National Authorized New Variety Zhongmai 1062 Reaps a Bumper Harvest

The large scale demonstration of Zhongmai 1062 in Hebei province shows great potential of molecular breeding in variety development. On 8^th June 2016, Sun Haoqin, the Party Secretary of Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhao Guangpeng, Deputy Mayor of Gaobeidian City of Hebei Province, and over 30 experts and enterprise representatives from Tianjin, Baoding, Tangshan, Cangzhou, and Langfang, attended the field day of Zhongmai 1062 in Gaobeidian.

Forty ha of Zhongmai 1062 with outstanding performance were about to harvest in Songyuchi demonstration base in Gaobeidian. According to the researchers, with only two irrigations, the variety showed big and plenty of ears, with a plant height of 75 cm, and the predicted yield per ha reached 8.4 tonnes. This variety has great promotion value in winter wheat area in northern China because of its four major advantages. First, it is characterized by high yield, short straw and lodging-resistant, big and plenty of ears; second, it shows outstanding performance under both full and reduced irrigations; third, it has good resistance to cold temperature in winter and high temperature during grainfilling stage, and to preharvest sprouting as well as to stripe rust and powdery mildew; fourth, its grain has satisfying appearance and very good processing quality, reaching national quality standard.

Zhongmai 1062 was developed from Yumai 34/Lunxuan 987*3 by molecular markers such as high molecular weight glutenin subunit 5+10 and 7+8 with excellent quality. It was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2016, with hard kernel and crude protein 14.5%, water absorption rate 55.2%, and stability 8-12 minutes.

According to the data from Regional Yield Trials in winter wheat area in northern China in 2012-2014, average yield per ha was 7.53tonnes, 7.1% increase compared with check variety Zhongmai 175. It is recommended for planting in medium water and fertilizer field in winter wheat areas in northern China, including Beijing, Tianjin, central and northern part of Hebei, and northern part of Shanxi, as well as Alear in Xinjiang.