TRITICALE (× Triticosecale Wittmack): YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS IN A SEMIARID ENVIRONMENT OF ARGENTINA

Abstract

Grain yield per unit area and some yield components of eighteen experimental strains and three dual-purpose cultivars of triticale were evaluated from 2009 to 2015 in Santa Rosa (36°37? S, 64°17? W), Province of La Pampa, Argentina, on a petrocalcic Paleoustol soil under natural conditions. The trial was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications and standard plots. ANOVA was used to analyze the variables studied, while comparisons between means were made using least significant differences (p ? 0.05). Interrelationships between traits were analyzed using phenotypic correlations, path coefficients analysis and principal components. Grain yield per unit area was the dependent variable. The yield components considered were: number of grains m-2, number of spikes m-2, number of grains per spike, and 1000-grain weight. The source of variation ‘years’ explained more than 70% of the total variation, whereas ‘genotypes’ accounted for less than 10%. Genotype x year interaction was significant for 1000-grain weight. Experimental strains yielded 9% more than the checks. The four best strains yielded up 3,000 kg ha-1,which represented 25% more than the checks. Grain yield per unit area of experimental triticale strains was positively and significantly correlated with the 1000-grain weight (r = 0.49****) and the number of spikes m-2 (r =
0.25**).