Objective:

To evaluate spring wheat varieties and experimental lines for agronomic performance in environments and cropping systems representative of Northwestern Montana. 

Results:

This nursery was established to evaluate spring wheat varieties for yield and agronomic performance in the absence of fungicide or insecticide inputs. Significant differences were observed for heading, height, stripe rust, tan spot, lodging, yield, protein, test weight, wheat midge, and falling numbers. Heading averaged 179 days with a low of 177 days for MT 1401 and a high of 181 days for MT 1173. Height averaged 34.8 inches, with a low of 30.4 inches for SY Tyra and a high of 44.4 inches for Fortuna. Stripe rust was prevalent in this nursery. The average level of infection increased from 7.7% on June 24 to 48.3% on July 15. Egan demonstrated the highest level of resistance with an infection level peaking at 20 percent. Tan spot averaged 42.5%, with a low of 0.0% for MT1173 and a high of 83.3% for SY Soren. Lodging averaged 3.6 percent. Fortuna had the most lodging at 25 percent. Yield averaged 61.8 bu/A, with a low of 34.5 bu/A for Oneal to a high of 98.4 bu/A for Egan. Protein averaged 14.04%, with a low of 13.00% for Gunnison to a high of 15.37% for Egan. Test weight averaged 56.5 lb/bu, with a low of 49.7 lb/bu for SY Tyra, to 60.8 lb/bu for Fortuna. Wheat midge averaged 3.8 per spike with a low of 0.0 for Egan to a high of 7.9 to Alum. Falling numbers averaged 373.7 seconds, with a low of 302.0 for MT 1173, to a high of 483.0 for McNeal.

Summary:

Egan was the highest yielding commercially available variety. It also had the highest protein, and resistance to the wheat midge. 

Table 1. Materials and Methods.

Seeding Date: 5/2/2016 Harvest Date: 8/9/2016
Julian Date: 123 Julian Date: 232
Seeding Rate: 80 lb/A Soil Type: Creston SiL
Previous Crop: Spring Wheat Soil Test: 99-32-432-40
Tillage: Conventional Fertilizer: 235-40-60
Fungicide: None Insecticide: None
Herbicide: Huskie 11 oz/A + Axial 16.4 of/A + NIS 1 qt/100 gal + UAN 28% 1 qt/A

Table 2. Agronomic data from the evaluation of spring wheat varieties and experimental lines, Kalispell, MT - 2016.

Cultivar HD Julian HT in. SR %
6/24		 SR %
7/15		 TS % LOD % YLD
bu/A1		 PRO %2 TWT
lb/bu1		 WM
no./spike		 FN
sec
Egan 179 36.7 0.0 20.0 27.7 0.0 98.4 15.37 58.4 0.0 470.0
Reeder 179 37.3 3.0 25.0 31.7 0.0 84.5 14.03 59.7 0.1 374.5
Fortuna 180 44.4 1.0 38.3 58.3 25.0 79.8 14.20 60.8 7.5 365.8
Alum 180 36.2 2.0 36.7 45.3 21.7 77.4 14.13 59.3 7.9 352.6
MT 1316 179 35.4 4.7 28.3 35.0 3.3 72.8 13.43 57.6 3.5 389.1
Gunnison 178 32.6 3.3 23.3 38.3 0.0 72.0 13.00 58.8 4.8 403.9
MT 1348 178 34.4 1.7 41.7 53.3 6.7 71.5 13.93 57.1 1.2 349.9
Duclair 178 33.3 0.7 38.3 65.0 3.3 68.0 14.57 54.6 2.6 335.2
Brennan 178 32.7 8.7 61.7 43.3 0.0 63.1 13.93 59.4 2.9 392.4
Vida 179 34.4 7.7 46.7 36.7 0.0 62.1 14.13 56.9 7.4 331.1
MT 1401 177 33.6 5.0 45.0 47.7 11.7 60.9 13.80 56.7 2.1 343.4
McNeal 179 36.5 6.0 53.3 16.7 0.0 57.6 13.33 55.6 6.2 483.0
SY Soren 179 32.6 18.3 61.7 83.3 0.0 55.4 13.83 56.9 3.7 411.3
Choteau 178 32.4 5.3 50.0 40.0 0.0 52.6 14.23 54.5 2.0 371.8
WB9879CLP 179 33.5 8.0 46.7 43.3 0.0 51.6 15.03 54.3 3.7 360.2
Mott 179 36.6 20.0 83.3 18.3 0.0 48.6 13.23 58.9 2.7 323.4
Corbin 178 34.5 5.7 60.0 38.3 0.0 48.4 14.07 55.9 6.8 365.6
SY Tyra 179 30.4 11.0 71.7 80.0 0.0 39.6 14.17 49.7 1.2 338.4
MT 1173 181 35.3 22.3 63.3 0.0 0.0 36.6 13.67 52.1 4.2 302.0
Oneal 179 33.1 20.3 70.0 47.7 0.0 34.5 14.70 51.9 4.8 410.2
Mean 179 34.8 7.7 48.3 42.5 3.6 61.8 14.04 56.5 3.8 373.7
LSD 0.8 1.9 12.6 16.4 37.4 13.1 6.4 0.40 1.1 2.5 30.9
CV 0.3 3.4 98.7 20.6 53.2 220.5 6.3 1.73 1.2 40.0 5.0
Pr>F 0.0001 0.0001 0.0068 0.0001 0.0131 0.0055 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001 0.0001

HD: heading date; HT: height; TS: tan spot; LOD: lodging; YLD: yield; PRO: protein; TWT: test weight; WM: wheat midge; no./spike: number per spike; FN: falling numbers.

1 adjusted to 13% moisture; 2 adjusted to 12% moisture