Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Voice: (701) 742-2744, FAX: (701) 742-2700, E-mail: Walter.Albus@ndsu.edu

W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger

Many of the acres historically planted to hard red spring wheat (HRSW) in Southeastern ND have been replaced by corn and soybeans over the last 10 years. Soybeans have been the dominant crop to replace wheat in rotations. The rapid and near universal acceptance of Roundup ready soybean varieties has accelerated this decline in wheat acres. During this same time frame, a number of wet, humid cropping seasons resulted in a significant reduction in wheat yields due to disease, especially head scab. Whereas wheat yields in ND seemed to have reached a plateau, corn and soybean yields were increasing. Despite this scenario, several researchers and producers using intensive management in wheat were having different results. In intensive management all areas of production from plant population, seeding depth, fungicide applications, nitrogen rate and time of application, weed control, etc, are closely monitored. Healthy wheat plants that lodged less, resulted in higher yields and grain protein content.

The objective of this trial was to test HRSW varieties for yield and other agronomic parameters grown with intensive management in an irrigated environment.

Results summary

Table 19. Yield and agronomic characteristics in an irrigated hard red spring wheat variety trial at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site at Oakes, ND in 2006.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Soil:	Embden sandy loam and Gardena loam; pH=6.6; 2.7% organic matter; soil‑P, soil-K and soil-S were very high.
Previous crop:	2005 - cabbage; 2004 - field corn; 2003 - sweet corn.
Seedbed Preparation:	Fall disk. Multiweed (field cultivate) April 12 to smooth the seedbed and to incorporate fertilizer.
Planting:	Planted on April 13. Planting rate was 1.7 bu/acre (1,540,000 seeds/acre)
Plots:	Plots were 68 ft long by 7 ft wide. There were four reps.
Fertilizer:	On April 10, broadcast 20 lbs N/acre, 45 lbs P₂O₅/acre, 51 lbs K₂O/acre and 13 lbs S/acre as 21-0-0-24, 11-52-0 and 0-0-60 and on April 12 applied 50 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0. Stream-bar 30 lbs N/acre as 28-0-0 on May 15.
Irrigation:	Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed.
Pest control:	Apply Wolf Pak (1.2 pt/acre on May 13), Puma (0.4 pt/acre on May 15). Apply Headline 6 oz/acre on May 17), Tilt (4 oz/acre on June 5) and Folicur (2 oz/acre on June 12 and June 15).
Harvest:	Harvested on August 27 with a Hege plot combine. Harvest area was a five-foot section from the middle of the plot, 68 feet long.

RESULTS

Yield, test weight, kernel weight, grain protein and height were significantly different among varieties. Averages for yield, test weight and grain protein were 69.6 bu/acre, 62.4 lb/bu and 14.0 percent. The highest yielding variety, Freyr was also near the top for kernel weight and grain protein. Lodging which usually yield limiting at this site under irrigation was not a factor in 2006.

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Table 19. Yield and agronomic characteristics in an irrigated hard red spring wheat variety trial at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site at Oakes, ND in 2006

Variety	Yield	Test wt.	Kernal wt.	Protein	Height	Heading date
	bu/ac	lb/bu	gm/1000	%	inches

Kelb	68.9	61.2	37.6	13.9	33	June 9
Glenn	67.8	64.1	39.3	13.9	40	June 9
Alsen	64.6	62.2	40.3	14.3	37	June 10
Bigg Red	71.1	63.1	38.9	13.4	40	June 13
Freyer	75.0	61.6	41.0	14.1	38	June 13
Knudson	73.9	61.1	41.1	13.5	36	June 14
Granite	65.6	63.5	35.9	15.2	35	June 15

Experimental mean	69.6	62.4	39.2	14	37	June 12
LSD (0.05)	4.2	0.5	1.4	0.3	1.2
C.V. (%)	4.1	0.5	2.4	1.2	2.1

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