Reference #1

"Florence Aurore

Florence Aurore is one of the wheat varieties that had the greatest impact on farmers of that era; in fact, it's the one I heard most often mentioned by my interlocutors after Miller's Wheat. "Florence Aurore is an INRA variety dating back to 1936," one of them, whose extensive knowledge of wheat is particularly rich, told me. In reality, depending on the region, the locality, or even the countryside, farmers say they discovered it before or after the Second World War.

It was sown throughout the geographical area where Miller's Wheat of Apt was traditionally cultivated. Its presence was also confirmed to me in the Forcalquier region, near Manosque, and it was found in Comps-sur-Artuby in the Champsaur and Dévoluy valleys, the Oisans, the Valbonnais, the Beaumont, and in the Upper Ubaye Valley.

It seems to have been one of the longest-cultivated varieties, as several people suggested to me that it was among the last soft wheats to be used in the region.

In agricultural terms, "Florence Aurore was a three-month wheat sown in the spring; it was called 'Three-Month Wheat'." It was known for its minimal tillering, and I was even told that "it needed to be sown a bit thicker, 200 kilos per hectare instead of 180 for milling wheat." According to those interviewed, it was considered a "semi-durum" wheat, "not quite durum wheat, but better than soft wheat," a "strong wheat," an "improving wheat," or even a wheat "more than suitable for breadmaking." It is said that it "weighed 87 in specific weight" – whereas milling wheat only weighed 65 – which is much more than normal. "It was one of the best wheats," I am regularly told. "When it arrived, it somewhat supplanted all the other varieties; because the straw was a little shorter, it was a little less prone to lodging, and for breadmaking, it produced a very elastic dough, which was highly sought after," I was told in the Aigues region. "It was a very good wheat, more of a semolina wheat, but I used a little to give some of what we call strength to the flours," recalls Mr. Bremond, former miller at the Pangon Mill in Limans. "It was mainly used for cakes; sometimes we added 20 to 30% of it to flours intended for breadmaking to strengthen the dough." Finally, my contact from Grambois told me that: “Florence Aurore was highly valued during the war; the small mills we had there provided us with flour and hulled wheat. We made soup and even dishes considered on par with rice. We cooked the wheat with broth and a piece of pork; it was delicious!”

Its quality made it one of the most renowned varieties in the region, which, in some years, even sold for more than other soft wheats."

Reference #2

"THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLORENCE X AURORE WHEAT

Florence x Aurore has long been one of the leading improved wheat varieties in North Africa. It played a role in the early Mexican breeding program and has served as a parent for numerous other improved varieties. Yet, its origins have been obscure. Since it represents one of the better improved varieties, it may be useful to briefly trace its origin and development.

Florence x Aurore was the result of a cross between two Australian varieties, Florence and Aurore, made in 1920 by Emile Schribeaux of the Station d'Essais de Semences of the Institut National Agronomique in Paris.

Florence, in tum, represented a Australian cross made by William J. Farrar in 1901 and named in 1906 between two unnamed varieties descended from White Naples, Improved Fife, and Eden Fulcaster. Florence was widely planted in Australia and also was grown in other countries.

Aurore was also an Australian cross, made by Farrar, between Jacinth from A. E. Blount, Colorado and Ladoga a well-known spring red wheat of Russian origin. It was developed by Henry de Vilmorin in France.

Florence x Aurore was one of a packet of 19 F2 generation varieties of seeds sent to Dr. F. Boeuf in Tunisia by Dr. Schribeaux on December 2, 1922 It was released for general cultivation in 1930/31 and is still widely grown. Florence x Aurore, under the name Marroqui, was used in the early Mexican breeding work.

Lines subsequently selected from Florence x Aurore in Tunisia include Ariana 8 and Koudiat 17. Lines selected elsewhere include: 8193 in Algeria, 2511 in Morocco, and Ble d' Avril in France. A Florence x Aurore strain, selected in 1925, is known as Cailloux (registered in Tunisia as No. 588). Florence Aurore is also included in the parentage of a number of varieties, including Karaj 2 in Iran and Lakhish in Israel."