Tara Hard Red Spring Wheat (2000 Release)

‘Tara’ hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Reg. No. CV- __________, PI 617073) 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).
Tara was jointly released by the AESs of Washington, Idaho and Oregon and the USDA-ARS in October, 2001. Tara was released
as a replacement for ‘Westbred 926’ in the intermediate to high rainfall (>400 mm of average annual precipitation), non-irrigated wheat
production regions of Washington State based on its tolerance to the Hessian fly [Mayetiola destructor (Say)], high grain yield and
superior end-use quality.
Tara was tested under the experimental designations WA007824, K9300092 and K88437, which were assigned through
progressive generations of advancement. Tara is a F4:5 head row selection derived from the cross ‘Kodiak’/’Spillman’//’Westbred
906R’, which was made in 1987. A modified pedigree-bulk breeding method was used to advance early generation progeny. Bulked
seed from F1 plants was used to establish an F2 field plot. Seeds from approximately 100 randomly selected heads from individual F2
plants were bulked together to establish a single F3 plot that was bulk harvested to establish an F4 field plot. Single heads from 150
F4 plants were threshed individually to establish F4:5 head row families. Following selection for general adaptation, plant height and
grain appearance, seeds from all plants (30 to 50) within each selected head row were bulk harvested to obtain F4:6 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 Washington State University Dryland Experiment Station in Lind, WA. Breeder seed of Tara was produced as a reselection,
based on phenotypic uniformity, from 1900 F10 head rows grown with irrigation in Othello, WA in 2000.
Tara is an intermediate height, semidwarf plant. It has lax, fusiform heads with white awns and medium length, white glumed spikes
with elliptical kernels that are red, hard, and smooth texture. Seed of Tara has a round germ with a narrow, shallow crease, rounded
cheeks and a short, non-collared brush. 
Among the major pests of spring wheat in the Pacific Northwest, USA, Tara, has moderate non-race-specific, high-temperature,
adult plant resistance, similar to ‘Jefferson’ and ‘Scarlet’, to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) races common in
North America, including CDL-17, 37, 43 and 45, 
based on results from non-inoculated and inoculated field disease screening trials conducted in Mt. Vernon, WA and Pullman, WA for
four crop years. Tara also has moderate adult-plant resistance to leaf rust (caused by P. triticina Eriks.) similar to ‘Westbred 926’,
based on two years of non-inoculated field disease ratings from Pullman, WA. Based on controlled environment insect screening trials
conducted at Kansas State University and the University of Idaho, as well as field trials conducted in Walla Walla, WA and Pullman,
WA, Tara is tolerant to Hessian fly (M. destructor (Say)) biotypes E, F and GP. Based on pedigree and natural field infestation ratings
from Pullman, WA, Tara is susceptible to the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko)).
Tara was evaluated in replicated field trials under fallow, non-irrigated and irrigated conditions. Grain yields of Tara typically
equaled or exceeded those of other hard red spring wheat entries in non-irrigated field production in Washington, Oregon and Idaho
from 1996 to 2000. In 41 tests conducted over 3 years in non-irrigated production regions in Washington State, the grain yield
averages of Tara, Westbred 926, Jefferson and Scarlet were 4166 kg ha-1, 3910 kg ha-1, 4240 kg ha-1 and 4152 kg ha-1,
respectively. Tara produced 81 to 410 kg ha-1 more grain than Westbred 926, depending on location. 
Based on 9 site years of data in the intermediate to high rainfall zone, Tara (5644 kg ha-1) produced significantly more grain than
Westbred 926 (5234 kg ha-1), Jefferson (5409 kg ha-1) and Scarlet (5301 kg ha-1). Grain volume weight of Tara averaged 782.5 g
l-1, which was significantly higher than that of Jefferson (776.1 g l-1), Westbred 926 (764.5 g l-1) and Scarlet (770.9 g l-1).
Thousand kernel weight averages of Tara, Westbred 926, Jefferson and Scarlet were 46.4 g, 49.8 g, 37.5 g and 39.2 g, respectively.
The average plant height of Tara was 86 cm, 5 cm taller than Westbred 926, and approximately the same height as Jefferson and
Scarlet. Lodging percentages of Tara (<5%) were comparable with those of Westbred 926 and Jefferson, but lower than those of
Scarlet (5 –10%). Tara (167 julian days) headed 2, 3 and 4 days earlier, respectively, than Westbred 926 (169 julian days), Jefferson
(170 julian days) and Scarlet (171 julian days).
In tests conducted by the USDA-ARS Western Wheat Quality Laboratory in Pullman, WA using grain produced in breeding and
commercial variety testing trials in Washington State from 1996 through 2000, average grain protein concentration of Tara (134 g
kg-1) was significantly lower than Westbred 926 (138 g kg-1) but significantly greater than that of Jefferson (132 g kg-1) and Scarlet
(131 g kg-1). Flour yield of Tara (67.0 %) was significantly greater than Westbred 926 (66.2 %), but significantly less than those of
Jefferson (67.7%) and Scarlet (67.6 %). Flour ash content for Tara (0.38 %) was significantly lower than that for Westbred 926 (0.42
%), similar to that for Jefferson (0.39 %) and significantly greater than that for Scarlet (0.37 %). The mixing time for Tara (5.6 min)
was significantly longer than that of Westbred 926 (4.2 min) and Scarlet (4.5 min) but shorter than that for Jefferson (6.0 min).
Average pup loaf volume for Tara (988 cm3) was larger than those for Westbred 926 (977 cm3), Jefferson (886 cm3) and Scarlet
(945 cm3).
Seed of Tara will be maintained by the Washington State Crop Improvement Association under supervision of the Department of
Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 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.B. SHELTON, V.L. DEMACON, J.W. BURNS,
B.P. CARTER, C.F. MORRIS, X. CHEN AND J.H. HATCHETT (1)
References
Qayoum, A., and R.F. Line. 1985. High-temperature, adult-plant resistance to stripe rust of wheat. Phytopathology 75:1121-1125.
________________________________________________________________
1. K.K. Kidwell, G.B. Shelton, V.L. DeMacon, J.W. Burns and B.P. Carter, Dep. of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State
Univ., Pullman, WA 99164-6420. C.F. Morris, USDA-ARS Western Regional Quality Laboratory, Pullman, WA, 99164-6394,
X. Chen, USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory, Pullman, WA 99164-6430, and J.H. Hatchett (retired),
USDA-ARS-PSERU, Manhattan, KS 66506. Registration by CSSA. Accepted XX XXXX. 2001. *Corresponding author
(kidwell@mail.wsu.edu).

Text provided by Kim Kidwell, 10/01.