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Spring rainfed wheat

Wheat was first planted in the Cape in the winter of 1652, shortly after Jan van Rieebeek arrived. By 1684, wheat production was well established using seed brought by early settlers and trading vessels. The first programme to develop wheat specifically suited to the Western Cape production region was started in 1902 and today ARC-Small Grain Institute id proud to have a dedicated spring rainfed wheat breeding programme specificall to breed reliable, cultivars for the producers of the Western Cape.

Currently there are three cultivars namely Ratel, Kwartel and Tankwa available.

Wheat breeding

Spring rainfed wheat
Spring irrigated wheat
Winter rainfed wheat

Barley breeding
Oats selection
Wheat quality
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Ratel

High yield
Good bread making quality characteristics
Moderate resistance to leaf and stem rust
Good straw strength and sprouting tolerance
Medium growth period
Well suited to no-till cultivation practices
Suitable for all areas of the Western Cape

Planting date	Swartland planting density	Western and Southern Rûens planting density	Eastern Rûens planting density
1-31 May	100-120 kg/ha	100-130 kg/ha	100-130 kg/ha

Planting density (kg/ha) = plants/m² x 1000 kernel mass (g) + survival %

Kwartel

Good bread making quality characteristics
Moderate resistance to leaf and stem rust
Good straw strength and excellent sprouting tolerance
Medium growth period
Well suited to no-till cultivation practices
Suitable for all areas of the Western Cape

Planting date	Swartland planting density	Western and Southern Rûens planting density	Eastern Rûens planting density
1-31 May	100-120 kg/ha	100-130 kg/ha	100-130 kg/ha

Planting density (kg/ha) = plants/m² x 1000 kernel mass (g) + survival %

Tankwa

Good yield
Good bread making quality with high protein
Resistant to leaf, stem and stripe rust
Good straw strength and sprouting tolerance
Long growth period
Well suited to no-till cultivation practices

Planting date	Swartland planting density	Western and Southern Rûens planting density	Eastern Rûens planting density
1-31 May	100-120 kg/ha	100-130 kg/ha	100-130 kg/ha

Planting density (kg/ha) = plants/m² x 1000 kernel mass (g) + survival %

Average yield (ton/ha) for Ratel, Kwartel and Tankwa for the 2013 season with 2 year average yield in brackets

Cultivar	High rainfall area	Middle Swartland	Koringberg	Sandveld		Western Rûens	Southern Rûens	Eastern Rûens
Ratel	6.10 (5.54)	4.15 (4.20)	4.56 (4.05)	3.87 (3.75)		3.93 (4.14)	4.10 (3.84)	3.37 (3.78)
Kwartel	5.23 (4.96)	3.83 (4.00)	4.01 (3.69)	4.07 (3.66)		3.50 (3.77)	3.65 (3.64)	3.02 (3.50)
Tankwa	5.53 (5.11)	4.54 (4.48)	4.35 (3.79)	3.39 (3.44)		3.77 (3.81)	3.95 (3.65)	3.42 (3.70)