mexico. For the first season, land preparation consisted of three passes of harrowing, leveling, and making beds 80 cm apart with three rows. Fertilizer was not applied since the previous crop was chickpea which had been fertilized with 5 t ha-1 of poultry manure. Sowing was carried out on December 2, 2021, with a seed density of 120 kg ha-1; one pre-sowing and three complementary irrigations were applied. For 2022-2023, the land was managed as in the previous season, except for the application of the granulated compost BIDA. Sowing was carried out on November 23, 2022, with a seed density of 100 kg ha-1 in beds with two rows. One pre-sowing and four complementary irrigations were applied. Don Lupe Oro C2020 showed an average of 5.051 t ha-1, while CIRNO C2008 5.641. Baroyeca Oro C2013 showed an average grain yield of 6.904 t ha-1, while the check 8.056. Despite the lower yield of both cultivars in relation to CIRNO C2008, they are resistant to leaf rust and the average b Minolta value of the pigment of semolina is 30.8, therefore, they are good candidates to be cultivated under organic agriculture.