U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home News & Events News Articles Research News 2002





- ARS News & Events
- AgResearch Magazine
- Image Gallery
- News
- Search News & Events
- Pesticide Drift May Endanger Pollinators
- ARS Seeks a Fire Ant Fix
- Scientific Discoveries 2024
- ARS Featured Photos
- Down on the Farm
- Facebook Live Events
- Food and Nutrition Research Briefs
- News Archive
- Science in Your Shopping Cart
- Scientific Discoveries
- Social Media
- Under the Microscope
- AgResearch magazine
- ARS at Work
- ARS Memorial Lectures
- ARS Science Hall of Fame
- Citrus Disease (Huanglongbing)
- Contact Office of Communications
- Plant Hardiness Zone Map
- Mobile Apps
- Public Affairs Contacts
- Publications and Other Resources
- USDA Blog
- Videos

Archived Page
 This page has been archived and is being provided for reference purposes only. The page is no longer being updated, and therefore, links on the page may be invalid.
 Greenbug-Resistant Wheat Now Available
By Jan SuszkiwOctober 2, 2002
Greenbug resistance, bred into a new, hard red winter wheat germplasm line, is now available for use in developing new varieties of the crop.
Germplasm line N96L9970 should provide wheat breeders with a source of genes conferring resistance to five greenbug biotypes: B, C, E, G, and I, notes Robert Graybosch, a plant geneticist taking seed requests at the Agricultural Research Service's Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research Unit in Lincoln, Neb.
The biotypes are different genetic subgroups of the aphid species Schizaphis graminum Rondani, which plagues cereal crops in both the northern and southern Great Plains. There, attacks by the tiny, sap-sucking pest cost wheat farmers $250 million annually in crop losses and pesticide expenses.
Resistant wheat is a cornerstone of integrated approaches to fighting the greenbug. But new cultivars are always needed because new biotypes of the pest can emerge to overcome them, according to Graybosch, who developed N96L9970 along with ARS scientist Dave Porter; James Peterson, formerly with ARS; and Jai-Heon Lee, a former doctoral scientist at the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station. The new wheat's broad-spectrum greenbug resistance comes from crosses of two earlier releases, GRS1201 and TAM202.
Based on 1997-98 tests at six sites in Texas and Nebraska, the new wheat's average grain yield was 50 bushels per acre versus about 38 bushels for GRS1201 and 56 for TAM202. In 2000 tests in five additional states, the new wheat averaged 40 bushels per acre versus 43 for Trego, 37 for Arapahoe, and 32 for Prowers–all used as commercial checks.
N96L9970's bread-making properties, dough strength, and protein content are similar to its "parents," GRS1201 and TAM202. The new wheat is adapted to conditions in the Great Plains region, is relatively tolerant of acidic soils, and has winter-hardiness similar to the commercial cultivar, TAM107, according to Graybosch.
Although susceptible to prevalent races of the leaf and stem rust fungus, N96L9970 has some resistance to wheat soilborne mosaic virus.
ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research agency.


Return to top


Research
                            Media
                            About ARS
                            Work With Us


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov