Evaluation of Yield and Protein in Rainfed Spring Wheat - 2016

Objective:

To evaluate nitrogen use response of spring wheat varieties on yield and quality.

Personnel:

J.A. Torrion, R.N. Stougaard, L. Talbert, J. Garner, B. Bicego-Almeida

Methods:

Eight spring wheat cultivars, including four soft white and four hard red, were grown under five nitrogen (N) levels as a split plot, randomized complete block design with four replications. The N levels represent the whole plot factor and the eight spring wheat varieties were the sub plot factor. The five N treatments included an unfertilized check, 40, 80, 120, and 160 lbs/A added N. The check had an initial 98 lbs/A N. The resulting total N of the five treatments were: 98
(check), 138, 178, 218, and 258 total lbs of N per acre.

Summary:

Highest protein response was achieved at 178 lbs/A N (Figure 1). Protein ranged from 10.28 percent for Alturas to 15.98 percent for Egan (Figure 2, Table 2). Within the hard red spring wheat market class, Egan achieved the highest N whereas Vida had the lowest (Figure 2). No significant differences were observed among the other agronomic traits with N main effect. For rainfed conditions, Vida achieved the highest yield whereas Egan, Solano, and McNeal were equivalent (Figure 3). Refer to Table 3 for yield response - bushels produced per lb of N.

Table 1. Materials and Methods.

Table 2. Nitrogen effects on dryland spring wheat agronomic performance

FN: falling number; HT: height; LOD: lodging; MC: moisture content; PM: physiological maturity; PRO: protein; TKW: thousand kernel weight; TWT: test weight; YLD: yield; V: variety

Table 3. Nitrogen yield response (yield per lb N) of dryland soft white spring wheat (SWSW) and hard red spring wheat (HRSW)