Plant Breeding in New Zealand

303 Pages·1983·27.551 MB·English

by  G.S. Wratt and H.C. Smith (Auth.)

Plant Breeding in New Zealand
G.S. Wratt and H.C. Smith (ed)
Butterworths in association with the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research.
Published by Butterworths of New Zealand (Ltd)
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CPO Box 472
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in association with
The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Private Bag
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First published 1983
ISBN 0 409 70137 8
National Library of New Zealand Cataloguing-in-
Publication data
PLANT breeding in New Zealand/G. S. Wratt and
H. C. Smith, ed. — Wellington, N.Z.:
Butterworths: Dept. of Scientific and Industrial
Research, 1983. — 1 v. ISBN 0-409-70137-8
631.5309931
1. Plant-breeding — New Zealand. I. Wratt, G. S.,
1954- . II. Smith, Harvey C. (Harvey
Caplan), 1926- . III. New Zealand. Dept. of
Scientific and Industrial Research.
Copyright The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, rec-
ording or otherwise, without prior written permission
of the publisher.
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Book Design by Jan L Hart
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We would like to thank all those, both within and outside DSIR, who have willingly given advice on the prep-
aration of this book. A particular thanks is due to the authors who, whilst meeting the every-day demands of
plant breeding research, responded to our persistant nudging and found the necessary time to produce their contri-
butions. A special thanks to the consultant editor, Michael ffolliott-Foster, for his advice and enthusiasm, and
to Jan Hart for the design and assembly of the book.
G S Wratt
H C Smith
FOREWORD
New Zealand has developed one of the most sophisticated farming systems anywhere in the world. In spite of
the restricted land area, the difficult terrain and the previous vegetation, it has been possible through perseverance,
patience and the application of science and technology to develop a highly productive primary production sector
of the economy.
The foundation of the pastoral industry has been the superior genetic material developed in grasses and legumes.
The plant breeders have sought out new genotypes from all over the world and have adapted them to provide
a high productive pasture base. From grasses to legumes, from pasture plants to crop plants, and from crop
plants to horticultural, forest, protective and ornamental plants, there has been a steady increase and spread
of breeding skills to encompass all the economically important plants in the country.
It is timely that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research should review developments in this
field by bringing together the information contained in this volume. The book is a record of major scientific
endeavour, crowned with many successes. It is a record of numerous people and their commitment to the difficult
field of plant breeding, irrespective of whether it is a hobby or a career.
The many contributors to the book are to be congratulated for their efforts as, in a major way, they will
bring to the attention of the community the dedicated contribution of so many plant breeders in both public
and private sectors. The economic base of New Zealand today is in many ways due to their dedication.
This book demonstrates vividly the contribution that scientific skills in this area have made and, if anyone
had thought that, perhaps, the possibilities were becoming exhausted, then what appears between these covers
will refute them. Is it, that with genetic engineering, a new era of plant breeding is just developing? This really
is a challenge to today's plant breeders.
Dr the Hon. I J Shearer
Minister of Science and Technology
8
INTRODUCTION
The cultivation of productive, adapted plants provides a foundation for agriculture, horticulture and forestry.
The importance and effectiveness of these industries in New Zealand is self evident, however the value of plant
breeding is, perhaps, not so widely acknowledged. In the last sixty years, major efforts have been made in selecting
and breeding crop, pasture, fruit, timber and soil conservation plants in this country. In order to maintain and
increase diversification and yield, so as to meet increasing competion on world markets and the demands for
specialisation and improved quality, a continued effort in plant breeding will be required.
New Zealand is a small country, and the resources available for plant breeding cannot be large by world
standards. However, production from the land is almost entirely based on plants from other regions, mainly
in the Northern Hemisphere, where climate and farming practices are different from those in New Zealand. Hence
it is neccessary to select and breed for optimum production in this country, and a high level of plant breeding
skill has developed. The majority of economically important pasture and crop plants are New Zealand-bred.
The first Europeans to come to New Zealand brought with them plants from their homelands, and these formed
the basis of the developing agricultural economy. Initially, natural selection acted to eliminate those plants unsuited
to the New Zealand environment. This process was accelerated as farmers and other plant growers used seed
from the plants which grew best and a seed trade began to form.
In 1892, the Department of Agriculture was formed and, during the late nineteenth century, its Division of
Biology and Pomology kept a watch on developments in Australia and the Northern Hemisphere, and imported
and tested promising agricultural and horticultural plants. However, the scientific staff was limited. In 1899,
one biologist, three pomologists, three vine inspectors and an entomologist were expected to provide a wide range
of advice to farmers throughout the country. There was some varietal testing of imported pasture, arable, vegetable
and fruit plants on the Department's experimental farms and on farmers' properties, and seed testing became
an important function of the Department, but there were no attempts to select within the established cultivars
or to breed new cultivars.
