Performance Story: Input Study: Intensive Wheat Management
Jessica (Pratchler) Slowski, and Stewart Brandt, Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation
Wheat is a staple crop in many Canadian prairie crop rotations. Yet as years pass, net profitability of this crop has declined despite significant breeding improvements in yield. Unfortunately, new or updated agronomic research in wheat has been minimal. However, if management practices are tailored to individual market classes and/or varieties it may be the key to enhancing the profitability of wheat.
This project was designed to incorporate components of intensive wheat management to enhance wheat profitability. The first objective was to identify how wheat market classes and varieties are affected by enhanced management. The second objective was to identify how genetic characteristics of wheat interact with the varying soil and climate conditions across Saskatchewan. Small plot research projects were conducted at Indian Head, Melfort, Scott, Swift Current, and Yorkton, SK from 2017 to 2019. Six wheat varieties from three market classes were selected based on genetic differences in Fusarium Head Blight resistance, lodging resistance, maturity, yield, and protein content. Each variety was grown under three progressively intensified management levels.
Results indicated that CWRS varieties tended to be more responsive to Intensive management, than CPSR or CSWSW varieties. Enhanced management often led to hastened maturity across all varieties, while varietal selection is important for the prevention of delayed maturity with Conventional and Intensive management. Intensive management resulted in maximum yield for CWRS and CPSR varieties, while CWSWS were less responsive to this management level. Conversely, CWSWS benefited the most from Intensive management for building protein, while CWRS and CPSR varieties were less responsive.
Test weight and seed size differences were largely attributed to genetic differences and any responses to management were minimal. FDK values were largely reflective of genetic differences as well, with Enhanced management providing increased control. In the end, CWRS varieties tended to provide greater net returns than CWSWS and CPSR varieties, while Conventional management provided the best net returns of the three management levels.
Overall, the CWRS varieties tend to be more responsive to changes in management intensity, than the other two market classes. Although intensive management resulted in the largest yields, Enhanced management hastened maturity and reduced FDK more consistently. However, Enhanced management did not always outperform Conventional economically. Therefore, the results of this project indicate that Conventional management of wheat in Saskatchewan continues to provide the better net returns. Although under some circumstances, Enhanced management can be beneficial and profitable.