Off-Station Winter Wheat Variety Trials 2014

Note: A PDF version of this report can be downloaded by clicking this link.

North Central Montana Off-Station Winter Wheat Variety Performance Evaluations

Principal Investigator: Peggy F. Lamb, Research Scientist, Northern Ag Research Center, Havre Project

Personnel:

Phil L. Bruckner, Breeder/Geneticist, Winter Wheat, Bozeman
Jim E. Berg, Research Associate, Winter Wheat, Bozeman
Angela E. Sebelius, Research Associate, Havre
Ben Hauptman, Blaine Count Extension
Tyler Lane, Chouteau County Extension

Cooperators:

Max Cederberg, Landowner, Turner
Lyle McKeever & Terry McKeever, Landowners, Loma

Objectives

Diverse cropping environments exist within the five-county area most closely served by Northern Agricultural Research Center. Winter wheat, spring wheat, barley, durum and oat production together in the five counties (Blaine, Chouteau, Hill, Liberty and Phillips) represents 33 percent of the 2009-2013 statewide totals (44 percent for winter wheat and 22 percent for spring wheat). Producers are keenly interested in variety performance data generated under local conditions. It is our objective, within budget and other resource limitations, to evaluate small grain variety performance, over time, under conditions representative of specific areas of northern Montana, yet differing from that of the Research Center. Growers in north central Montana are provided reliable, unbiased, upto-date information to make comparisons among improved winter wheat varieties. This report provides producers in north central Montana the information necessary to select varieties best suited for their specific area and growing conditions.

Methods

Standard off-station winter wheat variety performance trials were conducted in 2014 on chemical fallow at two locations in two northern Montana counties.

Dryland Winter Wheat Trials:

1. Cederberg Farm, Blaine County (3NE Turner) 13-36N-25E
2. McKeever Farms, Chouteau County (4NW Loma) 21-27N-10E

Both trials consisted of 24 entries and were seeded in replicated, 3-row, 22-foot plots on a 12-inch row spacing utilizing a self-propelled cone seeder with Atom Jet paired row openers. All rows of each plot were trimmed to a harvest length of 17.5 feet with a three-point rotary mower. Plant height was measured and percent sawfly cutting was estimated for each plot immediately prior to harvest. A ‘Wintersteiger Classic’ plot combine, funded in part by the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, was used to harvest each 3-row plot. Seed was cleaned prior to measuring plot weight, test weight and moisture content. Protein content was determined using a Foss Infratec 1241 near infrared analyzer. Other variables specific to each individual trial are listed with the current year data tables.

Results

Please note that cereal research trial yield results recorded under wheat stem sawfly pressure are much higher than a producer should expect. Small plot variety trials are managed to assess maximum yield potential and are harvested in such a way that all stems and heads are picked up by the combine, regardless of lodging or cutting due to sawfly. Pickup guards coupled with an extremely slow ground speed and exceptionally low cutting height help researchers collect all heads in order to assess seed yield potential. If you are a producer in a wheat stem sawfly environment, although hollow stemmed varieties may be high yielding in research trials in your area, we recommend against growing those hollow stemmed varieties. Please be aware that if you seed hollow stemmed varieties with sawfly present, you are only creating a breeding ground for future generations of sawfly in your area and not helping combat the pest population.

Cropping environments in 2014 started out average to marginal with lower than normal early spring precipitation across north central Montana. The Loma location went into the fall dryer than normal with poor seeding conditions and did not receive enough timely precipitation in the spring resulting in below average winter wheat yields. Turner NARC MWBC-WW had average seeding conditions, however winter kill followed by spring flooding through the plot area resulted in reduced stands. Turner received higher than average precipitation during the spring and summer, but was also the recipient of several hail storms which ultimately destroyed the plots.