Early in the twentieth century there were occasional rumblings about the need for plant breeding. For example,
one of the Government pomologists, W J Palmer, wrote in the Department of Agriculture's 1900 annual report
"I would again call your attention to the necessity of establishing experimental stations in different
parts of the country, not only for the purpose of education or for trying experiments, but for systematic
hybridising, and by judicious crop fertilising to improve our roots, cereals and fruits, and to obtain
varieties better able to withstand the climatic changes of the country .... If the Government would
take these matters in hand on a more extensive scale, I feel convinced the whole colony would soon
derive a very great benefit."
The first serious endeavour in plant breeding by the Department was the appointment, at the Moumahaki
Experimental Station in 1912, of W S Hill as a plant breeder. He began work on the improvement of grasses,
forage crops, cereals, legumes and roots. However, this work was halted by the First World War and appears
not to have been resumed.
During the early twentieth century, the major emphasis of the Department's pasture improvement work was
on the use of fertilisers. There was, however, some pure line selection and, later, some hybridising at Lincoln
College: in 1910 F W Hilgendorf began to improve the wheats of Canterbury by pure line selection and, in
1915, the pure line College Hunters was being distributed, Hilgendorf also began some work on the selection
of ryegrass and cocksfoot.
Major involvement in plant breeding by the Government began in the late 1920s. In 1926, the Department
of Scientific and Industrial Research was established and, in 1928, DSIR and the Department of Agriculture
began developing a plant breeding and disease research station (the Plant Research Bureau) on Massey University
land at Palmerston North. In the same year certification of seed wheat and seed potatoes was begun in Canterbury.
From these beginnings, the Plant Research Bureau developed strain improvement programmes for the major
9
Plant Breeding in New Zealand
pasture and crop plants, and seed cerification expanded to include, by 1935, ryegrass, white clover, browntop,
Montgomery red clover, cocksfoot, peas, barley, French beans, linseed, swedes and turnips. At the same time,
wheat improvement was continued at DSIR's Wheat Research Institute at Lincoln.
In 1936 the Plant Research Bureau became the sole responsibility of DSIR, and it was split into a number
of Divisions: the Agronomy Division at Lincoln, Grasslands Division in Palmerston North, and Plant Diseases
Division in Auckland. Since then, further organisations with involvement in plant breeding have arisen within
DSIR: the Tobacco and Hop Research Stations, Crop Research Division, and the Division of Horticulture and
Processing.
Involvement with plant breeding in the forestry and soil conservation sectors has been more recent. The Forest
Research Institute appointed a forest geneticist in 1951. The selection of plants for soil conservation by the Ministry
of Works and Development began in the mid 1950s and, since 1970, the scope of the programme has expanded
considerably.
Now, for all of plants of major economic significance, there are well established selection and breeding pro-
grammes in New Zealand. DSIR makes the largest contribution to these programmes, with the breeding work
at Crop Research Division, Grasslands Division, the Division of Horticulture and Processing and the Riwaka
Research Station. The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries is more involved with testing than in the development
of new cultivars, however, the Levin Horticultural Research Station does some selection work on horticultural
crops. The Ministry of Works and Development Plant Materials Centre has a breeding programme for soil conser-
vation plants; the Forest Research Institute are developing seed orchards of improved forestry species; and private
involvement in plant breeding is growing.
Much has been achieved since plant breeding began in New Zealand some sixty to seventy years ago. Today,
New Zealands' cropping and pastoral industries are almost entirely based on locally bred cultivars, and the horticul-
tural industry relies heavily on the testing and selection of overseas material by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fisheries, DSIR and private firms; breeding has also considerably improved the quality of forestry and soil conser-
vation trees and new ornamental cultivars are continually being developed.
Until recently, plant breeding has been largely confined to State-funded organisations. However, now, as invest-
ment in selection and breeding is increasing on a world-wide scale, and with the establishment of a plant patenting
system — Plant Variety Rights, the involvement of private enterprise in this country has been stimulated. More
and more improved overseas material is finding its way into New Zealand. There is, however, little doubt that
continued selection and breeding will be needed to keep this country to the forefront of agricultural, horticultural
and forestry production, and this book sets out to delineate plant breeding programmes which provide a basis
for meeting the challenges of future development.
G S Wratt
July 1983
10
Crop Plant Breeding in New Zealand T P Palmer, M Agr Sc;
a review of the principles of arable crop plant breeding, deputy director, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch; plant breeder.
