Registration Of Durum Wheat Germplasm A0709-Bx05 With Resistance To Ergot

A0709-BX05 (Reg. no. GP-1060, PI 698311) is a Canada western amber durum (CWAD) derived durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. subsp. durum (Desf.) Husn.] line developed at the Swift Current Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. A0709-BX05 was selected by a modified pedigree breeding procedure from the single cross of A0262&AM050/'Strongfield' made in 2007. A0709-BX05 was evaluated for ergot resistance based on the honeydew and sclerotial production on spikes in greenhouse testing from 2012 to 2018. A0709-BX05 expresses a highly resistant response to ergot, with rare to no honeydew and very few to no sclerotia formed on the spike after inoculation, far superior to checks Strongfield, 'AC Navigator', and 'AC Melita' and better than 'Eurostar'. A0709-BX05 has a good package of agronomic, disease, and end-use quality traits for the CWAD wheat class combined with the ergot resistance. The release of A0709-BX05 will accelerate the deployment of ergot resistance in durum wheat breeding and genetic and genomic studies related to ergot resistance in durum wheat.