Triticale
Bill Mills, DPI Toowoomba
Triticale is a cereal hybrid derived by crossing wheat (Triticum sp.) with cereal rye (Secale sp.). The market is small when compared with other winter cereals, as it must compete with barley as the preferred winter feed grain. Although triticale usually flowers earlier than wheat planted at a similar time, grain filling takes longer and grainsize may suffer in a hot dry finish. Its stubble is coarser than either wheat or barley.
Key points
- Triticale is a direct substitute for barley or wheat in animal feed rations.
- It will grow on similar soils to wheat and barley, but is also adapted to soils that are too acid for the other cereals.
- It can out-produce other winter cereals on lighter, lower fertility soils.
- It can out-yield barley under good conditions, and its dual purpose use as grain or forage makes it a useful crop for mixed enterprise farms.
Marketing
Triticale is marketed domestically through normal merchant channels or sold direct to end users in feedlots, dairy, pig and poultry enterprises. It has a similar nutritional value to wheat, and having grain samples tested for protein and metabolisable energy will assist sales into these markets.
Predominantly used for stock food, although there is increasing interest in using triticale flour in a range of food products. It is high in natural fibre and has a distinct nutty, aromatic and naturally sweet flavour.
Varieties
Triticale is a cereal hybrid derived by crossing wheat (Triticum sp.) with cereal rye (Secale sp.). Its botanical name is a combination of the generic names to make XTriticosecale.
Tahara has been the main variety for over a decade, but now superceded by new varieties. Main season variety with wide adaptability for grain production. It is resistant to the major strains of wheat stem, leaf and stripe rusts. Released by the Victorian Department of Agriculture in 1987. Straw strength is weaker than many of the newer varieties.
No information is available in Queensland on the performance of other triticale varieties now available. The following information has been provided by NSW Agriculture from testing in that state.
Abacus is slightly later flowering than Tahara and Muir, allowing earlier sowing, but harvest is not significantly delayed. Similar height to Tahara, with drooping head and brown chaff. Released by Waite Research Institute, South Australia in 1992.
Credit is a widely adapted main season sown variety with good straw strength. Tillers more than Tahara.
Everest is a main season variety. Slightly higher yielding than Tahara. Very tall. High grain test weight. Released by UNE 1999. Marketed by Waratah Seed Co Ltd.
Muir is a good main season sown variety. A preferred variety in high input, high yielding situations, due to its resistance to lodging. Preferred as a cover crop for pasture sowings, because of its shorter and stronger straw and more open canopy. Reputedly easier threshing. Tends to have better grain protein than Tahara. Released by the Western Australia Department of Agriculture, in 1988.
Prime 322 has been newly released. Coded AT322. A medium season triticale. Performs well Australia wide. Good adaptation. Rust resistant. Good straw strength. Released by University of Sydney 2001. Marketed by SunPrime Seeds.
Treat is a main season sown variety, slightly earlier maturing than Tahara. High test weight. Released by Waite Research Institute, South Australia in 1992. Marketed by SGB Australia.
|
Variety |
PBR Status |
Suitability for grazing |
Straw strength after grazing |
Flowering/ |
|
Abacus |
No |
No |
very good |
mid |
|
Credit |
No |
No |
very good |
quick |
|
Eleanor |
Waratah Seeds |
Yes |
moderate |
mid/late |
|
Everest |
Waratah Seeds |
No |
good |
quick |
|
Hillary |
Waratah Seeds |
Yes |
very good |
mid/late |
|
Jackie |
Waratah Seeds |
Yes |
very good |
mid/late |
|
Maiden |
Yes |
Yes |
very good |
mid/late |
|
Muir |
No |
No |
very good |
quick/mid |
|
Prime 322 |
SunPrime Seeds |
No |
good |
quick |
|
Tahara |
No |
No |
moderate |
quick/mid |
|
Treat |
SGB |
No |
good |
quick |
All listed varieties are resistant to stem rust, leaf rust and stripe rust (Source: NSW Agriculutre 2002)
Planting
Plant from May-June for grain. Planting times should be similar to the preferred window for Hartog wheat in your district.
Approx. number seeds/kg: 32 000
Average seeding rate: 50-75 kg/ha - dryland
75-100 kg/ha - irrigated
Aim to achieve the same plant populations as for wheat (700 000 - 1 000 000 plants/ha) by setting the combine 40% above the setting for suggested district wheat sowing. The higher setting is needed because:
- the grain is larger than wheat, and flows more slowly
- the plants tiller less than wheat.
Establishment %: 70-90%
Row spacing: 18-25 cm. Wider rows are used on planters modified to sow into crop stubbles, as for wheat.
Planting depth: 50-75 mm, refer to planting depth for barley.
Nutrition
The nutrition requirements of triticale are similar to wheat. In low fertility situations triticale is very responsive to fertiliser. Adequate nitrogen and phosphorous must be available to ensure a high yield and a grain protein above 10%. For more information refer to chapters on wheat and nutrition.
Weeds
Generally triticale has a similar herbicide spectrum and tolerance level as wheat. For more information refer to weed controlchapter.
Diseases
All recommended triticale varieties have affective resistance to stem, leaf and stripe rusts. Triticale is susceptible to crown rot and common root rot. For more information refer to wheat chapter.
Insects
The insects that attack triticale are similar to those of other winter cereals (cutworms, armyworms, blue oat mite, brown wheat mite). For more information refer to chapters on wheatand insect control.
Triticale has a softer grain than other winter cereals, and is more prone to weevil attack. Extra care must be taken in on-farm storage to keep the grain dry, cool and free of insects.
Harvest
Harvest time: October-November
Yield: Range 1.4-2.6 t/ha dryland. A low yield is usually the result of growing the crop on poorer soils. Individual paddocks on fertile soils can yield up to 5 t/ha dryland and 7 t/ha irrigated.
Moisture: 12%
Grain weight: 65 kg/hL. A good test weight and plump grain depend on cool spring conditions.
Further information
1. Bill Mills
Information Extension Officer
DPI, Toowoomba Qld 4350
Telephone: 07 4688 1268
2. Winter Crop Variety Guide 2002, NSW Agriculture, Triticale, pp 43-44.
This DPI Note is also published on the DPI's PrimeNotes CD-ROM.
Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
