Breeding Process and Key Cultivation Techniques of Heisimai No. 1

Heisimai No. 1 (formerly coded 02-16) was bred by the Crop Institute of the Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences together with Polish experts. It was approved by the Qinghai Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee on December 9, 2005. Heisimai No. 1 is a new dual-purpose grain-and-forage rye variety of the feed type; its grain yield is more than 20% higher than that of common @#@245@#@, its quality is inferior to wheat but superior to the main highland barley cultivars, and both its stem and leaf yield and nutritional quality are higher than those of common wheat and highland barley, making it an excellent forage that all kinds of livestock relish.

1 Breeding process

In 1999, the Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (Crop Institute) and Polish expert (Brzezinski) in Poland used common wheat Neepawa (1DL5+10) and Polish rye H510 (1RL) to carry out translocation cooperation research and produced a new line; in 2000, the second generation of the rye translocation line was brought back from Poland, and on October 12 of that year it was sown in the greenhouse of the Crop Institute of the academy for generation advancement; this line showed two types, one tending to spring habit and one tending to winter habit. In 2001, the spring-habit line was sparsely sown in the greenhouse of the Crop Institute of the academy. In 2002, it was planted in the experimental field of the Crop Institute of the academy, and that year it was coded 02-16; from July 9 to 24 of the same year, Polish experts came to the academy to guide the research on crop molecular marker detection, and randomly sampled this line in the field (5 plants) for analysis, and all results showed the presence of HMW5+10.

2 Yield performance

2.1 Grain yield In the 2003 regional trial results, the average yield of three locations was 4102.65 kg/hectare, an increase of 17.20% over the control variety Lemai No. 5 spring wheat; in the 2004 regional trial results, the average yield of three locations was 6887.55 kg/hectare, an increase of 34.97% over the control variety Huzhu Hong spring wheat. In the 2004 production trial results, all 4 locations showed increased yield, with yields of 3970.50-9180.00 kg/hectare, an average increase of 22.70% over the control (the leading local variety); in the 2005 production trial results, 5 of the 6 trial locations showed increased yield, with yields of 4500.20-7665.30 kg/hectare, an average increase of 30.83% over the control variety feed wheat 02-18.

2.2 Grain and straw yield At the Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, the highest grain yield reached 9180.50 kg/hectare, and its dry hay yield was 20250 kg/hectare, an increase of 21.50% in grain and 3000 kg/hectare in dry hay over the control wheat variety (Qingchun 144). In 2005, in Yixi Village (5 households) and Kesuer Village (14 households), Riyue Tibetan Township, Huangyuan County, a total of 1.34 hectares was planted, with an average grain yield of 4500.00 kg/hectare and dry hay of 13500 kg/hectare, an increase of 1500.00 kg/hectare in grain and 75000 kg/hectare in dry hay over local small oats. At maturity, the stems of Heisimai No. 1 are yellow-green, while those of common wheat are withered yellow.

If only forage is produced, cutting once a year can yield up to 45000-58500 kg/hectare of fresh grass, and cutting twice a year (cutting at the early heading stage, then cutting fresh grass again after the tillers have grown taller) can yield up to 75000 kg/hectare of fresh grass. In 2005, Kesuer Village, Riyue Tibetan Township, Huangyuan County, trial-planted this variety on 0.033 hectares of dry riverbank land, cutting once a year, and harvested and measured yield on August 5, with fresh grass yield equivalent to 52500 kg/hectare.

3 Characteristics and traits

3.1 Botanical characteristics Heisimai No. 1 is a spring-habit, medium-late maturing rye variety, with a growth period of 123±2 days. Plant height is 130.01±5.11 cm, and the plant type is compact. The seedlings are prostrate, the leaf color is dark green, tillering ability is strong, and the spike-forming rate is high; the maximum total stem number is 10.15 million/hectare, and the spike number is 5.70 million/hectare. The spike is spindle-shaped, spike length is 12.45±2.01 cm, grains per spike are 75.50±12.00, and 1000-grain weight is 39.70±0.50 g. The grains are long-conical, floury, black, and plump, with a grain test weight of 691.50±5.02 g/L.

3.2 Variety resistance According to expert panel identification, Heisimai No. 1 has strong tolerance to drought, cold, and premature drying, and is highly resistant to salinity and alkalinity. No stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust, powdery mildew, or fusarium head blight was found.

3.3 Quality analysis In 2004, analysis by the Testing Center of the Qinghai Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences showed that the crude protein (dry basis) of Heisimai No. 1 grain was 11.59%, crude starch (dry basis) was 65.29%, and wet gluten was 27%, close to local common spring wheat; the crude protein (dry basis) content of the mature stems was 6.00%, and soluble sugar (dry basis) was 19.17%, whereas the crude protein (dry basis) content of mature stems of local common spring wheat was 3.87%, and soluble sugar was not detected. Therefore, the stems of Heisimai No. 1 are high-quality forage.

4 Key cultivation points

After years of multi-location trials and production demonstrations, Heisimai No. 1 is suitable for seed multiplication in dry mountain farmland at altitudes of 2200-2500 m in Qinghai Province, where fresh grass can be cut once and then grain harvested once; if fresh grass is cut at the heading stage and grain is harvested afterward, the maturity period is delayed by 35-45 days; in areas at altitudes of 2600-2850 m it is a forage planting zone, where one fresh grass harvest and immature grain harvest can be obtained.

This variety has particularly strong tillering ability and a well-developed root system, and does not have strict requirements for soil fertility. Before sowing, apply organic fertilizer at 60000-90000 kg/hectare, pure nitrogen at 90-135 kg/hectare, phosphorus pentoxide at 90-135 kg/hectare, and pure potassium at 30-60 kg/hectare, with a nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium ratio of 1:1:0.2. The sowing period is from mid-March to mid-April, the sowing rate is 225-263 kg/hectare, the sowing depth is 4-5 cm, and the target stand is 4500000-4800000 plants/hectare; the total stem number is 9750000-10500000 plants/hectare, and the target spike number is 5250000-5700000/hectare. If two fresh grass harvests are taken, or one fresh grass harvest is followed by one grain harvest, irrigate promptly after the first grass harvest and topdress with pure nitrogen at 55-83 kg/hectare.