Abstract Detail

Agronomy

Perrott, Laurel [1], Strydhorst, Sheri [2], Hall, Linda [3], Bowness, Robyne [4], Pauly, Doon [5], Gill, Kabal [6], Chapman, Bill [7], Tieulie, Jackie [8], Kelly, Brandi [8].

Cultivar Specific Responses to Advanced Agronomic Practices in Feed Barley.

Achieving maximum yield demands efficient use of advanced agronomic management practices such as supplemental nitrogen (N) fertilizer, plant growth regulators (PGR), and foliar fungicides. It is commonplace for agronomic recommendations to be applied to feed barley as a species, rather than on individual varieties. Ten feed barley cultivars were selected based on percent acres grown in Alberta and on new genetics, to be tested in small plot research trials. They were grown under advanced and standard agronomic management at five sites in Alberta. Advanced agronomic management received applications of: in-crop nitrogen (N) (34 kg N/ha applied as Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) + Agrotain N stabilizer, applied at Growth Stage (GS) 30); a plant growth regulator (PGR) [Chlormequat chloride applied at GS30-31]; and two fungicides [pyraclostrobin + metconazole applied at GS39, prothioconazole + tebuconazole applied two weeks later]. Standard management received no application of in-crop N + Agrotain, PGR, or fungicide. Grain yield was measured at the end of the season, at all five sites, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was measured at soft dough stage at three sites. Not all cultivars demonstrated a significant yield response to advanced management. For example, Vivar increased yield by 15.4% with advanced management at only one site, and saw no significant increases at the other sites. Conversely, Breton consistently increased yield by 10.2 to 12.8% at all sites under advanced management, and Xena, CDC Austenson, and CDC Coaltion increased yield by 12.0 to 31.4% at three sites. NDVI response to advanced management was also cultivar specific at one site, which suggests some varieties responded more favourably to in-crop N and/or fungicide than others. After five site years of data, trends suggest that response to advanced management is cultivar specific. Ten additional site years of data will be compiled in 2015 and 2016 to build a robust data set to develop cultivar-specific management recommendations.

1 - University of Alberta, Agriculture, Life and Environmental Science, 416F Agriculture/Forestry Center, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, Canada
2 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and ExtensionDivision, Barrhead, AB, T7N 1A4, CA
3 - University of Alberta, Agriculture, Life and Environmental Science, 416C Agriculture/Forestry Center, Agriculture, Life and Environmental Science, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2P5, Canada
4 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and Extension Division, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1W1, Canada
5 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and Extension Division, Lethbridge, AB, T1J 4V6, Canada
6 - Smoky Applied Research and Demonstration Association, Fahler, AB, T0H 1M0, Canada
7 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and Extension Division, Barrhead, AB, T7N 1A4, Canada
8 - Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Crops Research and Extension Division, Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada

Keywords:
agronomy
feed barley
plant growth regulator
nitrogen
yield
cultivar-specific response
foliar fungicide.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 37
Location: Salon 2/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Time: 9:30 AM
Number: 37006
Abstract ID:466
Candidate for Awards:Economic Botany Section best student paper