Compensating Ability of Awns in Soft Red Winter Wheat1

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Abstract
Seven families of soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines were compared for yield, kernel weight, and test weight. Each family consisted of two lines, nearly isogenic, except for awns vs. awnlets. The families of lines (F3BC6 sibs) were developed by backcrosslng to ‘Vermillion’ and by selection. Treatments consisting of flag leaf removal at anthesis, leaf rust, and leaf rust plus stem rust were imposed on the lines.Leaf rust, leaf rust plus stem rust, and removal of the flag leaf, each greatly reduced yield, test weight, and kernel weight within a given year and had a much greater effect on these characteristics than did the presence or absence of awns. However, due to the large year × leaf‐removal interaction effect, the leaf‐removal treatment was not statistically significant when analyzed over yearsAwnedli nes yielded as well as or higher than their awnleted isolines in each of the experiments. Awns appeared to have a more consistent advantage for kernel weight than for yield but compensated little for removal of the flag leaf or its impaired function by rust as compared with the awnless condition. Awned types showed the greatest advantage under severe rust conditions.

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