Piebald in wheat
Piebald or “yellow berry” is a condition in wheat in which all or part of the kernel has a white, chalky appearance. This chalky appearance is due to the presence of soft starch rather than the hard, vitreous starch normally associated with hard red spring and durum wheats.
The main reason for piebald is lack of adequate nitrogen reserves during grain filling.
A crop that has more than 10 percent of the kernels affected by piebald will have a protein content of less than 13 percent.
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Various environmental factors will influence the occurrence of piebald, but all are related to protein content.
- Nitrogen – In addition to the major effects nitrogen has on grain yield, the amount available to the crop will affect protein content.
Under environmental conditions that produce high yields (high rainfall and fertility), protein content tends to be lower. There is less nitrogen available for protein production later in the growing season.
Nitrogen is an integral component of the protein molecule and a major determining factor in the protein content of all types of grain.
Top-dressing fertilizer just before heading will help boost protein content.
- Moisture – Moisture increases yield and, if the supply of nitrogen is limited, results in lower protein contents. If nitrogen is not limited, it is converted to grain protein.
- Temperature – Low temperatures are usually associated with higher rainfall and lower protein content.
In addition to environmental factors, the variety grown will affect the amount and frequency of piebald.
The 1994 season saw areas of very low protein in wheat. In many parts of southern Saskatchewan, the yield and quality of wheat on fertilized stubble often surpassed that of unfertilized summerfallow. There are several reasons for this:
- High rainfall has produced high yields in the past couple of years. These heavy crops have used considerable soil nitrogen.
- Above-average levels of precipitation during the past two to three years has resulted in greater amounts of soil nitrogen being leached from the soil.
- Low temperatures have slowed the decomposition rate of organic matter, reducing the amount of nitrogen available to the crop.
- The amount of nitrogen released during the fallow year has gradually declined. We have “mined” this resource to the point that there is simply not enough nitrogen being released to support high yield and protein.
To ensure that the piebald situation is not repeated next year, be certain to soil test stubble and fallow fields and follow the soil testing recommendations.
– SWP Production Perspectives
Treating hardpan soils
The results of a Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund project may help hog producers manage manure and grain producers treat hardpan soils.
There are 4.5-million acres of solonetzic soils in Saskatchewan. These soils have a shallow hardpan layer that reduces crop production by restricting water movement and root growth.
Deep ripping improves crop production temporarily.
“We want to determine if soil incorporation of hog manure improves the effect of deep ripping on crop production on solonetzic soils, and if the addition of elemental sulphur to soil-injected hog manure increases soil productivity,” said University of Saskatchewan soil scientist Michael Grevers.
Grevers is also trying to determine how much the odor from hog manure is reduced by soil injection and whether repeated applications of the manure have a long-term effect on the quality of soil and subsoil.
The proposal is also environmentally friendly. Because solonetzic soils are poorly drained, the risk of groundwater contamination from liquid manure by leaching is minimal.
The project began this summer with site establishment, a survey of co-operator fields for potential field plot, initial sampling and testing of the research plots.
Final results are expected by the winter of 1996-97.
– Saskatchewan Agriculture
