Evaluating Yield Potential of New Winter Wheat Varieties
Ducks Unlimited, WesternAg
To establish a fertility program suitable for achieving high yield winter wheat on the Prairies
Variety appeared to have influenced wheat yield and protein at 3 of the 4 sites under study in 2019.
Elevate and Wildfire varieties had significantly higher yields compared to Gateway at Melita (P=0.001)
and Arborg (P=0.036) while there were no significant differences among varieties at Roblin and Carberry. Although Gateway variety had lower grain yield, it had significantly higher protein content of 15.8% at Melita, 13.8% at Roblin and 13.5% at Arborg compared to Wildfire and Elevate. Wildfire had significantly higher protein content (15.2%) compared to Elevate (14.4%) at Melita while there were no significant differences between the same varieties at Arborg. There were no significant differences in protein content at Carberry. Balanced application of fertilizer resulted in significantly higher grain yield at Roblin (5031 kg ha-1) and Carberry (4864 kg ha-1) compared to 100% spring applied. Balanced application of fertilizer resulted in significantly higher protein content compared to 100% spring applied
fertilizer at Roblin and Arborg. On the other hand, 100% spring applied fertilizer resulted in significantly higher protein than balanced fertilizer application at Carberry. There was a significant interaction between variety and fertilizer on protein content and no influence on wheat yield. An interaction of Gateway variety and balanced fertilizer application resulted in significantly higher protein content (16%) compared to other interactions. Under both fertilizer systems, Elevate resulted in the lowest protein content of 14.4 and 14.5% at Melita (Table 2b). Based on the preliminary results from this study, balanced fertilizer application seemed to a better option to improve wheat yield and protein content at
least at two sites but additional site years of study would confirm proper recommendations for use by
winter wheat producers.
Following centuries of extensive work in winter wheat production in North America, many researchers
and producers have begun to implement best management practices to obtain higher grain yield.
Management practices that can be utilized to improve winter wheat production are; increasing seeding
rate and application of starter fertilizer by banding during seeding (Anderson, 2008). Fertility management, in particular nitrogen and phosphorus, remains the integral part of the overall management package aimed at achieving higher yields (Halvorson et al. 1987). The ideal fertility management package would help counteract escalating cost of production per unit area, which is the main goal that producers aim to achieve. There is still a knowledge gap on the rates as well as timing of application of nitrogen fertilizer, particularly in Western Canada, that would result in improved yield per
given area without compromising on the quality of grain. Morris et al. (2018) suggested the use of adaptive use of nitrogen to help augment and improve nitrogen application rate decision making by farmers. Therefore, there is a great need to continue with research on the best way that can be availed to producers so as to maximise production.