Development of the new winter wheat variety Skorpion with blue grain

Abstract

Breeding wheat with blue grain was conducted at the Crop Research Institute in Prague. Initial donor material came from the legacy of Erich von Tschermak-Seysenegg. Long-term crosses with a series of winter wheat varieties were made with the aim of transferring blue grain colour into cultivated varieties. The prospective material was later handed over to Agrotest Fyto, Ltd., Kroměříž, where line no. 6 was selected from the population RU 440. At the end of 2011, the new winter wheat variety Skorpion with blue grain was registered in Austria. It is intended for special use in the food industry. The anthocyanins which it contains are considered to offer health benefits due to their antioxidant effects.