Registration of Improved Wheat Varieties, XXI 1

CONLEY, Cl 13157, is a hard red spring wheat developed by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and the Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA, and distributed by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 1955. Glenn S. Smith made the application for registration. Conley is a selection (A-l-6-1-1) from the cross RI 2563 X Lee (Cross No. 1578) made by J. A. Clark in 1949. RI 2563 is Thatcher X McMurachy-Exchange X Redman. Before it was named, Conley was designated as ND 1. Conley V. Lowther, after whom the wheat was named, tested the early generation material for reaction to stem rust. Ruben Heerman selected the material in the field and the final selection was made by Glenn S. Smith in 1952 at Fargo, N. D. Conley is an awned variety, medium-tall in height, has medium strong straw, and is medium in maturity. It is moderately resistant to prevailing leaf rust races, loose smut, and bunt. It has good resistance to the important stem rust races, including race 15B, at average temperatures. At high temperatures, it is susceptible to race 15B in seedling tests but is more resistant than Selkirk at the same temperatures. A serious weakness of Conley is susceptibility to brown necrosis. This condition occurs when temperatures and humidity are high and has resulted in reduced test weight, plumpness, and yield of Conley under farm conditions. Acceptance of Conley by farmers has been slow for this reason, but yield records during 1954-58 have shown this variety to be equal or better than other hard red spring wheats (table l), except Selkirk. The outstanding characteristic of Conley is its good milling and baking properties (table 2). The milling trade favors an increased acreage of Conley and it was estimated that 5 to 10% of the North Dakota acreage in 1959 was Conley.