Wheat Research

Agronomic options for wheat
Peter Johnson, Mike Cowbrough, Scott Banks, Brian Hall, Ian McDonald, Christine Brown, OMAFRA; Middlesex Soil and Crop Improvement Association; Lambton Soil and Crop Improvement Association; Thames Valley Regional Soil and Crop Improvement Association; Georgian Central Regional Soil and Crop Improvement Association

WEED PRO 75
The addition of a searchable database for weed control recommendations in cereals will be launched in March, 2009. This will greatly aid producers in knowing best control options, as well as most profitable applications. This database includes control of non labeled weeds where information is available.

TILLAGE EFFECT ON RED CLOVER ESTABLISHMENT
Three sites were evaluated in 2008, and a further six sites established in the fall of 2008. While tillage did show a small impact on red clover counts in the three fields evaluated, the impact was marginal and far from enough to give an acceptable stand. Trials this year will include a wider range of clover seeding dates.

WHEAT ROTATION TRIALS
The negative impacts of wheat following corn were tremendously obvious this year with samples from the corn/wheat rotation averaging 37 percent Fusarium damaged kernels while the soybean/wheat rotation averaging only 3.1 percent. Yields were similarly affected. This supports data from previous years.

FUNGICIDE COMPARISON TRIALS
Fungicide response varied by location and by final yield. Response was barely economic to any individual fungicide treatment or combination of treatments when averaged across all locations, but some treatments were highly economic at some locations. This supports data from previous years.

MANURE APPLICATIONS ON WHEAT
Nitrogen losses were significant in manure applications due to two weeks of dry weather after application. Final yield or nitrogen contribution of the manure was extremely variable, and no conclusions can be drawn from this data. This project is ongoing.

SPRING WHEAT VERSUS BARLEY
This project is complete after three years of data. Spring wheat was more profitable in 70 percent of the trials, averaging $26.00 per acre increase in net return. Spring wheat showed less profit in particular when planting
was delayed.

ROW WIDTH IN WINTER WHEAT
This project is complete with three years of data. Average yield reductions from 15 inch wheat versus 7.5 inch wheat was significant, ranging from 8 to 18 percent.

VALUE OF PEAS AFTER WHEAT
This project is complete with three years of data. On average, there was no yield advantage to a pea cover crop in the succeeding corn crop, and nitrogen credit was only 20 pounds per acre. These results ignore any potential benefit in succeeding crops, or to organic matter levels. Benefits at some locations were significantly higher, but on average the economics do not work.

COPPER FUNGICIDAL IMPACTS
This project is now complete with three years of data. There was no yield improvement to copper applications. In 2008 there was a reduction in Fusarium damaged kernel counts, but no significant reduction in DON levels.

ENVIRONMENTALLY STABLE NITROGEN
Environmentally Stable Nitrogen: First year data, Fall applications of ESN resulted in yield loss of 11 bushels per acre on average. Spring applications of ESN gave nearly equivalent yields. However, spring application of ESN increased protein levels in soft red winter wheat by 0.6 percent.

DOUBLE SEEDED WHEAT
The first year of data shows no yield gain resulted from double seeding of winter wheat.

SPRING WHEAT SEEDING RATES
This project is complete with three years of data. Current recommendations of 1.2 to 1.6 million seeds per acre were adequate in all three years. There was a trend to better response to 1.6 million seeds at higher yield levels, and less response at lower yield levels. In no case was 2.0 million seeds per acre economic.

CEREAL SEEDING EVALUATIONS
Inaccurate seed depth placement behind a coiled spring coulter resulted in an average yield loss of five percent. Yield loss was greater at early seeding dates with high yield potential (eight percent), and minimal at very late planting dates. These are results from one year of data and the project will not be repeated.