Growing bigger wheat crops due to genetics is only a few cycles of the calendar away. But bigger yields can start this spring.
Brian Beres told farmers attending the mid-February Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association’s annual conference in Saskatoon that they have the potential to profitably grow high yielding wheat varieties, but it is just that, potential.
The demise of the kernel visual distinguishability system, the rise of cereal prices and the creation of a new low-protein market for cereals are conspiring to put more wheat into prairie farmers’ fields.
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Beres said many prairie farmers are glad to be free of the KVD system because they can plant new general purpose varieties, and breeders can introduce some high yielding genetics into spring wheat.
“And this will let you increase your yields and profitability,” said the Agriculture Canada cereal agronomist from Lethbridge.
“Well, I’m going to tell you that answer to your prayers remains the same as it was before KVD was removed. The way to grow 20 percent higher yielding wheat crop? Plant winter varieties. But spring wheats are improving and will continue to do so,” said Beres.
He said the market for ethanol feedstocks dictates a move to soft white and Canada Prairie Spring wheat and likely more triticale.
For total yield, winter wheat will still outperform others when it comes to starch and bushels in the bin, followed by barley, triticale and spring wheat.
“New high yielding varieties of (spring wheat) will test the limits of the growing season for many prairie locations, so producers need to be careful in choosing their varieties,” he said.
To maximize yield in any of these cereal crops, fertilizer management requires the use of planning tools such as the Alberta Farm Fertilizer and Recommendation Manager (AAFIRM) or the advice of an agronomist.
“To get the most out of these crops, you don’t guess.”
Beres said agronomy is key to taking advantage of the genetics.
“Most in the Canadian industry agree that KVD and the strict milling guidelines slowed the genetic gain in western Canadian wheat cultivar development,” Beres said.
Genetics such as those in the high yielding soft winter white wheat, CDC Ptarmigan, were prevented from release due to KVD restrictions. It was recently registered for release and will be grown commercially in 2009.
Agronomists say that while Ptarmigan can be grown, it has to be kept segregated from other wheat and produced in an identity preserved program.
“The GP (General Purpose) market could also evolve to having crops like triticale and that will replace the role of some wheat in that class,” he said.
Hoffman, another variety in this class, will likely be the new standard for yield comparisons within the GP class, he said.
Until recently, the spring wheat choices on the farm were bread wheat or durum. These high protein, low starch crops were yield limited. In contrast, the soft white varieties tend to have high yielding characteristics in combination with the high starch and low protein attributes.
Before ethanol, the milling market for these starchy wheat varieties was limited to udon noodles and pastry dough.
“The new wheat varieties that breeders and industry are working with show tremendous potential when it comes to grain and biomass yields. The downside? They are late. These tend to be long season crops.”
Beres said growers should study trial data to ensure they know how well these plants will work in their climate region.
Agriculture Canada began a study to test the most promising of the high yielding spring wheat and triticale varieties, including one general purpose class of wheat from Eastern Canada, Hoffman.
“There are some great yielding options. But we need to consider stability. These crops need to be capable of delivering these yields on your farm, in your area, year after year. Some of these are long season crops, and will need moisture to deliver all they can,” he said.
“If you have one that works, you may want to stick with that rather than jump to the latest and greatest.”
Just because these are lower protein crops doesn’t mean there will be big savings on nitrogen fertilizer.
Researchers say the yield response to nitrogen is similar to that of their higher-protein-producing cousins.
The big yields have big nitrogen needs, so getting that nutrient into the ground without damaging the seedlings can be a challenge.
Research by Ross McKenzie of Alberta Agriculture indicates that controlled-release fertilizer products may be the best nutrient delivery system for these crops, due to their ability to place rates of up to 125 pounds of urea near the seed, said Beres.
“You’ve got 85 cents (per lb.) of nitrogen out there and $1 (per lb.) phosphorus, so you want to be sure of your fertilizer needs and applications with these crops,” he said. He recommended that producers get the best advice they can when planning to produce them.
Research dating back to the early 1980s has shown that increased yields are supported by denser plant populations.
The higher yielding varieties support this and will benefit from the increased crop competitiveness over weed populations.
“I’d be encouraging producers to play with rates of 450 seeds (per sq. metre) with both spring and winter wheats,” Beres said.
As long as solid stem varieties are not in use, this practice will lower the competition from insects and weeds, say researchers Lloyd Dosdall and Neil Harker.
Beres said some cases, such as organic production systems, may not support this tactic because heavily canopied crops tend to have greater disease pressure and require applications of fungicide to control them.
“There may be opportunities to reduce costs through reduced herbicide needs of these crops if they get off to a competitive start,” he said.
Beres added that the crops will need a full nutrient package if producers expect to harvest all that the genetics can deliver.
