Trial Report Summary

PCDF

To evaluate intercropping potential for wheat and phacelia.

The results for wheat yield differ statistically by treatment (Table 1). Including phacelia treatment
decreased the yield for wheat by up to 14.5 bu/ac (Treatment 5), likely due to increased water usage by
the phacelia crop. Phacelia yield increased with seeding rate, but the reliability of those results is low
due to a high percent CV for the phacelia yield.

Phacelia is a flowering broadleaf plant that may be included in cover crops mixtures as an outstanding
pollinator species with moderate soil texture-building characteristics. Honey producers prize the crop
for its long flowering period and light honey quality. Conversely, cereals crops such as wheat rely on
wind for pollination, and do not provide good habitat for pollinators. Intercropping wheat and phacelia
increases in-crop diversity, provides pollinator habitat in cereals crops (which are usually less attractive
to pollinators), and can attract beneficial predators, such as wasps that predate wheat midge. This trial
evaluates the potential for intercropping wheat and phacelia, and the effect of different rates of
phacelia on wheat yield in particular.

Entire findings are available by downloading the report PDF.

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