Objective:

To evaluate the performance of selected spring wheat varieties in northwestern Montana

Summary:

Spring wheat was seeded on April 22, 2019 and managed under dryland conditions (Table 1). The highest-performing variety this year was MT 1868, with an average yield of 63.7 bu/A (Table 2). The lowest-yielding variety was CI13596 at 38.3 bu/A.  Overall yield average was 47.8 bu/A.  Average protein content was 15.0%, with the highest-yielding variety, MT1868, having the lowest protein (13.5%) and PI 671855 having the highest (17.0%). Average test weight was 60.7 lb/bu and ranged from 58.0 lb/bu (MT1736) to 63.6 lb/bu (WB173). Rust was a significant issue this growing season, with almost every variety showing some symptoms of infection, and a couple of varieties with nearly 1/3 of plants affected (MT1743 and AGRIPR 161).  However, the average rate of infection overall was only 7.9%. Due to cool, wet conditions, grain maturation and drying occurred slower and harvest took place slightly later in the season than normal.

Table 1. Management Information

Seeding date: 4/22/2019 Field Location: R4
Julian date: 111 Harvest date: 9/3/2019
Seeding rate: 24 plts/ft2 Julian date: 246
Previous crop: Alfalfa Soil type: Fine sandy loam
Herbicide: Huskie/Axial: 5/23 Tillage: Conventional
  Stinger: 6/10    
Insecticide: None Soil residual nutrient  
    (NO3-1, P, K lb/A): 26-6-146
Fungicide: None Nutrient fertilizer applied  
    (N, P2O5, K20 lb/A): 84-45-100
 

Table 2. Agronomic performance of spring wheat 

Variety   Yield* 
TWT   Protein  
HDDT
  Height  
Rust TKW
  bu/A lb/bu % Julian in. % g.
MT 1868 63.7 61.3 13.5 172.3 26.1 1.6 40.4
PI 679964 59.6 60.7 13.6 175.0 29.4 13.7 36.9
LIMAGR 192 58.3 61.4 14.6 170.3 25.9 0.0 36.8
MT 1811 57.8 61.5 14.4 173.0 27.9 12.6 37.9
MT 1855 57.2 61.9 14.8 175.7 29.0 8.3 38.5
LIMAGR 171 56.4 62.7 15.0 169.7 29.9 5.2 40.9
MT 1857 55.5 61.7 15.3 173.0 25.8 9.3 36.0
MT 1775 54.8 60.5 14.3 172.3 28.2 3.1 42.0
MT 1870 54.2 61.4 14.6 169.7 26.5 6.5 36.1
AGRIPR 151 54.0 60.5 14.1 169.7 24.6 8.8 31.9
MT 1736 52.4 58.0 14.9 173.7 27.6 6.5 39.9
PI 660981 52.2 60.3 14.7 169.0 27.2 4.7 38.0
MT 1743 51.2 58.6 14.3 172.3 26.3 31.1 30.7
MT 1815 51.2 60.7 14.9 175.7 27.1 7.3 39.1
MT 1621 50.1 60.8 14.9 169.7 25.9 12.2 39.7
WSCIA 50.1 62.1 14.7 171.7 25.5 3.1 41.2
MT 1866 50.1 61.0 14.8 173.7 26.7 4.6 34.7
MT 1750 49.9 61.1 15.0 169.0 26.6 5.3 38.5
PI 574642 49.9 60.5 14.8 175.0 27.3 26.9 38.0
MT 1807 49.9 60.9 15.0 172.3 26.4 12.8 36.3
MT 1846 49.7 61.7 15.1 171.0 26.2 4.4 38.6
MT 1871 49.3 60.4 14.3 172.3 25.8 0.0 36.9
PI 642366 49.0 60.5 14.2 172.0 24.7 5.5 34.7
MT 1865 48.9 59.8 14.5 173.7 26.5 1.9 37.3
SYN 183 48.9 63.1 15.2 171.0 24.8 9.9 34.1
LIMAGR 191 48.4 60.4 14.3 170.3 25.2 8.9 33.6
MT 1861 48.4 61.9 15.2 171.0 25.3 17.2 36.0
MT 1867 48.2 61.1 15.6 172.3 27.6 2.3 35.9
MT 1748 48.2 59.3 14.9 177.0 27.6 12.1 42.9
MT 1853 48.0 62.1 14.8 173.7 26.1 15.0 37.6
MT 1742 47.7 60.2 14.5 169.7 25.0 7.6 35.0
MT 1809 47.5 59.9 15.2 170.7 24.5 7.2 34.0
MT 1872 47.1 60.7 14.4 169.0 24.2 5.1 34.1
MT 1716 47.0 60.0 15.1 170.3 24.5 9.6 29.6
MT 1673 46.9 59.2 16.0 169.7 26.7 4.4 37.0
ND 695 46.7 61.5 14.6 175.0 23.6 3.4 34.0
MT 1756 46.6 59.2 14.8 170.3 25.9 0.5 44.8
MT 1767 46.5 59.2 14.5 169.0 24.1 5.9 34.8
MT 1826 46.3 58.1 15.5 171.0 24.1 9.2 40.5
PI 676978 46.1 60.9 15.5 171.0 24.3 4.8 37.7
AGRIPR 141 45.8 62.0 16.5 170.3 25.4 3.0 36.0
SYN 182 45.5 62.0 15.3 171.7 25.1 3.6 36.5
SYN 181 45.3 61.9 15.8 169.0 24.7 2.9 38.3
BZ 92413R 45.2 61.6 14.2 169.7 24.1 5.7 43.4
MT 1856 45.2 59.8 15.9 173.7 25.4 8.5 37.7
WB 171 44.4 60.3 15.6 169.0 21.3 9.4 37.4
MT 1862 44.4 60.0 14.9 169.7 22.5 2.6 38.7
AGRIPR 161 44.1 59.0 15.3 175.0 24.2 30.6 36.9
CI 10003 43.9 60.1 14.6 175.7 31.8 10.1 30.7
MT 1821 43.5 62.3 14.8 173.7 26.0 9.0 36.1
BZ 996434 43.5 61.1 14.3 169.0 25.3 6.5 40.3
MT 1840 43.2 62.6 14.3 171.0 25.2 10.7 42.4
MT 1824 43.0 59.2 15.2 170.3 24.9 5.8 35.6
WB 9879 CLP 42.9 59.8 15.4 172.3 25.9 8.2 35.9
PI 671855 42.9 59.9 17.0 173.7 26.4 5.1 36.0
MT 1818 42.7 61.3 16.1 172.3 26.0 2.4 40.3
MT 1838 41.4 59.5 14.7 169.7 24.8 12.7 34.4
MT 1819 41.4 61.0 15.6 172.3 25.6 5.6 34.0
MT 1863 41.3 59.9 15.4 172.3 23.5 9.2 34.5
WB 143 39.3 60.3 16.7 169.7 21.2 6.3 33.3
MT 1837 39.1 60.6 15.4 173.7 24.0 14.4 36.1
WB 173 38.8 63.6 15.3 175.0 23.7 4.2 35.9
PI 633974 38.8 59.8 15.2 173.7 24.2 5.7 33.7
CI 13596 38.3 60.0 15.0 170.3 31.7 7.4 41.6
Mean 47.8 60.7 15.0 171.8 25.8 7.9 37.0
CV% 12.7 0.5 1.6 0.9 6.2 114.0 4.4
LSD 10.5 0.5 0.4 2.6 2.7 15.7 2.7
Pr>F <0.01 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 ns <0.001
 

*Yields standardized to 13% moisture

TWT = test weight, TKW = thousand kernel weight, HDDT = heading date