North Dakota State University * Dickinson Research Extension Center
1089 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601-4642 Voice: (701) 483-2348 FAX: (701) 483-2005

SMALL GRAIN CROPS IN SOUTHWESTERN NORTH DAKOTA

Patrick Carr, Associate Agronomist, Adjunct Assistant Professor, NDSU, Dickinson Research and Extension Center
Glenn Martin, Research Specialist II, NDSU, Dickinson Research and Extension Center
Burt Melchior, Agricultural Technician II, NDSU, Dickinson Research and Extension Center
James Anderson, Assistant Professor, NDSU, Department of Crop and Weed Sciences
Elias Elias, Assistant Professor, NDSU, Department of Crop and Weed Sciences
Jerome Franckowiak, Professor, NDSU, Department of Crop and Weed Sciences
Richard Frohberg, Professor, NDSU, Department of Crop and Weed Sciences
Richard Horsley, Assistant Professor, NDSU, Department of Crop and Weed Sciences
Michael McMullen, Associate Professor, NDSU, Department of Crop and Weed Sciences

SUMMARY

New crop cultivars and advanced experimentals from public and private agencies must be developed for the continued viability of crop and crop-livestock systems in southwestern North Dakota. The North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station is obligated to provide unbiased data and interpretations which can be used by producers to choose cultivars for farm production. This project will collect and publish: (1) information on the comparative performance of small grain cultivars in southwestern North Dakota; and (2) data on experimental lines which may be released and utilized by North Dakota farmers. This project will also provide grain for quality evaluation.

OBJECTIVE

Evaluate genotypes of hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, barley, and oats in southwestern North Dakota.

INTRODUCTION

Crop production is a significant income generator for southwestern farmers and ranchers. Cash receipts from crops accounted for 24% of total farm income in the South Central, Southwestern, and West Central Crop Reporting Districts in 1991 (Wiyatt and Hamlin, 1992). When government payments were considered, over 40% of total farm income came directly from cash receipts for crops. This excludes the value of forages grown and fed directly to livestock on farms.

Wheat, barley, and oat are the major small grain crops grown in western North Dakota. The annual value of these cereal grains grown between 1986-90 was over $170,000,000 in the three southwestern crop reporting districts (Wiyatt and Hamlin, 1992). Development of improved small grain cultivars is necessary to ensure that the farm income generated by grain crops, either directly by cash payment or indirectly through livestock, can be maintained or enhanced.

Cultivar comparison trials have been the foundation of yield, quality, and agronomic evaluation of crop cultivars in North Dakota. Early reports from the Agricultural Experiment Station contained data obtained from comparison trials (Hays, 1893a, 1893b). These trials still are important to obtain information for varietal release and recommendations (Cox et al., 1988; Frohberg, 1991). Each year approximately 40 or more hard red spring wheat, 25 to 30 durum wheat, 20 to 25 oat, and 25 to 30 barley are evaluated in comparison studies at the Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC). These comparisons include both named cultivars and experimental lines from NDSU, and other public and private breeding programs in the U.S. and Canada. Evaluations are used to make cultivar recommendations.

Grain produced in plots from the comparison trials is used in quality evaluations by personnel of the Department of Cereal Chemistry and Food Technology at NDSU, Fargo, ND. Quality evaluations of experimental lines are compared to cultivars currently grown by producers. The quality and agronomic performance of an experimental line at various locations is one of the major bases for the recommended release of that line as a named cultivar or its removal from consideration for further testing.

Experimental lines from other state experiment stations and private plant breeding companies also are evaluated for quality. Although data from this project are not instrumental in the eventual release or rejection of lines from these sources, it does provide information on agronomic characteristics prior to release and does assist in cultivar recommendations.

Soils at the Dickinson Research Extension Center (DREC) are representative of a large percentage of southwestern North Dakota soils. However, not all prominent soil types occurring in the southwestern portion of the state occur at the DREC. Moreover, local climatic differences between different areas in the region exist. For these reasons, cultivar comparison studies are conducted at sites besides the DREC to provide an area test of crop cultivar performance at several locations in southwestern North Dakota.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seed of cultivars evaluated in comparison trials generally were provided by plant breeders at North Dakota State University in Fargo, or from drill strips at the DREC. Cultivars developed from neighboring land-grant institutions and Canada, as well as private plant breeding companies were included.

