Improvements in the bread-making quality and agronomic performance of Canadian spring wheats released between 1860 and 1986

Non-Peer ReviewedTwenty eight red spring wheat cultivars ranging from "Red Fife" to "Laura" in vintage were field-tested in each of four years (1989-1992). End-use quality analyses were performed on the grain harvested from three experiments. The objective of this study was to measure the rate of cultivar improvement for agronomic and bread-making quality performance. In the absence of disease, the more modern cultivars yielded 18% more than the cultivars released at the turn of this century. The yield advantage of the modern cultivars approached 30% under leaf rust disease pressure. Yield levels are estimated to be increasing at a rate of approximately 20+ kg/ha/yr. Protein quantity and quality have improved over time as has loaf volume. Improvements in agronomic, disease resistance and value-added performance have been off-set by a slight delay in maturity