Wheat G M Wright, M Sc;
cereal breeder, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch.
Barley G D Coles, B Sc;
barley breeder, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch.
Maize R K Bansal, M Sc, Ph D;
maize, sweetcorn. maize and sweetcorn breeder, Crop Research Division,
DSIR, Pukekohe Research Station, Cronin Road,
Pukekohe RD 1.
Other Cereals G M Wright, M Sc;
oats, ryecorn, triticale. cereal breeder, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch.
Potatoes R Genet, M Hort Sc;
potato breeder, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch.
Peas W A Jermyn, M Agr Sc, Ph D;
pulse breeder, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch.
11
Plant Breeding in New Zealand
Forage Brassicas T P Palmer, M Agr Sc;
swedes, turnips, rape kale. deputy director, Crop Research Division, DSIR, Private
Bag, Christchurch; plant breeder.
12
1 Crop Plant Breeding in
Mew Zealand
T P Palmer
Cropping in New Zealand ation is very large. Plant breeders attempt to assemble
The major field crops grown in New Zealand are wheat, this variation into cultivars which can be grown more
barley, oats, maize, peas and forage brassicas. The areas profitably in the physical, biological and commercial
of each grown in 1980 are shown in Table 1.1 environment in which we grow our crops. Because it
normally takes several years to develop new cultivars,
a degree of speculation is needed to envisage how crops
Table 1.1 Area of New Zealand's major field crops (1980)
will be grown and handled in the future, and the need
Area for new crop products.
Wheat 87 519 ha Organised scientific plant breeeding has been applied
Oats 28 471 ha to most of the world's important crops within the last
Barley 68 834 ha hundred years. Before that major crop plants such as
Peas 25 401 ha wheat, corn or rice had been domesticated for thousands
Maize 19 696 ha of years, during which time cultural and natural selec-
Forage brassicas 152 520 ha tion had altered them considerably and led to the pro-
duction of regional strains, or land races, which were
(Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Agricultural
reasonably well adapted to the regions in which they
Statistics 1980/81)
were grown.
The farm gate value of wheat alone is about $61 m. The understanding and application of genetics, sta-
Although they do not occupy a major part of New tistical methods, crop geography, crop evolution, bio-
Zealand's farmland (approximately 382 400 ha or 2.6 chemistry and plant physiology have resulted in the
per cent of the country's farmland) field crops have been large advances made in the development of new crop
grown since New Zealand was first settled and are a cultivars since World War II. Plant breeding has been
stable and important part of the country's agricultural one of the keystones of the green revolution in less devel-
production. Cropping is a more efficient form of land oped countries, and one of the foundations of the enor-
use than grazing and occupies a greater area than horti- mous increase in agricultural productivity in the
culture (area in horticulture in 1980, 48 536 ha). Field developed countries (see Table 1.2).
crops provide an essential backup animal feed in times Some of the gains have come from better adaptation
of pasture shortage eg, in the South Island winter, and to the physical environment and to particular day-
wheat and peas are staple human diet items. Peas are lengths and temperatures. The proportion of crop which
also a significant export earner ($6.2 m in 1980). is commercially usable has been considerably increased,
The main field crop-growing area in New Zealand for example by increasing the grain to straw ratio in
is Canterbury (171 000 ha in 1980), followed by Otago the cereals. Considerable contributions have come from
and Southland. Significant areas of maize are grown in resistance to pests and diseases. Resistant cultivars can
South Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and East often make the difference between profit and loss in
Coast. However, land use for field crops is coming under cropping and give more reliable yields. They may re-
increasing competition from horticulture in these re- duce the use of chemical fungicide and insecticide.
