Yields of spring bread wheat have improved dramatically over the past 20 years, but production of winter and facultative wheat, grown predominantly in developing countries, has lagged behind. To redress the balance, the International Winter Wheat Improvement Project (IWWIP), a partnership between ICARDA, CIMMYT and Turkey's national agricultural research system, continues to develop improved varieties for use in CWANA. In 2002, disease-resistant winter and facultative wheat varieties were provided for use throughout the CAC region. Various new trials and demonstration plots were also initiated, to speed the transfer of this technology to farmers.

New yellow-rust resistant varieties

Cool, damp weather during the 2001/02 growing season, coupled with the large-scale cultivation of genetically susceptible cultivars, promoted a yellow rust (YR) epidemic in CAC in 2002. A positive outcome of the epidemic was that it made the NARS in CAC countries realize the urgent need to replace old and susceptible wheat varieties with new, high-yielding varieties resistant to YR. The development of disease-resistant wheat cultivars leads to higher grain yields and reduces chemical use, thus benefiting human health and the environment. A total of 7,500 winter and facultative wheat accessions were provided, through IWWIP nurseries, to all eight CAC countries during the 2001/02 season.
     Wheat breeders from CAC countries and researchers from ICARDA and CIMMYT also collaborated both in the development and identification of promising lines and in ensuring fast seed multiplication and adoption at the farm level. This resulted in the development of several winter wheat varieties for use in CAC countries. In Uzbekistan, 'Dostlik' was released in 2002, principally for cultivation in five provinces, where it is expected to help improve the incomes of farmers, who previously had to rely on poorly adapted varieties. 'Dostlik' is early-maturing, drought and salt tolerant, and has good resistance to pests and diseases, especially yellow rust. It also requires less water and fertilizer.
     Scientists from the Galla-Aral Branch of the Andijan Research Institute of Grain, Uzbekistan, have also identified two promising drought-tolerant winter wheat lines (8023.16.1/Kauz and Ok82282// BOW/NKT). Selected from the Project's nurseries, the lines exceeded the grain yield of the standard variety ('Sanzar-8') by 21% and 14%, respectively. Based on three years of research, the Scientific Council of the Galla-Aral Branch decided to submit these varieties to the State Variety Testing Commission in 2002.

     Several wheat cultivars selected from the Project have been released or submitted for state variety testing by different CAC countries. 'Ruzi' was released in Azerbaijan; 'Nelly' and 'Agemen' in Kazakstan; 'Jamin' and 'Nilek' in Kyrgyzstan; 'Bitarap', 'Guncha' and 'Garagum' in Turkmenistan; 'Mtshetskaya-1' in Georgia; 'ATGF-2 (shark-6)' and 'ATGF-5' in Armenia; and 'Tacica', 'Norman', 'TAST/SPRW//ZAR', and 'Ormon' in Tajikistan. In Turkey, two promising lines-k82282//BOW/NKT/3/ F4105 (irrigated), and Vee/TSI//Grk79/3/NS55.05/4/ Suzen (rainfed)-were submitted for release. These lines have demonstrated both yield advantages and resistance to major diseases, especially yellow rust. Both show great promise, and will soon replace the yellow-rust susceptible varieties used in the region.

A winter wheat line selected from the International Winter Wheat Improvement Project nurseries and submitted for release in Uzbekistan.

New on-farm trials and demonstrations

Swift introduction of a new variety requires seed multiplication, on-farm evaluation and the transfer to farmers of both the new variety and its production technology. On-farm trials and demonstrations are considered to be the most effective tools for testing new varieties under farmers' conditions. Thus, on-farm activities are to be continued and further supported by ICARDA. The Participatory Variety Selection (PVS) model has been found to be most applicable in CAC countries. Thus, farmers, or representatives of large farms, will be encouraged to play an active role in the evaluation and multiplication of selected lines and varieties that are candidates for release. Examples of previously tested lines are shown in Table 5.
     During the 2001/02 growing season, on-farm trials and demonstration plots were set up in 24 locations, representing all the grain-producing zones of Uzbekistan. Variety testing, on-farm trials and field demonstrations of the identified lines and varieties will continue and will be supported by ICARDA and various NARS. Such on-farm trials will take into consideration the specific requirements of different CAC countries (such as the need for disease-resistant, early-maturing, and drought and cold-tolerant wheat varieties), in order to ensure increased wheat production.