Moghan 3, A New Bread Wheat Cultivar for Warm Humid Climate of Khazar, Iran

Wheat is grown on 6.2 million hectares under different agr-climate conditions in Iran. Of 6.2 million hectares irrigated wheat, Khazar warm humid climate regions (Gorgan, Mazandaran and Moghan) with 350 thousand hectares are the most important wheat growing areas of the country. Productive and rich lands, high rainfalls and favorable temperature and light in these regions provide good conditions for production of high quality wheat yield. In the other hand, due to the presence of important diseases such as yellow rust, leaf rust, powdery mildew, septoria leaf blotch, fusarium head blight and crown and root rots in these regions, introduction and release of high yielding cultivars is rather difficult. Therefore, breeding programs are undertaken continuously in Seed and Plant Improvement Institute (SPII) to develop new high yielding and diseases tolerant cultivars with good adaptability to the warm and humid climate. Line N-80-6 with the pedigree of Luan/3/V763.23/V879.c8//Pvn/4/Picus/5/Opata was selected from the breeding materials obtained through ''North Wheat Breeding Programs'', CIMMYT, Mexico in 1994. F2-F6 generations were evaluated in Moghan Research Station. In 1999-2000, 78 pure lines were selected for further experiments, among them line No. 67 (2071) was superior. These lines were tested in preliminary regional wheat yield trials of north warm humid climate for one year and selected lines were evaluated in advanced regional wheat yield trials for another two years. Line No. 67 with 6.641 tha-1 grain yield compared to the check cultivar Tajan with 5.451 tha-1, was the most high yielding line. Because of resistance to diseases especially to yellow rust and fusarium head blight, this line (coded as N-80-6) together with 16 other lines were selected for ellite regional wheat yield trial (ERWYT-N) and were evaluated for two years in Gorgan, Gonbad, Sari and Moghan. Mean yield of line N-80-6 was 6.183 tha-1 which was higher than yield of Tajan cultivar (check), 5.390 tha-1, and other lines. Line N-80-6 was evaluated for resistance to different diseases in special disease nurseries in different locations under artificial inoculations for several years. It was resistant or moderately resistant to yellow rust and leaf rust, and tolerant to septoria leaf blotch and fusarium head blight. Line N-80-6 is good for quality and contains high molecular weight glutenine alleles null, 7+9 and 5+10. Due to high yield, yield stability stability and compatibility, resistance to diseases and good baking quality, this line was introduced as Moghan 3 in 2006 for cultivation in warm humid climate regions of Khazar, Iran.