1996 SMALL GRAIN VARIETY TRIALS

Malheur Experiment Station

Information for Sustainable Agriculture

Clinton C. Shock, J. Mike Barnum, Jan Trenkel, Joey Ishida,

Monty Saunders, and Russell S. Karow

Malheur Experiment Station

Oregon State University

Ontario, Oregon

Purpose

The purpose of these trials was to evaluate the performance of newly released and commercially available small-grain cultivars under local cultural practices and environmental conditions. Data obtained from these trials provide local producers with area-specific information for cultivar selection. The data also provides public and private plant breeders with site-specific performance information for advanced lines and newly released varieties.

Six small grain variety trials were conducted at the Malheur Experiment Station during the 1995-96 crop year. The OSU statewide winter cereal, winter barley, spring cereal, and spring barley trials were conducted as part of a statewide small-grain variety testing program. For the fifth year, fall-planted fall-emergence and fall-planted winter-emergence wheat trials were conducted at the Malheur Experiment Station. The purpose of these trials is to develop a database to help local growers decide when to stop planting winter types and start planting spring types.

Procedures

All winter and spring trials were planted in a randomized complete-block design with three replications. Each plot was planted on one or two 60-inch beds (depending on the trial) with seven rows spaced 7 inches apart on each bed. The dimensions of each plot were 5 or 10 feet wide by 15 feet long. All trials were furrow irrigated. At maturity, harvest samples were collected from a 50-inch swath through the center of each plot, 62.5 square feet. All "harvester-run" samples were cleaned with an aspirator cleaner and processed at the Malheur Experiment Station.

Winter Trials

The 1996 winter cereal trials followed the 1995 harvest of sweet corn. No preplant fertilizer was applied. The OSU statewide winter cereal, OSU statewide winter barley, and the fall-planted fall-emergence wheat October 10, 1995. All entries were drilled approximately 1 inch deep. The seeding rate for the OSU statewide winter cereal trial and the OSU statewide winter barley trial was 30 seeds per square foot. The seeding rate for the fall-planted fall-emergence wheat was 120 pounds per acre.

The fall-planted winter-emergence wheat trial was planted at 120 pounds per acre on December 4, 1995. The planting procedure was the same as for the previously described fall-planted trials.

On April 10, 1996, all six nurseries were top-dressed with 100 lb/ac N as ammonium sulfate.

To control broadleaf weeds, a tank-mix containing 2.4 pints of Curtail and 0.25 pints (0.125 lb ai/ac) of dicamba (Banvel) in 30 gallons of water per acre was applied by ground-rig over the winter trials on April 14, 1996.

The three wheat trials were furrow irrigated on May 3, June 6, and June 19. The winter barley trial was furrow irrigated on May 3 and June 6.

The trials were harvested on August 1, 1996. Grain yield per acre was calculated based on a plot length of 18 feet for all four trials, due to the growth of the grain plants using space above ground to the east and west beyond the planted edges of the plots.

Spring Trials

The 1996 spring cereal trials were grown in the same field as the winter trials with no preplant fertilizer. All entries in the OSU statewide spring cereal and the OSU statewide spring barley, were drilled, approximately 1 inch deep into moist soil on March 15,1996. The seeding rate for both plantings was 30 seeds per square foot.

On April 10 both trials were top-dressed with 63 lb/ac N as ammonium sulfate.

On April 15 a tank-mix containing 1.5 pints per acre (0.75 lb ai/ac) of MCPA (Bronate 4EC), and 0.25 pints per acre (0.125 lb ai/ac) of dicamba (Banvel) in 30 gallons of water per acre was applied by ground-rig over both trials.

Irrigations were applied on May 3, June 4, and June 19.

Both spring trials were harvested July 30, 1996. Grain yield per acre was calculated based on a plot length of 18 feet for both trials, due to the growth of the grain plants using space above ground to the east and west beyond the planted edges of the plots.

Results and Discussion

1995-96 Winter Cereal Grain Trials

Good seedling emergence was achieved. Weather during November was unusually warm, and fall planted grain developed more than usual, resulting in many tillers late in winter and early spring. The well developed plants helped provide the basis for high yields in 1996.

