A study of factors affecting the efficacy of the chemical hybridizing agent, EL-195259 and its utilization in commercial production of hydrid wheat

Four sets of crossing blocks were established to facilitate the production of hybrid seed with the use of the Chemical Hybridizing Agent (CHA) EL-195259. Bagging data revealed that unacceptably low levels of male sterility were attained in most of the genotypes treated. Greenhouse grow outs of the open pollinated seed from the crossing blocks confirmed this.;Wash following CHA application was found to significantly reduce levels of male sterility in Wheaton wheat tiller one spikes. Levels of male sterility were high (94 to 100%) in mainstem spikes, regardless of wash treatment.;Rate of CHA application had an effect on male sterility levels over six different genotypes, where increasing rates resulted in higher levels of male sterility. Higher rates of CHA application were found to offset the non-sterilizing effect of warm growing conditions and some genotypes.;Time of CHA application was found to influence seed set per tiller one spike where the overall best time of CHA application for the three genotypes tested was determined to be when the mainstem spike had reached a length of ten to twenty mm.;Growthroom experiments were conducted to reveal the reasons for the failure of the CHA-195259 in the field.;Spike maturity type was found to influence levels of male sterility, where later forming tillers were more difficult to render male sterile. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...