MORRIS, Man. – Farmers who can shoot for more than 13.5 percent protein in their wheat may want to consider agronomic tools to achieve even higher levels.
New and finer protein increments provide an incentive to boost protein, said Don Flaten, a researcher at the University of Manitoba who spoke recently at a Canadian Wheat Board farmer conference.
Environmental factors beyond farmers’ control are key to protein levels, he noted.
Drought stress tends to increase protein, while the kind of good weather that boosts yields tends to decrease protein.
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Flaten said farmers who want to shoot for higher protein should look at the capacity in their variety.
Nitrogen fertilizer is the most important nutrient for protein levels in wheat, he said. Unfortunately, nitrogen levels in the soil are declining continuously.
“It’s a situation that lots of farmers in Saskatchewan in particular are not coming to grips with,” he told the meeting.
Early in the growing season, nitrogen boosts yields. Later on, it improves protein content, he said.
Large amounts of nitrogen applied in fall or at planting might leave enough for both yield and protein, he said.
But late-season nitrogen can come from other sources, like legume residues left in the field.
It’s hard to figure out whether the cost of boosting protein from 13.5 to 14 percent is warranted by the premiums farmers receive, said Flaten.
Farmers usually have to make the investment before they know what value the premium might carry.
Even if they apply nitrogen mid-season, in June, wheat board initial prices are not announced until July.
Applying nitrogen to wheat after it flowers can boost protein levels, but some customers think the quality of the protein in the wheat is not as good.
Flaten said Agriculture Canada researchers at Brandon are examining that.
It’s also hard to recommend how much nitrogen farmers should apply mid-season.
Under favorable conditions, trials have showed 11 to 16 pounds of urea ammonium nitrate will push protein levels from 13 to 14 percent.
Trials at Brandon have shown 23 to 26 pounds of UAN nitrogen will do the trick for foliar applications, and 16 to 24 pounds will work if the nitrogen is broadcast.
More nitrogen is used by the plant when it is applied to the soil rather than to the plant’s leaves, where the plant depends on rain to wash the nutrients towards its roots, said Flaten.
“You are feeding the plant through its roots, not through its leaves,” he told farmers.
Broadcasting granular nitrogen lessens the risk of losing the nitrogen to the air, but it requires rain to work.
At high levels, nitrogen can leach into ground water or convert into a gas that harms the ozone layer, said Flaten.
“These are significant environmental concerns that are probably going to come home to roost over the next number of years.”
High levels of nitrogen can also hurt wheat yield by delaying maturity and increasing lodging and disease stress. In these cases, the results are lower grade and lower final.
Sulfur levels can also affect protein levels, said Flaten.
Some European studies suggest sulfur is as important as nitrogen for wheat protein.
But European wheat crops have a significantly longer growing season that Canadian wheat crops, Flaten noted.
He is studying the effects of sulfur on protein content with help from United Grain Growers, Agrium and Agriculture Canada.
