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Agronomic practices to minimize lodging risk while maintaining yield potential in spring wheat

Crop Types
  • Wheat
Collaborating Locations

Background

This project will provide understanding how new high yielding spring wheat varieties respond to management practices such as nitrogen management, PGR application and seeding rate. This will allow for farmers to fine-tune agronomy to reduce risk to yield and quality loss from lodged field.

Objectives

  1. Evaluate the influence of N fertilizer management on lodging risk across high yielding spring wheat varieties;
  2. Evaluate PGR ability to reduce lodging risk in spring wheat;
  3. Evaluate interactions of N and PGR on lodging risk across spring wheat varieties;
  4. Evaluate influence of plant population on lodging risk and PGR efficacy at two nitrogen application timings in spring.

Key Findings

  • Early season N availability was critical for the development of yield components and allowed the crop to buffer against dry environmental conditions to produce grain protein.
  • Increased lodging risk associated with application of large amounts of N early in the season needs to be balanced with lodging management strategies.
  • Low plant densities (150 plants m-2) and PGR applications improved the crop’s ability to resist lodging in this research. The lowest plant densities tested (150 plants m-2) allowed the crop to better resist both root and shoot lodging
  • Yhe ability of PGRs to reduce lodging risk, through increased stem strength and reduced leverage, provides a critical tool for lodging management in spring wheat in regions with high yield potential and lodging pressure
  • Flexibility of application and yield increases, even in the absence of lodging, through increased kernels per spike, support a wide adoption of this technology

Journal articles:

  • Mangin, A et al 2022. Maximizing spring wheat productivity in the eastern Canadian Prairies: I. Yield, yield components, and lodging risk. Agronomy Journal 1-21.

Project Details

Principal Investigator
Dr. Yvonne Lawley
Project Status
Completed
Start Date
2017
Completion Date
2023
Funding Partners
1
Total Project Cost
496601
MCA Funding
496601

Field Issues

  • Abiotic Stress

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