Objective:       

To evaluate foliar applications of abscisic acid (ABA), at three different growth stages and four use rates on two susceptible spring wheat varieties, for prevention of pre-harvest sprout.

Materials and Methods:

A commercial formulation of ABA was applied at three growth stages (boot, anthesis and soft dough), at four use rates (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 4.0 times the labeled rate) to two sprout-susceptible spring wheat varieties: Treasure soft white spring wheat and Vida hard red spring wheat.   The experimental design was a split plot with four replications.  Treasure and Vida were the whole plot treatments, while ABA rate and timing combinations were the sub-plot effects.  The study was irrigated when the plants reached physiological maturity to enhance preharvest sprout.  Approximately 0.30 inches of water was applied by hand-lines on August 7, 10, 11, and 13.

Results:

Significant difference were observed for the two spring wheat varieties (Table 4).  Treasure was later to mature and was shorter than Vida.  Treasure also produced the highest grain yield, but had lower protein, test weight, thousand kernel weight, and falling number values.

ABA had minimal effect on plant growth, yield or grain quality. Heading occurred later as application timing was delayed (Table 2).  In addition, protein increased as ABA rate increased (Table 3).  However, ABA did not impact falling number.

Summary:

Applications of ABA had minimal impact on wheat growth and development and failed to have any effect on falling number.

 

Table 1. Materials & Methods   
Seeding Date: 4/21/2015 Harvest Date: 8/14/2015
Julian Date: 111 Julian Date: 226
Previous Crop: Canola Fetilizer: 250-40-90
Tillage: Conventional Herbicide: Huskie Complete 13.7 oz/A
Soil Type: Creston SiL Insecticide: Warrior II 1.92 fl oz/A
Soil Test: 144-12-222 Fungicide: Quadris fl oz/A

 

 

Table 2. Main effect of application timing on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
  HD HT LOD YLD PRO² TWT TKW FN
Timing Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
Flag Leaf 170.6 34.0 0.0 123.8 12.0 61.1 39.8 324.6
Anthesis 171.0 33.7 0.3 122.9 12.0 61.3 39.6 325.0
Soft Dough 171.7 33.4 0.8 121.8 12.0 61.2 39.3 329.1
LSD 0.8 ns ns ns ns ns ns ns
Pr>F 0.0484 0.4970 0.4219 0.9088 0.9111 0.8503 0.8687 0.7609
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD: lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernel weight, FN falling number        
¹Adjusted to 13 % moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture        

 

 

Table 3. Main effect of application rate on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
Rate of ConTego HD HT LOD YLD¹ PRO² TWT¹ TKW¹ FN
lb ai/A Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
Check 171.3 33.9 1.3 122.3 11.9 61.3 39.5 325.9
0.078 171.1 33.5 0.0 122.2 11.9 61.2 39.3 324.5
0.156 171.1 33.9 0.2 125.4 12.0 61.2 39.7 324.6
0.624 170.9 33.5 0.0 121.5 12.1 61.2 39.9 330.0
LSD ns ns ns ns 0.2 ns ns ns
Pr>F 0.4812 0.5206 0.2350 0.3450 0.0431 0.5965 0.3448 0.3809
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD: lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernel weight, FN falling number        
¹Adjusted to 13 % moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture             

 

 

Table 4. Main effect of variety on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
  HD HT LOD YLD¹ PRO² TWT¹ TKW¹ FN
 Variety Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
Vida 169.3 34.5 0.1 118.9 13.5 61.4 39.8 341.7
Treasure 172.9 32.9 0.6 126.8 10.5 61 39.4 310.8
LSD 0.4 0.5 ns 1.5 0.1 0.1 0.4 6.1
Pr>F 0.0001 0.0001 0.2825 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0266 0.0001
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD: lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernel weight, FN falling number        
¹Adjusted to 13 % moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture        

 

 

Table 5. Effect of application timing and rate on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
  HD HT LOD YLD¹ PRO² TWT¹ TKW¹ FN
Timing Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
  Check
Flag Leaf 171.1 34.0 0.0 123.4 12.0 61.1 39.4 324.4
Anthesis 171.1 34.3 1.3 124.4 11.7 61.4 39.6 330.3
Soft Dough 171.8 33.4 2.5 119.3 11.9 61.3 39.5 322.8
  .078 lbai/A
Flag Leaf 170.5 34.3 0.0 126.9 11.9 61.1 39.7 325.3
Anthesis 170.9 33.1 0.0 120.4 11.9 61.3 39.3 321.6
Soft Dough 172.0 33.1 0.0 119.2 11.8 61.3 39.0 326.6
  .156 lbai/A
Flag Leaf 170.6 34.0 0.0 126.3 12.0 61.1 39.8 322.0
Anthesis 170.9 33.8 0.0 125.8 12.2 61.2 40.0 321.7
Soft Dough 171.8 33.9 0.6 124.1 11.9 61.2 39.3 330.0
  .624 lbai/A
Flag Leaf 170.3 33.9 0.0 118.8 12.1 61.3 40.4 326.7
Anthesis 171.0 33.6 0.0 120.9 12.2 61.2 39.6 326.3
Soft Dough 171.4 33.1 0.0 124.8 12.1 61.0 39.5 337.1
LSD ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns
Pr>F 0.8455 0.6349 0.8008 0.2762 0.5693 0.4385 0.7145 0.4526
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernal weight, FN: falling number        
¹adjusted to 13% moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture          

