2004 Winter Elite Wheat trial

 

 

Eric P. Eldredge, Clinton C. Shock, and Lamont D. Saunders

Malheur Experiment Station

Oregon State University

Ontario, OR

 

 

Introduction

 

Malheur Experiment Station provides one location for the Oregon State University Statewide Winter Elite Wheat variety-testing program. This location compares cereal grain variety performance in a furrow-irrigated, high potential yield environment. Plant breeders can use information on variety performance to compare advanced lines with released cultivars. Growers can use this information to make decisions about which soft white winter wheat varieties may perform best in their fields.

 

Methods

 

The previous crop was sweet corn. After harvest, the corn stalks were flailed, the field was disked, and the soil was sampled and analyzed. The analysis showed 138 lb nitrogen (N), 80 lb available phosphate (P₂O₅), 1,478 lb soluble potash (K₂O), and 70 lb sulfate (SO₄)/acre in the top 2 ft of soil, with 2,361 ppm calcium (Ca), 443 ppm magnesium (Mg), 107 ppm sodium (Na), 1.7 ppm zinc (Zn), 26 ppm iron (Fe), 7 ppm manganese (Mn), 0.6 ppm copper (Cu), 0.8 ppm boron (B), pH 7.6, and 3.2 percent organic matter in the top foot of soil. Pre-plant fertilizer was a broadcast application on October 7, 2003 of 97 lb N/acre, 5 lb Cu/acre, and 1 lb B/acre. The soil was deep ripped, plowed, and groundhogged to prepare the seedbed. The field was corrugated into 30-inch rows.

 

The Winter Elite Wheat Trial was comprised of 40 soft white winter wheat cultivars or lines, 3 of which were club head types. Seed of all entries was treated with fungicide and insecticide seed treatment prior to planting. Grain was planted at 30 live seed/ft², corresponding to a seeding rate of approximately 110 lb/acre. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Grain was planted on October 17, 2003, with a small plot grain drill, into plots 5 by 20 ft, and then the field was recorrugated. The field was partially furrow irrigated on November 11 to promote emergence. The irrigation had to be stopped because the runoff water was interfering with irrigation district repairs.

 

A soil sample was taken from the field on April 2, 2004. The soil analysis showed ammonia and nitrate forms of N in the top 2 ft of soil totaled 86 lb N, with 38 lb extractable P₂O₅, 861 lb available K₂O, 83 lb SO₄/acre in the top 2 ft of soil, with 12 ppm Ca, 370 ppm Mg, 108 ppm Na, 1.2 ppm Zn, 2 ppm Fe, 1 ppm Mn, 0.5 ppm Cu, 1 ppm B, pH 7.7, and 3.2 percent organic matter. Urea prills fertilizer (95.6 lb N/acre) was broadcast over the trial on March 30, 2004. This application was an error. Broadleaf weeds were controlled with Bronate^® at 1qt/acre applied on May 3. On May 20, fertilizer was broadcast to supply 13 lb N/acre, 60 lb P₂O₅/acre, 3 lb Zn/acre, and 1 lb Cu/acre. The field was furrow irrigated for 24 hours on April 9, May 5, and June 3. Observations of heading date were started on June 4, after 100 percent heading had already occurred in many varieties. Heading date observations should have started in May. Alleys 5 ft wide were cut with a Hege small plot combine on July 21. The length of each plot was measured and recorded after the alleys were cut, and the plots were harvested on July 21 with a Hege small plot combine.

 

Results

 

The grain plants in the Winter Elite Wheat Trial grew very lush, with lodging already observed on May 20, before heading. A thunderstorm brought 0.41 inch of rain and strong winds on May 18, followed by 0.89 more inches of rain in storms with wind over the following 10 days, contributing to the lodging that was observed. Plant height at maturity could not be measured in the trial this year because of extensive lodging. The residual nitrate plus ammonium in the fall of 2003 was substantial, and the trial received too much N fertilizer during its growth and development.

 

Among the soft white winter wheat varieties, the highest yielding was 'ORH010918' at 115 bushel/acre, which was not significantly (at LSD 0.05) higher than other entries in this trial (Table 1). Due to the heavy lodging observed, the trial is useful to compare variety resistance to lodging. ORH010918 was the only entry to show no lodging at harvest, suggesting that it may have exceptional straw strength, similar to 'ORCF-101', 'ORH011483', 'ORH010920', 'CODA', 'ORI2020015', 'OR9901887', 'MEL', 'SIMON', 'CLEARFIRST', and 'OR9900513', which were among the least severely lodged entries in this trial.

Table 1. Winter Elite Wheat Trial entries, market class, lodging, and yield, Malheur Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Ontario, OR, 2005.

 

^*Adjusted to 10% moisture, ^†60 lb/bushel.

^‡NS = Not Significant.