Abstract Detail

Agronomy

Strydhorst, Sheri [1], Bowness, Robyne [2], Pauly, Doon [3], Gill, Kabal [4], Chapman, Bill [1], Tieulie, Jackie [5], Kelly, Brandi [5].

Wheat Cultivar Specific Responses to Advanced Agronomic Management.

Next generation agronomy will involve efficient and effective use of advanced agronomic management practices such as: in-crop nitrogen (N) fertilizer, foliar fungicides, and plant growth regulators (PGRs) to maximize yield, harvestability, and quality. It is common practice for all cultivars of a specific wheat class to receive the same agronomic management. However, cultivar specific responses to these advanced agronomic practices are not well understood. Small plot field research trials were initiated in 2014 to compare the response of 12 wheat cultivars to advanced agronomic management, at five locations across Alberta. The cultivars included in the study were selected to represent: commonly grown cultivars, new genetics, different wheat classes, and different agronomic traits. Advanced agronomic management involved in-crop foliar applications of: 34 kg N/ha as Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) + Agrotain N stabilizer at Growth Stage (GS) 29; Chlormequat chloride PGR at GS30-31; and two fungicides (pyraclostrobin + metconazole at GS39 and prothioconazole + tebuconazole at GS55). Advanced agronomic management was compared to standard agronomic management, which received no in-crop N, PGR, or fungicide. Not surprisingly, there were significant yield and height differences between the cultivars at each location and between the locations for a given cultivar. The general purpose cultivars, KWS Belvoir and KWS Sparrow, tended to be consistently high yielding. Advanced agronomic management significantly increased yields (between 10 – 19%) at four of five locations representing growing environments with adequate precipitation. However, not all cultivars showed a significant yield response to advanced agronomic management in all environments. The cultivars AC Andrew, Stettler, and Thorsby had increased yields with advanced agronomic management in only two of five locations; while 5700PR and AC Foremost produced significantly higher yields in four of five locations. Advanced agronomic management, most likely the PGR, reduced plant height in most cultivars, but to varying degrees. KWS Belvoir consistently had large height reductions (9 – 27%) while 5700PR (0 – 13%) and CDC Go (-2 – 13%) were least responsive to advanced agronomic management. Height reductions were not specific to a certain wheat class and were not correlated with plant height under standard management (r = 0.2992). An additional 10 site years of experimentation is planned, which will provide a robust data set for making recommendations to growers on cultivar specific advanced agronomic management to maximize yield, harvestability, and quality.

1 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and ExtensionDivision, Barrhead, AB, T7N 1A4, CA
2 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and ExtensionDivision, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1W1, CA
3 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and ExtensionDivision, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4V6, CA
4 - Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association (SARDA), Falher, AB, T0H 1M0, CA
5 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and ExtensionDivision, Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, CA

Keywords:
wheat
agronomy
fungicide
nitrogen
plant growth regulator.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 37
Location: Salon 2/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 10:15 AM
Number: 37008
Abstract ID:116
Candidate for Awards:None