Growing Triticale

Note Number: AG0497
Published: May 1996
Updated: October 2009

 

Basic information is provided as a guide to the agronomic techniques required for successful production of triticale. A brief outline of the characteristics of the available triticale varieties is also included.

Introduction

Triticale (genus X Triticosecale) is a cereal crop developed by human intervention from crosses between wheat (genus Triticum) and rye (genus Secale). It has been developed to incorporate the high yield potential and quality of wheat and the adaptability of rye and is adapted to a wide range of soil types and environments. Triticale has an aggressive root system that binds light soils better than wheat, barley or oats. Under ideal conditions, researchers have found that triticale can out-yield wheat and barley and sometimes oats. Triticale is well established as an ingredient in livestock rations.

Varieties

In Victoria, production was dominated for almost two decades by the variety Tahara, released in 1987 by Agriculture Victoria. There is now a range of varieties with different attributes to suit differing environments, production systems and end uses.

Table 1 summarises long term yield performance of a range of varieties from National Variety Trials.

Variety descriptions

 ª denotes Plant Breeders Rights apply

ABACUS

A later maturing variety for early sowing in soils prone to waterlogging, or to spread risk in frost-prone districts. Resistant to stem and leaf rust and root lesion nematode, moderately susceptible to stripe rust and susceptible to CCN. Suited to high rainfall and/or long growing season districts.

CANOBOLAS ª

Mid season awned variety with stiff straw shorter than Tahara. Acid soil tolerant. Resistant to stem and leaf rust and moderately resistant to moderately susceptible to stripe rust. Bred by the University of New England and tested as H 418. Marketed by ABB seeds.

CREDIT ª

A widely adapted medium season variety, resistant to stem and leaf rust and root lesion nematode, moderately susceptible to stripe rust and susceptible to CCN. Suited to most districts including situations prone to water logging. Registered 1997 and marketed by Waratah Seeds Co.

HAWKEYE ª

A medium season maturity, fully awned, spring variety which has broad adaptation. Resistant to CCN and leaf rust, moderately resistant to stripe rust and moderately resistant to resistant to stem rust. Tested as TSA0108, released 2007 and marketed through AGT Seeds.

JAYWICK ª

An early to medium maturity, fully awned spring variety which has displayed good yields in tough finishing seasons. Resistant to CCN and leaf rust Moderately resistant to stripe rust and moderately resistant to resistant to stem rust. Tested as TSA0124, released 2007 and marketed through AGT Seeds.

KOSCIUSZKO ª

A high yielding, mid-season maturing variety. Taller and slightly earlier maturing than Tahara. Large grain size, strong straw. Susceptible to stripe rust and CCN. Released in 2003 by University of New England and marketed by Wilson Bros.

SPEEDEE ª

A vigorous, fast maturing spring triticale for grain production. Resistant to stem and leaf rust, susceptible to very susceptible to stripe rust and CCN. Suitable for short growing season environments or late sowing situations. Tested as TX93-19-IE, registered 2002 and marketed by Seed Distributors SA.

TAHARA

A variety that has been widely grown for many years because of its reliability across a range of environments. It is a mid-season variety which remains popular in many areas despite the release of potential replacement varieties. It may lodge in high yielding environments. Resistant to CCN, stem and leaf rust, moderately resistant to stripe rust. Suited to most districts with rainfall up to 550 mm. Released 1987 by the then Victorian Department of Agriculture.

TICKIT ª

A widely adapted variety with straw that is shorter and stronger than Tahara and with similar maturity and grain quality. Moderately resistant to stripe rust and resistant to CCN. Tickit is considered a replacement for Tahara in all regions where Tahara is grown. Registered 1999 and marketed by Nugrain Pty Ltd.

TREAT ª

Wide adaptation and medium maturity, a few days earlier than Tahara, with improved test weight. Resistant to stem and leaf rust and root lesion nematode, moderately resistant to stripe rust and susceptible to CCN. Suited to most districts. Registered 1998 and marketed by PlantTech Pty Ltd.

Dual-purpose triticales

These varieties can be grazed early and then allowed to produce grain or cut for hay.

BREAKWELL  ª

Long season, semi-awnless, dual purpose triticale with CCN resistance. In NSW DPI trials it has shown excellent straw strength with better dry matter production and superior grain yield compared to Jackie. Susceptible to stripe rust. Flowers later than Jackie. Tested as AT 519, registered 2004 and marketed by Waratah Seeds.

ENDEAVOUR ª

Long season with similar maturity to Breakwell, semi-awnless variety with excellent dry matter production and grain recovery after grazing. Resistant to stem, leaf and stripe rust. Tested as AT528 and marketed by Waratah Seeds.