At Havre, annual growing season precipitation (9/1/13 through 8/31/14) was 13.34 inches, 11 percent higher than the average for all years since 1916. April 1 through July 31 precipitation was 4.87 inches or 71 percent of the 99-year average. Heat units expressed as "Growing Degree Days" (GDD, base 50) from May through July totaled 1176, 91 percent of the average for the last 64 years (1951-2014). The last spring frost was on May 13 and the first fall frost of 2014 was on September 12, resulting in 121 frost-free days. The minimum winter temperature was -33 degrees F on December 7, 8 and 9. Overall, 2013-2014 crop year temperatures were very close to the long-term average. The April through July growing season saw an average daily temperature of 56.4 degrees F, only 1 degree below normal. July and August average temperatures were slightly higher than normal with the high for 2014 recorded on July 31 at 96 degrees F. There were 15 days with temperatures 90 degrees F or above, with no days over 100 degrees F.

Following winter kill issues, spring flooding, and a summer of substantial rainfall and minor hail storms, unfortunately the winter wheat trial at Turner was hit by a devastating season ending hail storm on August 28. The winter wheat plots at the 2014 Cederberg dryland site were not salvageable for any data collection.

Comparable averages are calculated using a standard long-term check variety when not all entries are present in a specific trial for all years. Variety means are adjusted by multiplying the actual check mean by the ratio of the individual variety mean compared to the check mean for the same years as tested. All varieties are then directly comparable to each other when in the same nursery. A minimum of 3 years of data is necessary to be included in comparable average calculation. Three-year comparable averages for seed yield and test weight at Turner are summarized in Table 1, while three-year comparable averages for sawfly cutting are summarized in Table 2.

Loma winter wheat yields averaged 44 bu/ac with Montana State University experimental line ‘MT1090’ producing the highest yield at 51 bu/ac (Table 3). ‘SY Clearstone’, ‘Yellowstone’, ‘Genou’, ‘Warhorse’, ‘Judee’ and ‘Accipiter’ along with four other experimental lines all yielded statistically equal to MT1090. Sawfly cutting was very low this year in the Loma area with cutting in the winter wheat trial averaging 4.4 percent. Plant height, yield, moisture, test weight, protein and sawfly cutting data for the 2014 Loma dryland winter wheat trial are summarized in Table 3. Ten-year comparable averages for seed yield and test weight at Loma are summarized in Table 4, while ten-year comparable averages for sawfly cutting are summarized in Table 5.

Summary

This work has been strongly supported by producers near each of the locations, and by the Northern Agricultural Research Center Advisory Council. With budget and other resources allowing, it is planned to continue off-station cereal variety investigations in the five-county area. The Blaine County location near Turner is entering its fifth year of winter wheat testing, while the Chouteau County location, between Big Sandy and Loma, has been used for various trials since 1998.

Funding Summary

Expenditure information for grant index 4W5132 is to be provided by Montana State University, Office of Sponsored Programs. There is no other grant support for this project.

MWBC FY2016 Grant Submission Plans: It is planned to submit this project for funding consideration in the next fiscal year.

Table 1. Three-Year Yield and Test Weight Summary of Selected Entries from Dryland Fallow Winter Wheat Variety Nurseries Grown Off-Station at the Cederberg Farm, Turner. Northern Agricultural Research Center. Havre, Montana. 2011-2014 (Exp# 3851-WW)

Check Variety is Yellowstone.

¹ See MCES Bulletin 1098 or the Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology website for evaluation of other important variety performance characteristics to include protein, quality, winter hardiness, disease resistance, etc. before making cultivar selecton decisions.

² P = Private Variety, + = Protected Variety, ++ = PVP Title 5 or Title 5 Pending, HW = Hard White Wheat, CL = Clearfield Tolerant.

³ No harvest in 2014 due to hail.

⁴ Percent of Yellowstone yield or test weight for the same data years as those in which a given entry was tested.

⁵ 3-Yr Comparable Average = (x/y) * z where x = average yield or test weight of a given entry for years tested, y = average yield or test weight for Yellowstone for the same years, and z = 3-Yr average yield or test weight for the check variety Yellowstone.

⁶May 3 to 14 days prior to harvest maturity.

