Personnel:

Bob Stougaard, NWARC, Kalispell

Objective:

To evaluate soft spring wheat varieties and experimental lines developed for the western US for agronomic performance in environments and cropping systems representative of northwestern Montana.  

Results:

High temperatures and low rainfall reduced crop height, which averaged only 19.6 inches. Height ranged from 17.2 for IDO1403S to a high of 22.7 inches for Louise. Heading spanned 7 days with an average of 174 days (June 23). IDO1401S was the earliest at 170 days and Alpowa was the latest at 177.3 days. High temperatures and low rainfall also depressed yields, which only averaged 26.2 bu/A. Yields range from a high of 34.9 bu/A for WA8277 to a low of 20.8 bu/A for WB6121. Grain protein averaged 12.41 %, and ranged from a high of 13.17 for IDO1403S to a low of 11.44 % for Alturas planted at 80 lb/A. Test weights averaged 58.9 lb/bu, with WA8277 having the heaviest grain at 60.0 lb/bu and Louise the lightest at 57.2 lb/bu. Falling numbers were high, averaging 379.6 seconds. Alpowa had the highest falling number at 466.0, while the low seeding rate of Alturas had the lowest at 309.3 seconds.

Summary:

Drought and high temperatures depressed yield, which averaged 26.2 bu/A.  

Table 1. Materials and Methods.

Seeding Date: 5/3/2017 Harvest Date: 8/11/2017
Julian Date: 123 Julian Date: 223
Seeding Rate: 85 lb/A Soil Type: Creston SiL
Previous Crop: Peas Soil Test: 29-16-156
Tillage: Conventional Fertilizer: 150-30-30

Table 2. Agronomic data from the Western Regional Soft Spring Wheat Nursery, Kalispell, MT - 2017.

Cultivar HD Julian HT in YLD bu/A PRO % TWT lb/bu FN sec
WA 8277 172.0 21.5 34.9 11.50 61.0 322.4
ARSDH09X122-9 176.0 20.6 30.5 13.05 59.9 345.2
14-FAC-2019 177.0 20.5 30.1 12.27 57.6 425.1
Louise 177.0 22.7 29.6 12.54 57.2 378.3
WA 8278 176.3 20.2 29.1 12.08 59.2 437.8
Treasure 176.7 19.3 28.7 12.12 58.6 426.0
Alpowa 177.3 18.9 27.8 12.97 59.1 466.0
IDO1405S 172.3 20.0 26.8 13.10 58.0 387.9
Alturas 160 lb/A 175.3 20.1 26.6 11.62 59.5 317.4
UI Stone 172.3 19.8 25.0 11.54 59.5 376.8
Alturas 80 lb/A 176.7 18.9 23.8 11.44 59.4 309.3
Penewawa 80 lb/A 174.0 19.3 23.0 12.75 58.5 353.2
IDO1401S 170.0 18.4 21.1 12.55 59.1 402.7
Penewawa 160 lb/A 174.3 18.9 20.9 12.74 58.5 362.2
IDO1403S 173.0 17.2 20.9 13.17 58.3 403.3
WB6121 170.7 17.6 20.8 13.04 59.3 359.4
Mean 174.4 19.6 26.2 12.41 58.9 379.6
LSD P = 0.05 1.72 2.17 6.99 0.38 0.85 11.13
CV 0.59 6.65 16 1.83 0.86 70.42
Pr>F 0.0001 0.0020 0.0046 0.0001 0.0001 0.0018

HD: heading date; HT: height; YLD: yield; PRO: protein; TWT: test weight; FN: falling number