PERFORMANCE OF A CULTIVAR OF SPELT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM SSP SPELTA) AS COMPARED TO A CULTIVAR OF COMMON WHEAT (TRITICUM-AESTIVUM SSP AESTIVUM) .2. SEED YIELD PRODUCTION AND ASSESSMENT OF CULTIVATION

Factorial field trials including variation of cultivation intensity were conducted over two years and at two locations, comparing the spelt cultivar Schwabenkorn to the common wheat cultivar Monopol. Problems under investigation were the seed yield levels in relation to yield components and the reaction to cultivation intensity. Finally an assessment concerning economical and environmental traits was to include. Seed yields, seed yield components, particularly ear yield structure and disease and lodging levels were measured. Based on actual marketing situations money gross profits were calculated. Important results were: as compared to Monopol the spelt cultivar Schwabenkorn developed remarkably higher tiller numbers but differences in ear numbers/m2 were small. Concerning seed numbers spelt ears reached only half the storage capacity of common wheat ears. Seed yields/ha differed about 20 to 30 % in favour of Monopol. Both cultivars were attacked by foot- and leaf diseases, only spelt was lodging. On different yield levels and with different amounts both cultivars reacted equally to cultivation intensity. In contrary to the marketing situation in Austria the calculated money gross profits demonstrated cultivation of spelt to be economically not successful in the FRG. To prefere spelt cultivation generally to common wheat production under environmental aspects proved to be not justified.