Eema Canada Western Red Spring wheat

Eema Canada Western Red spring wheat was developed at the University of Alberta using the single-seed descent breeding method. In three years of evaluation in the Western Bread Wheat Registration trials from 2020 to 2022, Eema produced 4.5% higher grain yield compared to the highest-yielding check, AAC Brandon, although the difference was not statistically significant. It matured one day later than AAC Brandon. Eema’s plants were 6.5 cm shorter than Glenn, but had similar height to AAC Brandon, AAC Viewfield, and Carberry, and exhibited lodging tolerance comparable to the checks. Eema’s test weight was lower, while the grain protein content was within the range of the checks. Its grain weight was higher than AAC Viewfield and similar to the other checks. Eema demonstrated strong disease resistance, being rated ‘Resistant’ to the prevalent races of stem and stripe rusts, and common bunt, ‘Moderately Resistant’ to leaf rust, whereas ‘Moderately Susceptible’ to Fusarium head blight. Three years of end-use quality evaluation confirmed that Eema meets the standards for the CWRS wheat market class, with an improvement in flour yield. Overall, Eema offers a modest increase in grain yield and enhanced end-use quality compared to AAC Brandon, making it a suitable option for cultivation in the wheat-growing regions of Western Canada.