The OSU statewide winter cereal trial included 14 soft white winter wheats, 1 hard red winter wheats, 1 winter club wheat, and 4 winter triticales (Table 1). Yields for the soft white cultivars ranged from 157 bu/ac for Stephens to 113 bu/ac for Hiller. Test weights for the soft whites ranged from 61.2 lb/bu for ID8614502B to 55.8 lb/bu for Hiller. Protein for the soft white cultivars has not been determined. The average heading date (50 percent headed) for the trial was May 24. Heading dates for soft white wheat cultivars ranged from May 19 for ID8614502B to May 27 for Basin and Daws. At maturity, plant heights within the soft whites ranged from 31 inches for Basin to 39 inches for Hill 81. Lodging was observed mostly in the plots adjoining the onion field on the north side of the grain trial irrespective of variety.

The OSU statewide winter barley trial included 10 six-row feed barley entries (Table 2). Yields ranged from 9,445 lb/ac for SDM 204B to 7,016 lb/ac for Hundred. Test weights ranged from 44.4 lb/bu for Hundred to 48.4 lb/bu for the variety Gwen. Protein levels are yet to be determined. The average heading date (50 percent headed) for the nursery was May 13. Heading dates ranged from May 8 for Gwen May 18 for SDM 204B. At maturity, plant height ranged from 28 inches for Kold to 37 inches for Steptoe. Lodging was insignificant for all entries in 1996.

Both the fall-planted fall-emergence wheat trial and the fall-planted winter-emergence wheat trial included the same eight soft white and two hard red wheat cultivars (Tables 3 and 4).

Yields in the fall-emergence trial ranged from 157 bu/ac for Stephens to 128 bu/ac for Anza (Table 3). Test weights for the soft white types ranged from 63.7 lb/bu for Alpowa to 59.5 lb/bu for Stephens. The average heading date (50 percent headed) for the fall-emergence trial was May 16. Heading dates ranged from May 12 for Alpowa to May 22 for Malcolm and MacVicar. The difference in the mean heading dates for winter versus spring cultivars was significant. At maturity, plant heights ranged from 34 to 38 inches. At harvest no statistically significant differences in lodging were observed.

In the winter-emergence trial, yields ranged from 149 bu/ac for Penawawa to 115 bu/ac for ID0448 (Table 4). Test weights for the soft white types ranged from 62.3 lb/bu for Alpowa to 57.3 lb/bu for MacVicar. The average heading date (50 percent headed) for the winter-emergence trial was May 28. Heading dates ranged from May 23 for Alpowa to June 6 for MacVicar. At maturity, plant heights ranged from 34 to 38 inches. At harvest lodging was observed in the plots adjoining the onion field to the north.

Yields of Penawawa were relatively high where the variety was planted on October 14 or December 4. The yields of Stephens, Malcolm, and MacVicar were among the highest best when planted on October 14, but they were significantly less than Penawawa when planted on December 4.

1996 Spring Cereal Grain Trials

Considerable heat occurred toward the end of the grain fill period in 1996. The heat apparently was less favorable for the spring grains, reducing their productivity.

Yields for the soft white types in the OSU statewide spring cereal trial ranged from 115 bu/ac for Sunstar Promise to 95 bu/ac for Pomerelle (Table 5). Yields for the hard red types ranged from 106 bu/ac for Yecoora Rojo to 99 bu/ac for WPB 926R. The yield for the triticale TriCal 2700 was 89 bu/ac. Test weights for the spring white wheats ranged from 64.2 lb/bu for ID 377S (a hard white wheat) to 60.0 lb/bu for Pomerelle. Test weights for the hard red cultivars ranged from 63.5 lb/bu for Yecoora Rojo to 61.9 lb/bu for WPB 926R. Heading dates (50 percent headed) for the soft white wheats ranged from May 31 for Centennial to June 5 for ID 448. Heading dates for the hard red types ranged from May 31 for several varieties to June 5 for Pomerelle. At maturity, plant heights for the soft white cultivars ranged from 32 inches for Treasure to 38 inches for Wawawai. No lodging was observed among any of the entries in this trial.

The OSU statewide spring barley trial included nine feed, two malting, and three hulless cultivars (Table 6). Yields ranged from 6,906 lb/ac for Steptoe treated with Baytan to 4,038 lb/ac for Waxbar. Test weights ranged from 62.1 lb/bu for WPB BZ489-74 (a hulless barley) to 46.8 lb/bu for Gustoe. The average heading date (50 percent headed) for the trial was June 1. Heading dates ranged from May 26 for Russell to June 5 for Idagold. At maturity, plant heights ranged from 23 inches for Gustoe to 34 inches for Colter. Waxbar lodged severely with no other variety lodging.