RUFUS

Mid season maturity variety with a tall growth habit and reduced awns which is favoured for hay production. Resistant to and tolerant of CCN and moderately resistant to stripe rust. Grain yields in higher rainfall regions have been superior to Tahara. Tested as PT344, released in 2005 by University of New England.

TOBRUK ª

With a strong winter habit Tobruk is a dual purpose or long season grain only variety with excellent grain yield. Resistant to stem and leaf rust and moderately resistant to stripe rust. Earlier flowering than Breakwell and Endeavour. Tested as AT574 and marketed by Waratah Seeds.

Agronomic Aspects

Triticale in Australia has a spring growth habit which means it behaves similarly to most cereal crops, maturing in late spring to early summer. Breeding and selection programs have ensured varieties possess a range of disease and pest characteristics which can compliment disease management for other cereals. It can also carry diseases which may affect other cereal species.

Triticale can be less susceptible to the common fungal diseases of cereals which make it suitable for use in rotations where stubble is retained. Some varieties have good resistance to stem, leaf and stripe rusts, mildew and Septoria tritici blotch as well as both resistance and tolerance to Cereal Cyst Nematode (CCN). Further detail on agronomic characteristics of a range of varieties is in Table 2.

Soils

Of all the cereals available to farmers, triticale has the best adaptation to water logged soils and those of high pH (alkaline soils). Triticale is also tolerant of low pH (acid soils), grows well on sodic soils and tolerates soils high in boron.

In nutrient deficient soils, triticale appears to respond better to applied fertilisers than other cereals. Triticale has the capacity to survive utilising trace elements in soils which would be considered nutrient deficient for any other type of crop. However, growth and yield of triticale is very responsive to phosphorus and nitrogen.

Seeding Rate

Triticale does not tiller well. The desired plant density for triticale is 180 plants/m² up to 200 plants/m² in high rainfall zones. Depending on seed size this equates to a seeding rate of 75-100kg/ha. If sowing is delayed, or when sowing on light sandy soils, the higher plant density should be the target.

Seed Dressings

Triticale is not usually prone to infection from smuts and bunt. However it is good insurance to apply a seed dressing to the grain when it is being graded. Stripe rust may be a problem in triticale and there are now options to treat seed to provide seedling protection against stripe rust.

Fertiliser

Triticale has similar phosphorus and nitrogen requirements as wheat and responds to most compound fertilisers. Zinc has also been found a valuable nutrient for Mallee sowings. As with most crops, rates of fertiliser application should be based on soil testing and other historical response information as well as anticipated costs and returns.

It is also valuable to know the anticipated market for the grain and whether price gradients may reward higher protein levels. This may warrant extra nitrogen usage.

Sowing time

Triticale generally has a similar sowing time requirement to other cereals and should take a priority in the sowing schedule commensurate with its importance to the overall cropping enterprise.

In the Victorian Mallee the first two weeks of May are the ideal time to sow triticale although the seasonal break often dictates the actual sowing opportunity. For the Wimmera and north central, mid to late May is generally the optimum sowing time. For north east Victoria, depending on the variety, the whole month of May is potentially ideal. In the case of a long season variety (Jackie) it may be sown from early April in the North East. South west Victoria has a wider sowing window due to a longer growing season and, depending on the variety, crops may be sown from early May to late June. Further detail on sowing dates is included in the Victorian Winter Crop Summary 2009 (www.dpi.vic.gov.au).

Acting promptly when a sowing window is available has proven critical over many seasons. Delayed sowing has generally proven costly although to sow very early increases frost risk. Triticale appears to be more sensitive to frost damage than other cereals. Dry sowing for a portion of the crop is an option which has proven very successful and can be considered for triticale as well as other cereals

Weed control

Weed control in triticale is similar to that for wheat. For herbicides registered for use on triticale and for the recommended herbicide rate and time to apply, the “Field Crop Herbicide Guide” from the Kondinin Group is a good reference. Local agronomists and resellers are also a good source of advice on pesticide use in general.

Triticale as a cover crop

Triticale has poor tillering capacity and good tolerance to shattering. This makes triticale a useful cereal as a cover crop to establish undersown lucerne or medic, but seeding rates may need to be reduced.

Grain storage

Long term on-farm storage of triticale will be a problem unless the storage facility is sealed silos. Triticale grain is softer than wheat and barley grain. Soft grain is more prone to attack from weevils and other grain storage insects. Maintain grain at low (<10%) moisture content to minimise insect infestation. Fumigation prior to storage in sealed silos is effective in reducing the risk of insect damage when storing triticale.