Table 2. Three-Year Sawfly Summary of Selected Entries from Dryland Fallow Winter Wheat Variety Nurseries Grown Off-Station at the Cederberg Farm, Turner. Northern Agricultural Research Center. Havre, Montana. 2011-2014. (Exp# 3851-WW)

Check variety is Rampart.

¹ See MCES Bulletin 1098 or the Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology website for evaluation of other important variety performance characteristics to include protein, quality, winter hardiness, disease resistance, etc. before making cultivar selecton decisions.

² P = Private Variety, + = Protected Variety, ++ = PVP Title 5 or Title 5 Pending, HW = Hard White Wheat, CL = Clearfield Tolerant.

³ No harvest in 2014 due to hail.

⁴ Percent of Yellowstone yield or test weight for the same data years as those in which a given entry was tested.

⁵ 3-Yr Comparable Average = (x/y) * z where x = average yield or test weight of a given entry for years tested, y = average yield or test weight for Yellowstone for the same years, and z = 3-Yr average yield or test weight for the check variety Yellowstone.

⁶May 3 to 14 days prior to harvest maturity.

Table 3. Dryland Fallow Winter Wheat Cultivar Evaluation Nursery Grown Off-Station at McKeever Farm & Seed, Inc., Loma. Northern Agricultural Research Center. Havre, Montana. 2014 (Exp# 14-3583-WW)

¹ Volumetric yields are based on plot weights adjusted to uniform 12 % grain moisture and 60 lbs/bu as the standard test weight for wheat. Minor hail damage occurred in the winter wheat on several occasions during the growing season.

² Protein values are adjusted to 12 % grain moisture.

³ Sawfly rating is reported as the percentage of cut stems.

Bold italics indicate highest value within a column.

Bold indicates varieties with values equal to highest variety within a column based on Fisher's protected LSD (p=0.05).

Management Information

Table 4. Ten-Year Yield and Test Weight Summary of Selected Entries from Dryland Fallow Winter Wheat Variety Nurseries Grown Off-Station at McKeever Farms, Loma. Northern Agricultural Research Center. Havre, Montana. 2005-2014. (Exp# 3853-WW)

Check variety is Yellowstone.

¹ See MCES Bulletin 1098 or the Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology website for evaluation of other important variety performance characteristics to include protein, quality, winter hardiness, disease resistance, etc. before making cultivar selecton decisions.

² P = Private Variety, + = Protected Variety, ++ = PVP Title 5 or Title 5 Pending, HW = Hard White Wheat, CL = Clearfield Tolerant.

³ Only the most recent 5 years shown, but summary calculations include all years noted

⁴ Percent of Yellowstone yield or test weight for the same data years as those in which a given entry was tested.

⁵ 10-Yr Comparable Average = (x/y) * z where x = average yield or test weight of a given entry for years tested, y = average yield or test weight for Yellowstone for the same years, and z = 10-Yr average yield or test weight for the check variety Yellowstone.

⁶April 1 to 14 days prior to harvest maturity.

Table 5. Ten-Year Sawfly Summary of Selected Entries from Dryland Fallow Winter Wheat Variety Nurseries Grown Off-Station at McKeever Farms, Loma. Northern Agricultural Research Center. Havre, Montana. 2005-2014. (Exp# 3853-WW)

Long-term check variety is Rampart.

¹See MCES Bulletin 1098 or the Plant Sciences & Plant Pathology website for evaluation of other important variety performance characteristics to include protein, quality, disease resistance, etc. before making cultivar selecton decisions.

² P = Private Variety, + = Protected Variety, ++ = PVP Title 5 or Title 5 Pending, HW = Hard White Wheat, CL = Clearfield Line.

³ Percent of Rampart cut for the same data years as those in which a given entry was tested.

⁴ 10-Yr Comparable Average = (x/y) * z where x = average sawfly rating of a given entry for years tested, y = average sawfly rating for Rampart for the same years, and z = 10-Yr average sawfly rating for the check variety Rampart.

⁵ April 1 to 14 days prior to harvest maturity.