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Helios

Variety Description

Varieties used for comparison: 'AC Barrie', 'AC Elsa', 'Infinity' and 'Lovitt'

Summary: 'Helios' has a higher frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves than 'AC Barrie', 'AC Elsa' and 'Infinity'. 'Helios' heads earlier than the reference varieties. 'Helios' has a taller plant height than 'Infinity' and a shorter plant height than 'Lovitt'. 'Helios' has a slightly more nodding spike attitude at maturity than the reference varieties. 'Helios' has stronger glaucosity on the spike than 'AC Elsa' and 'Infinity'. 'Helios' has a longer spike length than 'AC Elsa' and 'Lovitt'. The kernel of 'Helios' has a larger germ than 'AC Elsa'. 'Helios' has a round shaped germ while 'Infinity' has an oval shaped germ.

Description: PLANT: spring type, early maturing, growth habit intermediate between erect and prostrate (at booting)

SEEDLING (at four leaf stage): medium anthocyanin on the coleoptile, sparse pubescence on lower leaf sheath and blade

FLAG LEAF: medium to high frequency of plants with recurved flag leaves, very sparse pubescence on blade and sheath, absent or very weak anthocyanin colouration on auricles, medium glaucosity on sheath

CULM: neck with medium glaucosity and very slight curvature

STRAW: pith thin in cross section, very weak anthocyanin at maturity

SPIKE: tapering to parallel sided in shape, medium density, incline to nodding at maturity, medium to strong glaucosity, white in colour, awnlets present

GLUME: no pubescence, shoulder straight to slightly sloping with a few elevated, shoulder very narrow to narrow with a few medium in width, beak slightly curved to straight, beak length very short to short, occasionally medium

KERNEL: hard red, medium red in colour, medium to large in size, short in length, medium in width, ovate in shape, cheek angular to rounded, brush hairs midlong to long, germ large in size and round in shape, crease midwide and shallow to mid-deep

DISEASE REACTION: moderately resistant to Fusarium head blight (Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium species), intermediate resistance to Common bunt (Tilletia caries, Tilletia foetida), resistant to Loose smut (Ustilago tritici), moderately susceptible to Leaf rust (Puccinia triticina) and resistant to Stem rust (Puccinia graminia f.sp.tritici).

Origin & Breeding History: 'Helios' originated from the cross BW674/BW689//AC Barrie, made in 1996 at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. The F2 seed was inoculated with common bunt and grown as individual plants in a leaf and stem rust epiphytotic nursery. The F4, F6 and F8 generations were screened for quantitative and qualitative traits. The F3, F5 and F7 generations were grown as head-rows in a nursery near Christchurch, New Zealand, to multiply seed for early generation tests. Selected F8 lines were screened for reaction to loose smut and common bunt. An experimental line, designated 9610-AN02E, was evaluated in the Western Bread Wheat 'A_2' test in 2001, and as PT211 in the Parkland Wheat Cooperative tests from 2002 to 2004.

Tests & Trials: 'Helios' was tested for morphological characteristics at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current, Saskatchewan in 2004 and 2005. The trials consisted of four replications containing four rows, three metres in length. Spacing between rows was 23 cm and the seeding rate was 220 seeds per m2. A completely Randomized Block experimental design was used. Measured characteristics were based on 40 measurements.

Wheat: 'Helios' (left) with reference varieties 'AC Barrie' (centre, left), 'AC Elsa' (centre), 'Infinity' (centre, right) and 'Lovitt' (right)