Grain Marketing

Most triticale varieties are subject to plant breeder’s rights (PBR) and need to be traded within the conditions of the particular variety’s PBR. However, working within PBR limitations, triticale grain is domestically traded on the open market via merchants, grain traders and by end-users. For best returns aim to harvest crops at 12% moisture or less, produce grain with a minimum test weight of 65 kg/hl and minimise admixture. Grain protein content of triticale may be a factor in determining its value.

Uses for Triticale

In livestock diets, triticale has a similar role to other cereals. It is primarily an energy source having moderate protein content with high starch and other carbohydrates, giving it high energy content. The major uses for triticale grain are as a feed supplement in the dairy industry, as a component ingredient in beef feedlots and as a constituent of compound rations for intensive livestock (pigs and poultry) rations.

A key physical feature of triticale is that it is a soft grain with a hardness index almost half that observed for wheat and barley. This is an advantage as less mechanical energy is required to mill triticale compared to wheat and barley prior to inclusion in livestock diets.

On farm, triticale can be fed to livestock in the same way wheat or barley would be fed.

Small amounts of triticale are marketed as niche products for human food consumption. Uses include as a flour supplement to wheaten flour for bread, biscuits and cakes, as rolled whole grains for breakfast cereals, triticale noodles and in the brewing and distilling industries.

Further References

Victorian Winter Crop Summary 2008; www.dpi.vic.gov.au

National Variety Trials, www.nvtonline.com.au

Coombs, B (1994) Australian grains: A complete reference book on the grain industry, Hawthorn East, Morescope Publishing. pp 358-363.

A Guide to the Use of Triticale in Livestock Feeds, www.grdc.com.au

Acknowledgements

This Agnote was originally developed by Geoff Castleman, Mallee Research Station, May 1996, under the title of “Triticale: A cereal with many advantages”

It was reviewed by Neil Valance, Walpeup and Angela Clough, Future Farming Systems Research, Ballarat in September 2008 and retitled “Growing Triticale”. Updated September 2009 by Angela Clough.

Table 1: Long term predicted yield performance data for 2000-2008 for Victorian regions expressed as a percentage of the yield of Tahara. The numbers in brackets indicate the number of site years in that region.

	Mallee	North East	South West
Tahara t/ha	1.89	3.22	4.47
Bogong	109(3)	119(4)	121(4)
Breakwell	*	*	88(16)
Canobolas	106(3)	118(4)	119(4)
Credit	95(6)	101(14)	97(22)
Endeavour			94(16)
Hawkeye	109(5)	114(6)	114(8)
Jaywick	107(5)	113(6)	114(6)
Kosciuszko	97(13)	105(15)	101(20)
Rufus	102(7)	*	101(3)
Speedee	100(12)	*	*
Tahara	100(14)	100(17)	100(24)
Tickit	101(13)	102(13)	102(12)
Tobruk	107(3)	112(6)	113(18)
Treat	100(11)	102(14)	98(12)

Source: NVT Online, www.nvtonline.com.au

Table 2: Triticale variety agronomic guide and disease reaction.

Variety	Maturity	Height	Head colour	Stripe rust	Septoria tritici	CCN		Pratylenchus neglectus		Pratylenchus thornei
						Resistance	Tolerance	Resistance	Tolerance	Resistance	Tolerance
Abacus	L	M	Br	MS	MR	S	T	MR-R	MT	R	MT
Breakwell	M			S		R
Credit	M	M	W	MS	R	S	T	MS-MR	MT	MR	–
Endeavour	M			R		R
Hawkeye	M	M		MR		R
Jaywick	E-M	T		MR		R
Jackie	L	T	W	VS	–	R	T	MS-MR	–	–	–
Kosciuszko	M	T	W	S-VS	–	S	T	–	–	–	–
Prime322	M	T	W	MS	–	S	T	–	–	–	–
Rufus	M	T	W	MR		R	T	MR-R	MT	MR-R	MT
Speedee	E	M-T	W	S	–	S	T	MR-R	MT	–	–
Tahara	M	T	W	MR	R	R	T	MR-R	MT	R	MT
Tickit	M	M	W	MR	–	R	T	MR	MT	MR	–
Tobruk	E			MR
Treat	M	T	W	MR	-–	MS	T	MS-MR	MT	–	–

Maturity; E = early, M = mid season, L = late, VL = very late Height; M = medium, T = tall

Colour, W = white, Br = brown

Disease, R = resistant, MR = moderately resistant, MS = moderately susceptible, S = susceptible, VS = very susceptible

Disease tolerance, T = tolerant, MT moderately tolerant, MI = moderately intolerant: I = intolerant