Effect of cultivars on changes in grain protein of wheat in Victoria between 1972 and 1988

Abstract

Grain protein data from variety evaluation trials conducted in Victoria, together with proportional cultivar deliveries, were used to estimate the influence of cultivar on the average grain protein of Victorian wheat production.Soft-grained, standard height cultivars and the semidwarf Egret were all lower in protein than the hard grained cultivars which have largely replaced them. This replacement of cultivars has resulted in an average increase in protein of 0.02% per year for the period 1972-88. Any decline in average protein of the Victorian wheat crop is thus due to non-genetic factors.