RDW1 (Samoeng 72), a Wheat Variety

Abstract

Consumption of wheat flour in Thailand has significantly increased in the past years. The climate in Thailand is not suitable for most wheat varieties that grown worldwide. Recently, a new wheat variety has been developed by Samoeng Rice Research Center to adapt to the northern climate of Thailand. The varietal development processes include the introduction of genetic resources from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, the evaluation for yield, brown spot disease resistance, and other agronomic information that have been conducted for over three decades. In addition, the evaluation of grain quality and cooking quality has been improved to meet the consumers’ requirements. An outstanding line, SMGBWS88008, was selected from many lines that were included in the evaluation processes between 1988-2023. On the occasion of His Majesty the King Rama 10’s 72nd birthday in the year 2024, this line has been accepted by the Thailand Rice Variety Board and agreed to release as RDW 1 or Samoeng 72. The RDW 1 variety has 89 days to mature with a plant height of 90 cm. The average yield is 441 kg/rai, white grain, grain length 6.28 mm, protein content 12.5% (which is an optimal level to be used as wheat flour for bread). Wet and dry gluten content in the grain were 40.8 and 15.4%, respectively. This variety is suitable for planting in the upper northern regions of Thailand. However, delayed planting can cause brown spot disease.