Submitted by:

Gadi V.P. Reddy, Professor of Entomology/Insect Ecology

John H. Miller, Research Scientist – Agronomy/Varietal Testing

Shabeg Briar, Research Scientist – Entomology/Insect Ecology/Nematology Govinda Shrestha, Postdoctoral Research Associate – Entomology/Insect Ecology Anamika Sharma, Postdoctoral Research Associate – Entomology/Insect Ecology

Etone Epie Kenedy, Postdoctoral Research Associate – Agronomy/Nutrient Management Maral Etesami, Postdoctoral Research Associate – Agronomy/Nutrient Management Ramadevi L. Gadi, Research Associate – Entomology/Insect Ecology

Debra A. Miller, Research Assistant – Entomology/Insect Ecology

Julie Prewett, Research Assistant – WTARC

Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi, Graduate Student – Entomology/Insect Ecology

INTRODUCTION

The information and data reported are a collaboration of ongoing or new research projects located at or near Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center (WTARC) of Montana State University, College of Agriculture, Conrad, Montana. Many projects are conducted in cooperation with faculty members, research associates and Post-doctoral fellows from the Depts. of Plant Science and Plant Pathology (PSPP) and Land Resources and Environmental Science (LRES) located on the campus of Montana State University (MSU), and Agricultural Research Centers: Central (CARC), Northern (NARC), Eastern (EARC), Northwestern (NWARC) Southern (SARC) and Western (WARC) of the Dept. of Research Centers.

To simplify reading, trade or brand names of products, services, firms, or equipment are sometimes used. No endorsement of such names or firms is intended nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned.

This report is NOT FOR PUBLICATION. No part may be published or reproduced in any form without prior consent of the authors.

Table of Contents

Summary of Climatic Data

Variety Testing Program

Winter Wheat

Off-station winter wheat cultivar evaluations for the Western Golden Triangle area of Montana

Winter Wheat Variety Notes & Comments

Hard White Winter Wheat Notes & Comments

Spring Wheat Variety

Off-station spring wheat cultivar evaluations for the Western Golden Triangle area of Montana

Sawfly Tolerant & Semi-tolerant Hard Red Spring Wheat Varieties Notes & Comments

Hollow-Stem, Sawfly Intolerant Hard Red Spring Wheat Varieties Notes & Comments

Hard White Spring Wheat Notes & Comments 

Durum Notes & Comments

Barley

Off-station spring barley cultivar evaluations for the Western Golden Triangle area of Montana 

Barley Variety Notes & Comments 

Canola

Canola variety evaluations at Western Triangle Ag. Research Center 

Pulses

Spring Pea, Lentil and Chickpea Variety Evaluation 

Agronomy and Soil Nutrient Management Program

Soil test values for off-station and on-station plots, 2017. 

Screening for low phosphorus tolerance in 99 spring wheat genotypes adapted to Montana ecosystems 

Effect of water regime on evapotranspiration, grain and protein yields of pea, lentil, barley, spring wheat followed by winter wheat crop sequence 

Entomology/Insect Ecology Program

Managing wheat stem sawfly using synthetic plant defense elicitor chemicals 

Field efficacy of Bacillus thuringiensis galleriae strain SDS-502 for the management of alfalfa weevil and the impact on Bathyplectes spp. parasitization rate 

Effect of nitrogen fertilization levels and insecticide seed treatment on the incidence of crucifer flea beetle and cabbage seedpod weevil on canola yield and quality 

Toxicity of three bio-pesticides on first instar larvae of biological control agents Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) and two-spotted ladybeetle Adalia bipunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) 

New pest in Montana-Pea weevil: Determining weevil population distribution, abundance, and pea damage assessments 

Introduction and establishment assessment of two biocontrol agents Euxestonotus error and Platygaster tuberosula for wheat midge management 

Monitoring of wheat midge and its parasitoid Macroglenes penetrans in irrigated and dryland spring wheat in Golden Triangle, Montana 

Evaluation of the effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi, reduced risk chemicals, and trap crops for the management of wireworms on spring wheat 

Efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN's) against wireworms and non-target organisms (Green lacewings and Ladybugs) 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following faculty, former faculty, research associates, members of the Advisory Committee, cooperating producers and summer staff were involved or cooperated in accomplishing the research mission at Western Triangle Ag. Research Center:

Dr. Phil Bruckner and Jim Berg – Winter Wheat Variety Breeding Program

Dr. Luther Talbert and Hwa-Young Heo – Spring Wheat Variety Breeding Program Dr. Jamie Sherman and Liz Elmore – Barley Variety Breeding Program

Dr. Stefan T. Jaronski, USDA-ARS, Sidney, MT – Entomopathogenic fungi Drs. Hikmet Budak and Fernando Guillen-Portal – Cereal Genomics

Dr. David I. Shapiro-Ilan, USDA-ARS, Byron, Georgia – Entomopathogenic nematodes Dr. Ed Lewis, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID – insect pest management

Drs. David Weaver and Kevin Wanner LRES – Wheat stem sawfly/wireworms Dr. Héctor A. Cárcamo, Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, Canada – Canola IPM

Dr. Owen Olfert, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon, Canada –wheat midge Dr. Chengci Chen and Dr. Yusuf Mohammad – Pulse Crop Variety Testing Program Dr. Mike Giroux and Andrew Hogg– Durum Variety Breeding and Testing Program Dr. Bob Stougaard – wheat midge monitoring and biological control

Dr. Patrick Carr and Simon Fordyce– Canola Variety Testing Program Shad Chrisman – Farm Mechanic/Safety Coordinator, WTARC

Philip L. Hammermeister – Research Assistant, WTARC Alysha Miller – Research Assistant, WTARC

Julie Orcutt – Admin Associate, WTARC

 

WTARC Advisory Committee and cooperating producers: Boyd Standley, Dan Picard, Jeff Farkell, Jerry Jerome, Kevin Bradley, Megan Mattson-Hedges, Phillip Hodgson, Rob Moog, Scott Inbody, Terry Alme, Dusty Jones, Mark Grubb, Phil Aschim, Steve Kellog, Dan Meuli, Aaron Killion and Brian Aklestad.

 

Summer Staff: Bertson Paulsen, Blaine Giachino, Carley Taft, Connie Miller, Dawson Berg, Gaby Drishinski, Hayley Taft and Jessica Kinamon