gions. Small areas of field crops are grown in other parts As the quality of cultivars improves so the breeder
of the country. is pressured for further improvements; eg — in the
course of wheat breeding, although bread can be, and
The Purpose of Plant Breeding
has for thousands of years been baked from any wheat,
Most species of crop plants have a wide range of vari- the baker demands high quality "bread" wheat. The
ation in many important characteristics. Some plants market requirements, hence the relative prices of differ-
are tall and some short, some are resistant to one pest ent cultivars, are not absolutely fixed, but are deter-
and some to another, some require long days for flower- mined by the characteristics and availability of other
ing while some flower in short days. The range of vari- cultivars. So, to a considerable degree, the qualities
13
Plant Breeding in New Zealand
Table 1.2 Yield kg/ha for wheat, rice and maize in 1950 and 1980
Wheat Rice Maize
1950 1980 1950 1980 1950 1980
World 1050 1870 1600 2750 1580 3000
India 660 1440 1100 2050 650 1240
Europe 1480 3760 4300 4890 1320 4480
Africa 720 1020 1200 1710 840 1220
North America 1160 2130 2200 4030 2210 4730
New Zealand 2730 3560 3710 8070
(Source: FAO Production Yearbook 1980)
which the market place demands from the breeder are in Mexico, is an example of a cultivar well-adapted in
not determined by the consumer. They are determined New Zealand and many other countries
by what sorts of cultivars other breeders, or the breeder Many diseases and pests have only recently arrived
himself, has to put on offer in the market place. in New Zealand, and in many cases local cultivars were
It is important that New Zealand producers have susceptible, although resistant cultivars were available
good cultivars, the produce from which sell well in com- from overseas breeders. This has led to the replacement
petition with produce from cultivars available to other of susceptible New Zealand cultivars with resistant im-
producers. If our cultivars are deficient in yield or re- ported ones. Lucerne cultivars resistant to bacterial wilt
liability of yield, if produce from them costs more to replaced the susceptible local cultivar Wairau; stripe
produce, or is not as valuable as produce from cultivars, rust-resistant wheats from Europe are replacing suscep-
in other countries, then our producers will not be as tible local cultivars.
well rewarded as those in other countries, and will not Foreign cultivars with some novel and valuable
be able to compete effectively in world markets. character may replace local cultivars until local cul-
If the crop produce is used in New Zealand, and our tivars incorporating this character are bred. Triumph
cultivars are substandard, the produce will cost more barley, with a low gum (beta glucan) content has re-
and not be so satisfying to New Zealand consumers. cently been introduced, and has established a new stan-
Crop plant breeding hence contributes to the eco- dard for brewing quality. It is an example for New
nomic well being and the quality of life in New Zea- Zealand barley breeders to follow and a parent for them
land. to use in their own breeding programmes.
When imported cultivars replace local cultivars for
History of Plant Breeding in New Zealand these reasons, the replacement will probably be only
All our crop plants were originally imported, and almost temporary as New Zealand breeders use the imported
all evolved and were bred in the Northern Hemisphere. cultivars to breed even better adapted, local cultivars.
In New Zealand summer temperatures are about 5°C So Rongotea, Oroua and Tiritea wheat have replaced
cooler then in most places of similar latitudes in the Karamu, and Rere lucerne is replacing imported resist-
Northern Hemisphere and winter temperatures are ant cultivars. Despite temporary replacement of local
warmer. New Zealand daily temperatures fluctuate cultivars, the New Zealand breeding capacity must be
more, there is generally more wind, and soils are thinner maintained to produce locally adapted cultivars.
and more acid than in the great northern agricultural New Zealand cultivars may be superseded, however,
regions. Our disease and pest problems are different. for another reason. They may be replaced because the
Market requirements within New Zealand are also often local breeding input does not compete, either in volume
different. For all these reasons, the cultivars originally or in expertise, with overseas breeding inputs. In such
introduced from overseas into New Zealand agriculture cases, to continue breeding in isolation in New Zealand
were not tailored to fit New Zealand farming. There would be to waste resources which would be better spent
has been a general tendency for cultivars introduced on breeding other crops. Needs for specially adapted
from overseas to be replaced by cultivars produced here. local cultivars should be met by co-operating with
This development began sooner, has been more rapid, foreign breeders, not by trying to compete with them.
and has gone further with some crops than with others; Most of the vegetable crops grown mainly for local con-
with some it has not yet begun. sumption are probably in this category because the local
The change to local cultivars began before the begin- industry is too small to support the expense of breeding
ning of organised breeding here, and some of the early which may be as high for a crop grown on a small area
innovators are unknown. Tuscan wheat, the principal as a large one.
cultivar grown before 1940, Aucklander Short Top po-
tatoes and Pukekohe Long Keeper onions were all selec- Methods of Crop Improvement
ted and propagated by local growers. The first crop cultivar improvement in New Zealand
By 1950, almost all wheat and rape crops were sown came from the introduction of new cultivars from other
to New Zealand cultivars, by 1970 almost all peas, lu- countries. Farmers grew them, and the word passed
cerne, oats and potatoes. In more recent years another round if some were better than others.
contrary change has been occurring. Overseas breeders The next step was taken when growers and scientists
have been looking at wider horizons and have begun began selecting what they considered to be better plants
producing cultivars with adaptation to a wide range of from cultivars that were being grown and multiplying
environments. Some of these have replaced local cul- them for distribution as improved seed. This, combined
tivars in a number of countries. Karamu wheat, pro- with progeny tests of the selected plants in scientifically
duced from an international breeding programme based conducted trials, and with an organised pedigree system
14