Analyses for protein and lysine of common, durum, spelt, and diploid wheats in the World Collection were completed except for new accessions. Re-analyses of 600 common wheats verified the existence of genetic variability for protein and lysine content. Range of variability for protein and lysine among 3,400 durum wheats was similar to that demonstrated for the common wheats. Distribution and relationship of protein and lysine also were determined to be similar in the two species. Lines with exceedingly high grain protein content from the cross Nap Hal/Atlas 66 point to different genes in the parent varieties and opportunity to breed wheats as much as five percentage points higher than ordinary varieties. Similar evidence of transgressive segregation for high lysine was obtained in the cross Nap Hal/CI 13449. A high protein Atlas 66-derived hard red winter wheat variety CI 17389 developed in Nebraska will be jointly released for commercial production by Nebraska, Texas, South Dakota, and the Agricultural Research Service, USDA in 1975. CI 17389 combines high yield, disease resistance, and excellent processing quality with genetic potential for 1-2 percentage points higher protein than ordinary varieties. The international winter wheat performance nursery is grown at 57 sites in 35 countries. Eighty-four varieties from 23 countries have been evaluated since 1969.
