TAM 113 a complement to other TAM wheat varieties

Is the new TAM 113 wheat variety a replacement for popular TAM 111 or TAM 112 varieties?

With 2013 contract wheat prices high, at near $8 per bushel, that's a common question from wheat growers as the Texas High Plains approaches fall planting for grain in October, according to Dr. Calvin Trostle, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agronomist, Lubbock.

"In short, no," Trostle said. "Rather, TAM 113 is a complement to TAM 111 and TAM 112."

Good performance from TAM 113 has earned the variety a spot on Texas AgriLife's annual "Picks" list of wheat varieties for the Texas High Plains, which was recently released, he said. The new variety is a good fit in any production system in the High Plains, whether dryland or full irrigation.

The new variety's developer, Dr. Jackie Rudd, Texas AgriLife Research wheat breeder in Amarillo, has been tracking TAM 113's performance since its final selection as a specific cross in 2002.

"Not only has medium maturity TAM 113 performed well in the Texas High Plains, the variety has better resistance to leaf rust and stripe rust than TAM 111 or TAM 112," Rudd said.  "Also, in early testing TAM 113, which appears in older reports as TX02A0252, was identified through independent testing by the Wheat Quality Council as having excellent bread-making quality."

The Wheat Quality Council is a national organization made up of millers and bakers from throughout the U.S.

Although TAM 113 was officially released in late 2010, the variety is only now available to growers, Rudd said. AgriLife Research has licensed the variety to Adaptive Genetics for marketing of certified seed in Texas and it is fully protected under the federal Plant Variety Protection Act.

Recent inclusion of TAM 113 on the "Picks" list for both dryland and irrigated wheat in the Texas High Plains has further increased interest, Trostle said.

In direct comparisons of yield from 2009 to 2012 for the High Plains, which represents 22 locations, irrigated TAM 113 at 64 bushels per acre does trail TAM 111 at 67 bushels per acre and TAM 112 at 65 bushels per acre. However, in dryland testing, all three varieties were within 1 bushel per acre with TAM 113 slightly trailing TAM 112. Test weights were essentially the same for all three varieties, irrigated or dryland, Trostle said.

"No one variety will always be on top," Rudd said. "We recommend for producers to plant multiple varieties to reduce their risk. TAM 113 offers different genetics and stronger leaf and stripe rust resistance compared to TAM 111 or TAM 112.

"This should not be overlooked," he said, "because in a year where leaf rust or stripe rust is heavy, TAM 113 is expected to suffer less yield reduction, which can be severe in some years."

For updated wheat variety trial results and 2012 variety picks, variety descriptions and other Texas High Plains wheat production information, view reports online at amarillo.tamu.edu/amarillo-cen … /wheat-publications/ or wheat" target="_blank">varietytesting.tamu.edu/wheat.