Registration of ‘Scarlet’ Wheat
(1999 Release)
‘Scarlet’ hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Reg. No. CV- __________, PI 601814) was developed by the
Agricultural Research Center of Washington State University in cooperation with the Agricultural Experiment Stations (AESs) of the
University of Idaho and Oregon State University, and the United States Department of Agriculture- Agricultural Research Service
(USDA-ARS). Scarlet was jointly released by the AESs of Washington and Oregon and the USDA-ARS. Scarlet was released as a
replacement for ‘Butte 86’ in the semi-arid, non-irrigated wheat production regions of Washington State based on its high grain yield
and superior end-use quality.
Scarlet, tested under the experimental designations WA7802 and K9200106, is a F4:5 head row selection derived from the cross
HF820049/WA007301//’Tecumseh’/K8405055. Line HF820049/WA007301 is ‘Tifton
3725’/’Walladay’/3/’Fielder’//’Bronz’/’Koeltz-7941 S.5’/5/’Henry’/’Karn 90, S.90’//’Burt’/’Onas 52’/3/‘Lemhi 66’/4/’Yaktana
54A*4’//’Norin 10’/’Brevor 14’/6/’Tifton 3725’/’Walladay’/3/’Fielder’//’Bronz’ /’Koeltz-7941 S.5’. Line K8405055 is ‘Tifton
3725’/’Walladay’/4/’Bezostaja-1’//’14x53-101’/’Burt #4’/3/’Burt’/’Kenya Farmer 70136’. The following modified pedigree-bulk
breeding method was used to advance early generation progeny. Bulked seed (30 g) from several F1 plants, was used to establish an
F2 field plot. Approximately 100 heads were selected at random from individual F2 plants, and a 40 g sub-sample of seed was used
to establish a single F3 plot. Seed from the F3 plot was bulk harvested, then a 60 g sub-sample was used to establish an F4 field
plot. Single heads from 150 F4 plants were threshed individually to establish F5 head row families. Following selection for grain
appearance, plant height, and general adaptation, seed from 30-50 plants within each selected head row was bulk harvested to obtain
F6 seed for grain yield assessment. F1, F2, F4 and F5 progeny were advanced in field nurseries in Pullman, WA, whereas F3 progeny
were advanced at the Lind Dryland Experiment Station in Lind, WA.
Scarlet is a tall, single-gene semidwarf with lax, fusiform heads having white awns and mid-season maturity. It has white glumed
spikes with midlong to long kernels that are red, hard, and ovate. Seed of Scarlet has a midsize germ with a midwide, middeep crease,
rounded cheeks and a midsize, midlong brush. Among the major pests of spring wheat in the Pacific Northwest, USA, Scarlet has
non-race-specific, moderate high-temperature, adult plant resistance to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend.) to races
common in North America, and also has adult-plant resistance to leaf rust (caused by P. recondita Rob. ex Desm.). Scarlet is
susceptible to Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor (Say)) and Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko).
Scarlet was evaluated in replicated field trials under fallow, non-irrigated annual crop and irrigated conditions in Washington,
Oregon and Idaho from 1992 to 1997. Grain yields of Scarlet typically equal or exceed those of other hard red spring wheat entries in
non-irrigated field production. In 55 tests conducted over 5 years in Washington State, the grain yield average of Scarlet was 4099 kg
ha-1, and Scarlet produced from 330 to 670 kg ha-1 more grain than ‘Butte 86’ (3561 kg ha-1) and ‘Westbred 926’ (3763 kg
ha-1), depending on location. Grain volume weight of Scarlet averaged 779.2 g l-1, which was 6.5 –13.0 g l-1 lower than those of
Butte 86 (786.9 g l-1), nearly equal to Westbred 926 (783.0 g l-1), and greater than ‘Spillman’ (768.8 g l-1). Thousand kernel weight
averages of Scarlet, Butte 86 and Westbred 926 were 39.3 g, 35.9 g and 41.9 g, respectively. The average plant height of Scarlet was
72 cm, and Scarlet was 2.5-7.5 cm shorter than Butte 86 (76 cm) and 5-10 cm taller than Westbred 926 (64 cm) and Spillman (66
cm), depending on location. Tall plant types are desirable in the semi-arid, non-irrigated production region for ease of harvest. Lodging
percentages of Scarlet were comparable with those of Butte 86 and Westbred 926. Scarlet headed 2 to 3 days later than Butte 86
(June 9) and Westbred 926 (June 9) and on the same date as Spillman (June 12).
Based on 9 site years of data, the grain protein content of Scarlet (12.7%) was similar to that of Butte 86 (12.9%) in the semi-arid
production region to which this variety is targeted. However, the average grain protein content of Scarlet dropped to 12.2% and was
0.4% to 0.6% lower than those of Butte 86 (12.6%) and Westbred 926 (12.8%) when grown in locations receiving more than 350
mm of annual precipitation. Without proper fertility management, Scarlet is unlikely to achieve grain protein contents that equal or
exceed 14% under non-irrigated production conditions in areas receiving high levels of natural precipitation. Fertility management
options include increasing fertilizer application rates by 5 to 10 percent, compared to standard recommendations based on soil tests
results, to enhance grain protein content.
In tests conducted by the USDA-ARS Western Wheat Quality Laboratory (WWQL) in Pullman, WA on grain produced in
Western Regional Nursery trials across the northwestern USA in 1996 and 1997, protein content of Scarlet (14.2 %) was higher than
the hard red check ‘McKay’ (13.0 %) and the hard white check ‘Klasic’ (13.9 %). Flour yield of Scarlet (67.5 %) was lower than
McKay (68.4 %) but higher than Klasic (67.0 %), whereas average loaf volume for Scarlet (1055 cc) was larger than McKay (992
cc), but smaller than Klasic (1102 cc). Flour ash content for Scarlet (0.31) was lower than that for McKay (0.32) and Klasic (0.34).
Based on additional quality tests conducted by the USDA-ARS WWQL using grain produced in Washington State from 1992 to
1997, Scarlet had a higher average milling score (84) and loaf volume average (981 cc) than Butte 86 (80 and 932 cc, respectively)
when the end-use quality of grain samples collected from the target production region were compared.
Seed of Scarlet will be maintained by the Washington State Crop Improvement Association under supervision of the Department
of Crop and Soil Sciences and the Washington State Agricultural Research Center, and may be obtained by contacting the
corresponding author or through the National Plant Germplasm System. U.S. plant variety protection status for this cultivar is pending.
K.K KIDWELL*, G.S. SHELTON, C.F. MORRIS, R.F. LINE, B.C. MILLER,
M.A. DAVIS AND C.F. KONZAK (1)
References and Notes
1. K.K. Kidwell, G.S. Shelton, B.C. Miller, M.A. Davis and C.F. Konzak (retired), Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington
State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-6420. C.F. Morris and R.F. Line, USDA Western Regional Quality Laboratory, and
USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory, respectfully, Pullman, WA. Registration by CSSA. Accepted XX XXXX. 199X.
*Corresponding author (kidwell@mail.wsu.edu).
Text provided by Kim Kidwell, 10/01