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a Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences Dep., Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA 24061-0404
b Plant and Soil Sciences Dep., Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK 74078
* Corresponding author (cgriffey{at}vt.edu)
‘Pocahontas’ (Reg. no. CV-901, PI 602598) is an early-maturing, apically-awnleted, semi-dwarf soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station released Pocahontas in February 1997. The name Pocahontas was selected as a tribute to all Native Americans and, particularly, to the Powhatan princess Pocahontas, who devoted her life to promoting peace. Pocahontas was released to provide growers and millers in the mid-Atlantic region with an early maturing, powdery mildew (caused by Erysiphe graminis DC. f. sp. tritici Ém. Marchal; syn. Blumeria graminis (DC.) E.O. Speer) resistant cultivar, producing grain of high milling quality.
The pedigree of Pocahontas is ‘Wheeler’*2/C39//‘Saluda’. The C39 parent originated in England, and was selected from the 1982 International Winter Wheat Mildew Nursery as a source of resistance (genes Pm2, Pm4b, Pm6) to powdery mildew (Chung and Griffey, 1995). The final cross was made in 1985, and the population was advanced using a modified bulk breeding method. Pocahontas was derived as an F5:6 head row, and tested under the designation VA 93-52-60.
Coleoptiles of Pocahontas are predominantly red. Juvenile plants exhibit a semierect growth habit. Spikes are tapering, lax, and apically-awnleted. Plant color at booting is green, and a waxy bloom is present on the stem and flag leaf sheath. Anther color is yellow. Glumes at maturity are medium in length, wide in width, and have oblique shoulders with obtuse beaks. Kernels of Pocahontas are ovate with rounded cheeks and a medium-long, non-collared brush. The crease is narrow and shallow. The phenol reaction is fawn.
Head emergence of Pocahontas (99 d) is 1 to 2 d earlier than the widely-grown early wheat cultivars Madison, 2580, and 2684, and 4 d earlier than Jackson and ‘FFR 555W’. Plant height of Pocahontas is 89 cm, which is similar to FFR 555W and 2.5 to 5.0 cm shorter than that of Jackson. Pocahontas has good straw strength, with an average Belgian lodging score (0.2–10) of 1.6, compared with Jackson with a score of 3.5. On the basis of parentage and limited data, winter hardiness of Pocahontas is moderate, being similar to that of Saluda and Jackson. Average grain volume weight of Pocahontas is 740 kg m-3 and is similar to that of Jackson. Pocahontas has very good milling quality with high flour yields. Among 200 wheat lines evaluated from 1994 to 1999 by the USDA-ARS Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory in Wooster, OH, Pocahontas ranked 22 in milling score on an Allis-Chalmers mill with a straight-grade flour yield of 778 g kg-1. Baking quality is satisfactory and similar to that of Jackson with average values of 53.8% for alkaline water retention capacity, 30.6% for break flour recovery, and 17.2 cm for cookie spread diameter.
On the basis of natural field infections from 1991 to 1999, Pocahontas expressed resistance to the prevalent strains of powdery mildew in the Midatlantic region, and a moderate level of resistance to glume blotch [caused by Stagonospora nodorum (Berk.) Castellani & E.G. Germano]. Pocahontas is moderately susceptible to barley yellow dwarf virus and susceptible to wheat spindle streak mosaic virus. Pocahontas is susceptible to most of the prevalent races of leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks.) in the soft red winter wheat region. On the basis of seedling tests conducted at the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory in St. Paul, MN, Pocahontas possesses gene Lr11 for reaction to leaf rust, and exhibits resistance to stem rust (caused by P. graminis Pers.:Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn.) races QFBS, RKQS, RPQQ and RTQS, but is susceptible to races HJCS, QSHS, and TNMK. Pocahontas is resistant to Hessian fly [Mayetiola destructor (Say)] biotypes GP and E, but is susceptible to the most prevalent biotype L based on seedling tests conducted by USDA-ARS Midwest Area Crop Production and Pest Control Research Unit, West Lafayette, IN.
Pocahontas is most adapted to the Midatlantic and Southeast regions of the United States. In 18 tests conducted in Virginia from 1994 to 1996, Pocahontas had an average grain yield of 5640 kg ha-1, which was not significantly different from the highest yielding cultivar 2580. Among released cultivars, Pocahontas ranked 1st, 7th, and 2nd in grain yield in 1994, 1995, and 1996, respectively. In official variety trials conducted in other states in 1996, Pocahontas was ranked among the top 10 lines for grain yield in select trials conducted in South Carolina, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Pocahontas was evaluated for 2 yr in the USDA-ARS Uniform Southern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery (USSRWWN) and in the 1995 USDA-ARS Uniform Eastern Soft Red Winter Wheat Nursery (UESRWWN). Among 28 entries evaluated in the 1994 USSRWWN at 14 locations, Pocahontas ranked 8th in grain yield (5845 kg ha-1). In 1995, Pocahontas produced yields equal to test averages of 30 entries (4660 kg ha-1) in the USSRWWN and 38 entries (5080 kg ha-1) in the UESRWWN.
Authorized seed classes of Pocahontas are Breeder, Foundation, and Certified. Pocahontas is protected under the amended U.S. Plant Variety Protection Act of 1994 (PVP Certificate no. 9800102). The Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences and the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Blacksburg, VA, will maintain Breeder seed. Foundation seed of Pocahontas will be produced and maintained by the Virginia Crop Improvement Association via the Foundation Seed Farm, Box 78, Mt. Holly, VA 22524.
NOTES
Accepted for publication December 31, 2000.
REFERENCES
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