28 / 116
FOCUS
Seed
Special
Maart 2017
26
Irrigation wheat cultivars
you can rely on
T
he 2015 season was one of the most challenging produc-
tion seasons for South African irrigation wheat producers.
Soaring temperatures during the critical grain filling period
taxed producers to keep up with the high water demands of
their crops. This resulted in lower yields in most parts of the irriga-
tion areas.
With 2015 declared as the driest year since 1904 by the South
African Weather Service, the 2016 production cycle was undoubt-
edly going to create new challenges.
The persisting drought conditions resulted in government limit-
ing the 2016 water usage from the Vaal and Orange Rivers by 20%
and 15% respectively. Producers in the Northern Cape, North West
Province, Free State and Limpopo regions therefore had to
reformulate their business strategies in order to cope with the water
shortages.
In the production guidelines made available by the ARC-Small Grain
Institute (ARC-SGI), correct cultivar choices have always been em-
phasised. With the drought expected to persist during 2017, suitable
cultivar choices will be essential for successful wheat production in
the irrigation areas.
The irrigation wheat package of the ARC-SGI consists of five culti-
vars, namely Kariega, Krokodil, Duzi, Buffels and Sabie (see
Table 1
for a summary of typical cultivar yield potentials).
The oldest cultivar still available is Kariega, which has been on
the market since 2001. The popularity of Kariega is largely due to
the fact that it is an extremely reliable and stable variety. It might
not deliver the same yields as the newer higher yielding cultivars,
but in difficult years where some cultivars may struggle, Kariega will
hold its ground and continue to produce profitable yields.
For this reason, Kariega has become increasingly popular among
small scale farmers. Average yields of 9 t/ha can be expected, but
Kariega has been known to produce yields exceeding 10 t/ha. It has
a medium/long growth period and also has excellent bread bak-
ing quality. Kariega was used for many years as the bread baking
quality standard after being replaced with a newer variety.
Duzi is also a favourite among producers, as it has a medium growth
period and consistently produces excellent yields. It can easily
produce yields of up to 9,5 t/ha, but has the potential to reach yields
of up to 10,7 t/ha. Duzi was classified for commercial production dur-
ing 2004 along with Krokodil.
Krokodil is a high yielding cultivar with a medium/long growth pe-
riod. During the 2016 production season, it produced the third high-
est yields in the Hopetown district. Yields of up to 10,3 t/ha was
realised. When looking at average yields, Krokodil is expected to
produce yields of 9,7 t/ha, but is able to realise yields of 11 t/ha as it
did during the 2013 and 2014 production seasons.
The last two cultivars in the package are Buffels and Sabie. These
two cultivars are both long growth period cultivars. Buffels pro-
duces average yields of approximately 9 t/ha, but is more than capa-
ble of producing at least 10,5 t/ha.
Sabie was released to replace Kariega as it realises higher yields
and possesses the same risk reduction factors as Kariega. Both cul-
tivars are resistant to pre-harvest sprouting, are Fusarium tolerant
and resistant to stripe rust. These three are the primary risk factors
in the irrigation area.
When considering Sabie, seeding density is of utmost importance
as the cultivar is prone to lodging at too high planting densities.
To realise maximum yields, 175 to 225 plants per square metre is
recommended. This is approximately 80 kg/ha to 90 kg/ha. If these
guidelines are followed, average yields of 9,5 t/ha can be expected,
although Sabie is more than capable of producing up to 11 t/ha.
ARC-SGI is currently in the process of registering
three new cultivars and producers will be informed
when they will be made available.
KIM COETZEE
and
PETRUS DELPORT,
ARC-Small Grain Institute, Bethlehem
CULTIVARS
YIELD (T/HA)
WARM AREA COOL AREA
Kariega
8,5 - 9
8,5 - 10
Sabie
8,5 - 10
9 - 10
Krokodil
9 - 9,5
9 - 10
Duzi
9 - 9,5
8,5 - 9,5
Buffels
8 - 9
8,5 - 9,5
TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF CULTIVAR YIELD POTENTIAL.
This research was made possible through financial support from the Winter Cereal Trust.
1: Rain on the horizon at Vaalharts experimental station.
2: Cultivars of the future? Red dots of selected material
at Vaalharts experimental station.
1
2
Product information