 

 

Table 6. Effect of variety and application timing on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
  HD HT LOD YLD¹ PRO² TWT¹ TKW¹ FN
Timing Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
  Vida
Flag Leaf 168.8 34.9 0.0 119.3 13.5 61.4 40.2 339.3
Anthesis 169.3 34.5 0.0 117.8 13.5 61.5 39.5 342.0
Soft Dough 169.9 34.1 0.3 119.7 13.4 61.5 39.8 343.7
  Treasure
Flag Leaf 172.5 33.1 0.0 128.4 10.5 60.9 39.5 309.9
Anthesis 172.6 32.9 0.6 127.9 10.5 61.1 39.7 307.9
Soft Dough 173.6 32.6 1.3 124.0 10.5 60.9 38.9 314.5
LSD ns ns ns 2.6 ns ns ns ns
Pr>F 0.6482 0.8530 0.7187 0.0057 0.6432 0.2928 0.0791 0.7592
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernal weight, FN: falling number        
¹adjusted to 13% moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture        

 

 

Table 7. Effect of variety and application rate on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
Rate of ConTego HD HT LOD YLD¹ PRO² TWT¹ TKW¹ FN
lb ai/A Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
  Vida
Check 169.6 35.0 0.0 118.6 13.4 61.5 39.7 340.3
0.078 169.1 34.3 0.0 117.3 13.3 61.4 39.3 337.6
0.156 169.3 34.5 0.4 121.4 13.5 61.4 40.1 340.0
0.624 169.3 34.3 0.0 118.4 13.6 61.4 40.2 348.9
  Treasure
Check 173.1 32.8 2.5 126.1 10.4 61.0 39.3 311.4
0.078 173.2 32.8 0.0 127.1 10.4 61.0 39.3 311.4
0.156 172.8 33.3 0.0 129.4 10.6 60.9 393.0 309.2
0.624 172.5 32.8 0.0 124.6 10.6 61.0 39.5 311.1
LSD ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns
Pr>F 0.5382 0.4594 0.1386 0.4064 0.9948 0.8455 0.4985 0.5713
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernal weight, FN: falling number        
¹adjusted to 13% moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture        

 

 

Table 8. Effect of variety, timing, and application rate on the agronomic performance of spring wheat        
Rate of ConTego HD HT LOD YLD¹ PRO² TWT¹ TKW¹ FN
lb ai/A Julian in % bu/A % lb/bu g sec
  Vida & Flag Leaf
Check 169.3 35.3 0.0 120.6 13.5 61.3 39.5 338.1
0.078 168.3 35.3 0.0 121.2 13.4 61.3 39.7 340.0
0.156 169.0 34.3 0.0 120.6 13.6 61.4 40.3 334.2
0.624 168.5 35.0 0.0 114.8 13.6 61.5 41.2 345.1
  Vida & Anthesis
Check 169.5 35.5 0.0 117.6 13.2 61.6 39.7 346.7
0.078 169.0 33.8 0.0 115.1 13.3 61.4 38.9 336.6
0.156 169.5 34.5 0.0 120.1 13.6 61.4 40.0 337.0
0.624 169.3 34.3 0.0 118.5 13.7 61.4 39.6 347.9
  Vida & Soft Dough
Check 170.0 34.3 0.0 117.5 13.4 61.7 39.9 336.3
0.078 170.0 33.8 0.0 115.8 13.3 61.5 39.3 336.2
0.156 169.5 34.8 1.3 123.4 13.4 61.4 39.9 348.6
0.624 170.0 33.8 0.0 122.0 13.5 61.3 40.0 353.9
  Treasure & Flag Leaf
Check 173.0 32.8 0.0 126.1 10.5 60.9 39.3 310.8
0.078 172.8 33.3 0.0 132.7 10.4 60.9 39.6 310.7
0.156 172.3 33.8 0.0 131.9 10.5 60.8 39.2 309.8
0.624 172.0 32.8 0.0 122.9 10.6 61.1 39.7 308.3
  Treasure & Anthesis
Check 172.8 33.0 2.5 131.1 10.3 61.3 39.6 314.0
0.078 172.8 32.5 0.0 125.8 10.5 61.1 39.7 306.7
0.156 172.3 33.0 0.0 131.5 10.8 61.0 40.0 306.3
0.624 172.8 33.0 0.0 123.3 10.6 61.1 39.7 304.7
  Treasure & Soft Dough
Check 173.5 32.5 5.0 121.1 10.4 60.9 39.2 309.4
0.078 174.0 32.5 0.0 122.7 10.3 61.0 38.7 316.9
0.156 74.0 33.0 0.0 124.7 10.5 61.0 38.8 311.4
0.624 172.8 32.5 0.0 127.6 10.7 60.8 39.1 320.3
LSD ns ns ns ns ns ns ns ns
Pr>F 0.6953 0.7567 0.6404 0.1486 0.9565 0.9192 0.9437 0.9582
HD: heading date, HT: height, LOD lodging, YLD: yield, PRO: protein, TWT: test weight, TKW: thousand kernal weight, FN: falling number        
¹adjusted to 13% moisture        
²adjusted to 12% moisture