LETHBRIDGE – Alberta Agriculture has developed new management guidelines for irrigated wheat, barley, triticale and oilseeds.
Ross McKenzie, an agronomist with the provincial department, said producers have control over many factors that can influence plants’ nutrient uptake:
- seed treatment
- variety
- seeding depth, rate & date
- fertilizer types, rates & placement
- seed bed moisture & temperature
- soil tilth & acidity
- surface residue cover
- disease pressure
- soil oxygen & carbon dioxide levels.
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The research project was started in 2005 to develop recommendations to help producers achieve the best yields of irrigated grain and oilseed crops by optimizing water and nitrogen use and improving agronomic management.
It tested these crops:
- 5600 HR hard red spring
- AC Andrew soft white spring
- 5710 PR prairie spring
- AC Morse durum
- AC Metcalfe malting barley
- Vivar feed barley
- AC Ultima feed and silage triticale
- Liberty tolerant 5020 canola
- Flanders flax
Seeding date trials at plots in Lethbridge and Bow Island, Alta., proved the benefit of early seeding.
In most cases, the earliest seeding date produced the best yield. The two latest seeding dates always produced less yield. Regardless of the year, consistent first and second seeding dates produced the best yields.
McKenzie said wheat produced similar results for all types in most of the tests. In one test, the yield was more than double in an early seeding date compared with a late date.
When barley and triticale were grown for silage, the early seeding dates always produced more silage, in some cases twice the production.
The 2007 seed rate trials produced recommendations for optimum seeding rates.
McKenzie recommends seeding cereal crops as early as possible in April and canola by the end of April, although producers should watch for frost damage. Flax is less affected by later seeding, but best yields come by seeding early.
