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

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

Principal Investigator: Gadi V.P. Reddy, Professor of Entomology, Western Triangle Ag Research Center

Personnel: John H. Miller, Research Scientist and Julie Prewett, Research Assistant, WTARC, Conrad, MT, Phil Bruckner and Jim Berg, MSU Plant Science Dept., Bozeman, MT.

Cooperators: Bradley Farms, North of Cut Bank, MT Brian Aklestad, North of Devon, MT Aaron Killion, East of Brady, MT Inbody Farms, Northeast of Choteau, MT

Objectives: There are diverse cropping environments within the area served by Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center (WTARC). Each off station location has its own unique environment and soils. Producers in the various locations are interested in variety performance in the local area. To this end the objective is to evaluate winter wheat varieties under the local conditions with respect to yield, test weight, plant height, and seed protein. The environmental conditions at the off station nurseries can vary greatly from those at WTARC. The research center strives to provide growers of the western triangle area unbiased information of various winter wheat varieties.

Methods: The on station Intrastate winter wheat nursery consists of 49 entries, replicated three times. Off station winter wheat nurseries consist of 25 entries, replicated three times. All plots were seeded with a four row plot seeder on one foot spacing. All plots were planted on no-till chemical fallow. Plots were trimmed, measured for length, and then harvested with a Hege 140 or a Wintersteiger Classic plot combine. Winter wheat seed was cleaned prior to collecting data. Wheat midge pheromone baited traps were also installed at each off station plot.

Results: Results are tabulated in Tables 1 thru 10. Table 1 and 2 present the Intrastate winter wheat nursery data. Table 3 is for the Choteau location, with multi-year data presented in Table

4. Tables 7 and 8 are for the Devon location, with Tables 9 and 10 representing the ‘Knees’ location. The Cut Bank data are presented in Tables 5 and 6. Table 11 is the soil test results from each location.

Overall, the crop year temperatures where cooler than the 32 year average at the research center. May, when we could have used some cooler temperatures, was 5.2 degrees warmer than the average. But the overall average temperature for the year from September to August was 3.8 degrees cooler than the 32 year average. The winter temperature, from September to March was well below average, with February being 15.5 degrees colder than the 32 year average. March and April were 9.6 and 7.1 degrees colder than the 32 year average. May was the only month that had a temperature that was above the average with a temperature 5.2 degrees. September through March were at or above the average precipitation for those months. Then May through August were drier than the 32 year average. Overall, precipitation was average for the year with respect to the 32 year average.

The winter wheat plots were seeded into soil that had good soil moisture storage from the late summer and fall moisture in 2017. Overall, the winter wheat did not do as well at two off station locations when compared to the five year average and did better than the long term averages at two off station locations. A warmer, drier May and lack of summer moisture probably affected yield, test weight, and seed protein.

Grain yields at Choteau were about 5 bu/ac higher with test weights being the same as the five year average. Seed protein at Choteau was also the same as the five year average. The top yielding varieties at Choteau include the Montana State University experimental line MTS1588, Brawl CLP and MTCS1601 at 81.8, 80.3, and 76.0 bu/ac (Table 1 and 2). Grain yields and test weights at Cut Bank were 1.5 bu/ac higher and 1.7 lb/bu higher than the five year average. Seed protein at Cut Bank was 0.2 percent higher than the five year average. At Cut Bank, the top yielding winter wheat’s were Yellowstone, Loma and Keldin with yields of 87.2, 87.0, and 85.2 bu/ac (Table 3 and 4).

In the Intrastate winter wheat nursery yields were much lower than the past few years as can be seen in the five-year mean table (Tables 1 and 2), whereas the 2018 intrastate seed protein was 1.8% higher than the five-year mean. Top yielding varieties in the Intrastate winter wheat trail were CO13003C at 76.5 bu/ac, followed by LWW14-73915 and 07CL046-2 at 72.8 and 71.5 bu/ac. Test weight averaged one half pound higher than the five-year average.

Grain yields and test weights at Devon were 25.1 bu/ac lower and 2.3 lb/bu lower than the five year average. Seed protein at Devon was 0.7 percent higher than the five year average. Top yielders at Devon include Montana State University experimental lines MT1642, MTS1588 and Northern at 50.2, 49.2, and 46.7 bu/ac (Table 5 and 6). Grain yields and test weights at the ‘Knees’ were 17.3 bu/ac lower and 2.8 lb/bu lower than the five year average. Seed protein at the ‘Knees’ was 1.4 percent higher than the five year average. The top yielding varieties at the ‘Knees’ include Loma, Montana State University experimental lines MTCS1601 and MTS1588 at 67.7, 64.3, and 62.9 bu/ac (Table 7 and 8).

All off station plots had some level of wheat stem sawfly cutting in the winter wheat, with significant sawfly cutting at the Choteau and Devon locations. Insignificant amount of adult wheat midge were found at the off station locations.

Summary: The data from the off station plots is supported by the local producers and advisory committee as well as the seed industry. It is planned to continue the off station variety plots at the same locations as the environmental conditions at each location is unique to the western triangle area.

