ZAFIRO, OAT VARIETY FOR RAINFED CONDITIONS IN MEXICO

Abstract

In Mexico, in 2022, 689,589 hectares of oats (Avena sativa L.) were planted and 80% was produced in seasonal crops in Chihuahua, Durango, Zacatecas and the State of Mexico (SIAP, 2024). In Chihuahua, which is the main producer in Mexico, oats represent 71% of the total cost of feeding dairy cattle (Ramírez-Ordóñes et al., 2013). The advantages of its seasonal cultivation are its tolerance to drought and low temperatures, low demand for fertilizers and its use for animal consumption at different stages of growth. One factor that affects its production is stem rust, a disease caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. Avenae, in which according to Zamudio-Colunga et al. (2023), in the High Valleys of Mexico, 67 races were identified that continually overcome the resistance of the released varieties, and that in susceptible varieties cause losses in grain yield of up to 75% (Villaseñor-Mir et al., 2023). A solution to minimize losses is the planting of resistant varieties such as Rubí (VillaseñorMir et al., 2021). Given the need to have more resistant varieties, INIFAP makes the Zafiro variety available to producers in seasonal regions in Mexico, which has high grain and forage yield and resistance to stem rust.

The line that originated Zafiro was obtained from a cross between the parents DORA/OBSIDIANA (female) and IORN.S97CV.8ACHAP.PM (male) carried out in the spring-summer cycle (S-S) of 2009; Its pedigree is DORA/OBSIDIANA//IORN.S97CV.8ACHAP.PM1 and the breeding number is AI/P-V/09-5229. The F1 generation was planted and harvested in the autumn-winter (W-W) 2009-10 cycle in Roque, Guanajuato, Mexico. The F2 was planted in a spaced plant in the P-S/2010 cycle in Chapingo, Mexico, and plant No. 6 (6C) was selected. The F3 was evaluated in Roque, Guanajuato in O-I/2010-11 by agronomic type and family No. 30183 (0R) was massively harvested. F4 was evaluated for resistance to stem rust in P-V/2011 in Chapingo, State of Mexico, and family No.40183 (0C) was selected. In F5 in O-I/2011-12, family No.50171 (0R) was massively harvested in Roque, Guanajuato. The F6 was planted as a spaced plant in Chapingo, Mexico in P-V/2012, it was evaluated for resistance to stem rust and from family No. 60168, plant No. 3 (3C) was selected. The F7 was planted under competition in O-I/2012-13 in Roque, Guanajuato and the uniform line No. 70224 (0R) was selected. Your selection history is: AI/P-V/09-5229-6C-0R-0C-0R-3C-0R
 
The experimental line was evaluated in the preliminary performance test (PPR) in P-V/2013 and P-V/20214 in Chapingo, Mexico. In the P-V/2015 cycle, it was evaluated in the Twelfth Oat Selection Nursery (12th VISAVENA) in 10 environments in the states of Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Mexico, and it was evaluated from the P-V/2016 to P-V/2022 cycle in the Uniform Trials. Oat Yield Index (EUAVENA) from the 16th EUAVENA to the 21st EUAVENA in 54 environments in the states
The line that originated Zafiro was obtained from a cross between the parents DORA/OBSIDIANA (female) and IORN.S97CV.8ACHAP.PM (male) carried out in the spring-summer cycle (S-S) of 2009; Its pedigree is DORA/OBSIDIANA//IORN.S97CV.8ACHAP.PM1 and the breeding number is AI/P-V/09-5229. The F1 generation was planted and harvested in the autumn-winter (W-W) 2009-10 cycle in Roque, Guanajuato, Mexico. The F2 was planted in a spaced plant in the P-S/2010 cycle in Chapingo, Mexico, and plant No. 6 (6C) was selected. The F3 was evaluated in Roque, Guanajuato in O-I/2010-11 by agronomic type and family No. 30183 (0R) was massively harvested. F4 was evaluated for resistance to stem rust in P-V/2011 in Chapingo, State of Mexico, and family No.40183 (0C) was selected. In F5 in O-I/2011-12, family No.50171 (0R) was massively harvested in Roque, Guanajuato. The F6 was planted as a spaced plant in Chapingo, Mexico in P-V/2012, it was evaluated for resistance to stem rust and from family No. 60168, plant No. 3 (3C) was selected. The F7 was planted under competition in O-I/2012-13 in Roque, Guanajuato and the uniform line No. 70224 (0R) was selected. Your selection history is: AI/P-V/09-5229-6C-0R-0C-0R-3C-0R
 

