Abstract
Acid soils in southern New South Wales (NSW) were recognised as a problem in the late 1960’s. Initial research determined the range of tolerance to Aluminium (Al) and Manganese (Mn), the benefits of these tolerances and the interaction with liming. Screening methods were evaluated and the utility of the haematoxylin root tip stain test for Al tolerance confirmed. A nutrient solution system for determining Mn tolerance was developed.
In the southern NSW wheat belt, where the soils are slowly acidifying, selecting for Al tolerance was estimated to increase grain yields by 1.4% at present, increasing to 3.2% in ten years time. This is a worthwhile improvement compared to other objectives of the breeding programme. Selecting for Mn tolerance was not justified.
Varieties in the breeding programme are evaluated with the haematoxylin stain test after the second year of trials on non-acid soils. Subsequent testing is on acid and non-acid soils. This scheme is not designed to maximise Al tolerance, but gives a reasonable balance between the many different objectives which the breeding programme has to consider. It is important that varieties recommended for acid soils also perform well on non-acid soil.
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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Fisher, J.A., Scott, B.J. (1993). Are we justified in breeding wheat for tolerance to acid soils in southern New South Wales?. In: Randall, P.J., Delhaize, E., Richards, R.A., Munns, R. (eds) Genetic Aspects of Plant Mineral Nutrition. Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, vol 50. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1650-3_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-1650-3_1
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