These data should be used for comparative purposes rather than using absolute numbers. Statistics are used to indicate that treatment or variety differences are really different and are not different due to chance or error. The Least Significant Difference (LSD) and Coefficient of Variability (CV) values are useful in comparing treatment or variety differences. The LSD value represents the smallest difference between two treatments at a given probability level. The LSD at p=0.05 or 5 % probability level is usually the statistic reported, and it means that the odds are

19 to 1 that treatment differences by the amount of the LSD are truly different. The CV value measures the variability of the experiment or variety trial, and a CV greater than 15 % indicates a high degree of variability and less accuracy.

Funding Summary: Office of Special Projects will provide expenditure information. No other grants support this project.

Table 1. 2018 Intrastate Winter Wheat Variety Nursery, Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

Planted: 9/25/2017 on chemical fallow and harvested on 8/16/2018

Fertilizer: actual pounds/ac of N-P-K: 11-22.5-0 applied with seed and 30-0-20 broadcast at planting. 140 lbs N/ac as urea was broadcast on 4/30/2018. For fertilizer rates a yield goal of 70 bu/ac was used.

Herbicide: Huskie at 11.0 oz/ac and Axial XL at 16.4 oz/ac applied on 6/3/2018.

* Solid stem score of 19 or higher is generally required for reliable sawfly resistance, solid stem scores are for the plot located at WTARC.

CL = Clearfield System

1 Yield and test weight are adjusted to 13% seed moisture.

Table 2. Five-year means, 2014 – 2018, Winter wheat varieties, Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.

* Solid stem score of 19 or higher is generally required for reliable sawfly resistance. CL = Clearfield herbicide system.

Winter hardiness: 5 = high, 1 = low.

Table 3. Off-station Winter Wheat variety trial located near the Choteau. Teton County.

Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2018.

Cooperator and Location: Inbody Farms TetonCounty.

Planted on 9/29/2017 on chemical fallow durum stubble. Harvested on 8/10/2018.

Fertilizer, actual lbs/ac: 11-22-0 with seed at planting, 30-0-20 side shot while planting. Spring top dressing took place on 4/15/2018 with 90-0-0. For fertilizer rates a yield goal of 70 bu/ac was used. Herbicide: Plots were sprayed on 5/15/2018 with Huskie @ 11 oz/ac and Axiel XL @ 16 oz/ac.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher - behavioral preference) in small plots. Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 4. Five-year means, Winter Wheat varieties, Choteau area, Teton County.

2014-2018.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). Cooperator and Location: Inbody Farms, Teton County.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 5. Off-station Winter Wheat variety trial located north of Cut Bank, MT. Glacier County. Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2018.

Cooperator and Location: Bradley Farms, northern Glacier County. Planted on 10/12/2017 on chem-fallow. Harvested on 9/11/2018.

Fertilizer, actual lbs/ac: 11-22.5-0 with seed at planting, 30-0-20 side shot while planting. Top dressed with 130-0-0 on 4/17/2018. For fertilizer rates a yield goal of 70 bu/ac was used.

Herbicide: Sprayed with Huskie @ 11 oz/ac and Axial XL at 16.4 oz/ac on 5/2/2018.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). * = Less preferred by sawfly (behavioral preference) in small plots.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 6. Five-year means, Winter Wheat varieties, Cut Bank area, northern Glacier County.

2014-2018.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). Cooperator and Location: Bradley Farms, Glacier County.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 7. Off-station Winter Wheat variety trial located near the Devon. Toole County.

Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2018.

Cooperator and Location: Brian Akelstad, Toole County. Planted on 9/27/2017on chem-fallow. Harvested on 8/9/2018.

Fertilizer, actual lbs/ac: 11-22-0 with seed at planting, 30-0-20 side shot while planting. Spring topdressing took place on 4/30/2018 with 130-0-0. For fertilizer rates a yield goal of 70 bu/ac was used. Herbicide: Sprayed with Huskie @ 11 oz/ac and Axial XL @ 16.4 oz/ac on 5/21/2018.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). * = Less preferred by sawfly (behavioral preference) in small plots.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 8. Five-year means, Winter Wheat varieties, Devon area, Toole County, MT.

2014- 2018.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). Cooperator and Location: Aklestad farms, Toole County.

Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 9. Off-station Winter Wheat variety trial located near the Knees. Chouteau County.

Western Triangle Ag. Research Center. 2018.

Cooperator and Location: Aaron Killion, western Choteau County. Planted on 9/28/2017 on chem-fallow. Harvested on 8/8/2018

Fertilizer, actual lbs/ac: 11-22-0 with seed at planting, 30-0-20 side shot while planting. Spring topdressing took place on 4/15/2018 with 130-0-0. For fertilizer rates a yield goal of 70 bu/ac was used. Herbicide: Pre-plant sprayed with RT3 @ 40 oz/ac 9/28/2017. The plots were sprayed on 5/26/2018 with Huskie @ 11 oz/ac and Axial XL @ 16.4 oz/ac.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 10. Five-year means, Winter Wheat varieties, Knees area, Chouteau County, MT. 2014- 2018.

1** = Solid stem sawfly-resistant (solid stem score of 19 or higher). Conducted by MSU Western Triangle Ag. Research Center.

Table 11. Soil test values for off-station and on-station plots, 2018.

1Nitrogen soil samples were to a depth of four feet in one foot increments. All other soil tests were for zero to six inches in depth.

WTARC- Western Triangle Ag. Research Center