The line that originated Zafiro was obtained from a cross between the parents DORA/OBSIDIANA (female) and IORN.S97CV.8ACHAP.PM (male) carried out in the spring-summer cycle (S-S) of 2009; Its pedigree is DORA/OBSIDIANA//IORN.S97CV.8ACHAP.PM1 and the breeding number is AI/P-V/09-5229. The F1 generation was planted and harvested in the autumn-winter (W-W) 2009-10 cycle in Roque, Guanajuato, Mexico. The F2 was planted in a spaced plant in the P-S/2010 cycle in Chapingo, Mexico, and plant No. 6 (6C) was selected. The F3 was evaluated in Roque, Guanajuato in O-I/2010-11 by agronomic type and family No. 30183 (0R) was massively harvested. F4 was evaluated for resistance to stem rust in P-V/2011 in Chapingo, State of Mexico, and family No.40183 (0C) was selected. In F5 in O-I/2011-12, family No.50171 (0R) was massively harvested in Roque, Guanajuato. The F6 was planted as a spaced plant in Chapingo, Mexico in P-V/2012, it was evaluated for resistance to stem rust and from family No. 60168, plant No. 3 (3C) was selected. The F7 was planted under competition in O-I/2012-13 in Roque, Guanajuato and the uniform line No. 70224 (0R) was selected. Your selection history is: AI/P-V/09-5229-6C-0R-0C-0R-3C-0R
 
The experimental line was evaluated in the preliminary performance test (PPR) in P-V/2013 and P-V/20214 in Chapingo, Mexico. In the P-V/2015 cycle, it was evaluated in the Twelfth Oat Selection Nursery (12th VISAVENA) in 10 environments in the states of Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Mexico, and it was evaluated from the P-V/2016 to P-V/2022 cycle in the Uniform Trials. Oat Yield Index (EUAVENA) from the 16th EUAVENA to the 21st EUAVENA in 54 environments in the states from Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Mexico, and was evaluated from P-V/2016 to P-V/2022 in the Uniform Oat Yield Trials (EUAVENA) from the 16th EUAVENA to the 21st EUAVENA in 54 environments in the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala , Hidalgo, Mexico, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas and Durango. With the information from these trials, registration was managed in the National Catalog of Plant Varieties of the SNICS as a Zafiro variety, which was granted in 2024 with the number AVE-004-080224. Sapphire has a spring habit, intermediate cycle (107 days to physiological maturity on average), plant height of 113 cm and is moderately resistant to lodging (Figure 1). The comparison of the grain yield of Sapphire with 12 control varieties is presented in Table 1, where it is observed that it exceeded them from 7% (Agate variety) to 70% (Opal variety) and on average by 32%. Sapphire presented greater advantage in critical environments, where drought, severe incidence of stem rust or both occurred. The high-yielding commercial varieties Turquesa and Jade were outperformed by Zafiro by approximately 19.5%, and outperformed the varieties Chihuahua, Avemex, Cuauhtémoc, Papigochi and Ópalo by more than 40%, especially in critical production environments.
The reaction to Sapphire diseases is presented in Table 2, where it is observed that for stem rust it presented low percentages of infection (0 to 15%), with reactions from resistant to moderately resistant, far surpassing the control varieties that presented higher infection with reactions from moderately susceptible to susceptible. Regarding crown rust, Zafiro was the most resistant variety, and was tolerant to the complex of foliar diseases (6/50).
Zafiro is a new variety of oats that in favorable or rainy environments (more than 600 mm) presents high yield potential and in low rainfall environments (less than 300 mm) presents a good response under drought, it is resistant to stem rust and leaf rust. of the crown and is tolerant to the complex of foliar diseases. Its sowing is recommended in critical, intermediate and favorable production environments in early sowing (beginning of June) to late sowing (end of July) in rainfed areas during the P-V cycle in Mexico, in the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, Tlaxcala , Hidalgo, Mexico, Guanajuato, Aguascalientes, Zacatecas, Durango and Chihuahua. The seed is available in the INIFAP Valle de México Experimental Field, located in the municipality of Texcoco, Mexico.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The partial financing of the research that gave rise to the variety, the projects with fiscal resources called "Generation of technology to increase the productivity of oat cultivation in Mexico" and "Generation of oat varieties to increase productivity in Mexico" are appreciated. ".