Cultural practices including tillage and seeding, fertilization, herbicide application, and harvesting followed currently acceptable agronomic procedure in implementing and maintaining cultivar comparison trials. Cultivars and genotypes of each small grain crop (hard red spring wheat, durum wheat, barley, and oat) were evaluated using a replicated randomized complete block design. Demonstration strips also were maintained for grower observation, crop field tours, and for a sufficient amount of seed for quality evaluations. All crop trials were conducted on previously fallowed cropland.

Plant growth was monitored throughout the growing season. Variables that were measured on each plot included: date of emergence, date of plant establishment, days to heading, plant height, plant lodging at physiological maturity, grain yield, 100 seed weight, grain volume weight, grain protein content for wheat, and percentage of plump kernels for barley. Ten random plants in each plot of three replicates within the hard red spring wheat comparison trial were evaluated for flag leaf spotting, using the system developed by McMullen and Francl (M. McMullen and L. Francl, per. comm., 1992).

Data collected at off-station sites included grain yield, grain volume weight, and grain protein content for wheat. Quality characteristics for product acceptance will be determined by the Department of Cereal Science and Food Technology at North Dakota State University from grain samples provided.

Data were analyzed using a computer statistical program.

LITERATURE CITED

Cox, D.J., B.L. D'Appolonia, and J.D. Miller. 1988. Registration of 'Seward' wheat. Crop Sci. 28:378-379.

Fowler, D.B. 1982. Date of seeding, fall growth, and winter survival of winter wheat and rye. Agron. J. 74:1060-1063.

Frohberg, R.C. 1991. Economic impact of plant breeding programs. p. 3-4. In G. Moran (ed.) North Dakota Farm Res. Bimonthly Bull. Vol. 48(4). Fargo, ND.

Hays, W.M. 1893a. p. 72. In Grain and forage crops. North Dak. Agric. Expt. Stat. Bull. No. 10.

Hays, W.M. 1893b. p. 32. In Grain and forage crops. North Dak. Agric. Expt. Stat. Bull. No. 11.

Wyatt, S.D., and W.G. Hamlin. 1992. North Dakota agricultural statistics. Bull. No. 61. North Dak. State Univ. Agric. Expt. Stat. and U.S. Dept. Agric. Ag. Stat. Fed. Bldg., Fargo, ND.

RESULTS

Hard Red Spring Wheat

XW398A4 was among the highest yielding cultivars, if not the highest, at Dickinson and other locations in 1994. Yield performance of this cultivar has been consistent in the three years it has been tested at Dickinson. Average yield of XW398A4 between 1992 and 1994 has been 125% that of Grandin, the most widely grown variety in the southwest in 1994. By comparison, yields of other popular varieties at Dickinson compared to that of Grandin have been: 2375, 91%; Amidon, 99%; and Butte 86, 90%.

Durum Wheat

Yield of Renville, the most widely planted durum wheat in 1994, was 38 bushels per acre. Significant differences in yield among the 25 cultivars evaluated at Dickinson were not detected, in part because some of the variability in yield (as indicated by a CV(%) of 19.5) could not be explained by variety differences. It is likely that yield differences between varieties were masked by soil variability.

Average yield of the varieties Laker, Plenty, Rugby, and Ward has been greater than that of Renville over the last three years. Average yield of Renville over this same time period has been greater than that of Medora and Monroe at all locations tested by DREC scientists.

Barley

Stander was among the top yielding barley cultivars evaluated at Dickinson in 1994. Between 1992 and 1994, average yield of Stander has been 107% that of Stark. Excel, another six-rowed barley, has generally been among the highest yielding barley varieties at Beach, Beulah, Dickinson, Hannover, and Glen Ullin between 1992 and 1994.

Stark compares favorably to the other two-rowed barley cultivars evaluated at Dickinson over the past three years. Yield of Gallatin has been comparable to that of Stark during this period, but grain of Gallatin has generally had a lighter test weight. Test weight for Bowman has been similar to Stark in trials at Beach, Beulah, Dickinson, Glen Ullin, and Hannover during this three-year period, but yields of Stark have consistently been higher than those of Bowman.

Oat

Grain yield of the highest yielding variety at Dickinson in 1994, Derby, was 172 bushels per acre. Paul, a naked oat variety released in 1994, produced grain with the heaviest test weight of all varieties tested, but yield was only 70% that of the average yield for the 28 varieties evaluated. Grain yield of Whitestone, another 1994 release, was not significantly different than that of Dumont. Otana produced significantly more grain than Whitestone in 1994, although yield levels of Otana and Whitestone have been similar when averaged over the last three years.