Agronomy and Horticulture Department
Date of this Version
2007
Citation
The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. NF-FO-07-01 (etc.)
Abstract
Introduction
In an effort to assist producers in Oklahoma and Texas judge variety performance, the Noble Foundation has held trials to determine forage and grain yields of commercially available varieties and advanced experimental lines of small grains. The objective of this report was to summarize forage yields of commercial varieties in the 2006-2007 trials.
Trial Procedures
The small grains test was conducted at the Noble Foundation Headquarters Farm (HQF) near Ardmore and the Red River Demonstration and Research Farm (RRF) near Burneyville, Okla. Soils were a Heiden clay at HQF and a Minco fine sandy loam at RRF. Twelve sources contributed entries to the trial (Table 1). The entries were planted into a clean-tilled seedbed on Sept. 26, 2006, at HQF and Sept. 19, 2006, at RRF. Each entry was sown at 2,000,000 pure live seed (PLS) per acre, which approximated 90 to 120 lbs PLS/ ac. The seeds were drilled in 7-inch rows at a 1-inch planting depth with a HEGE 500 drill into two adjacent 5- by 15-foot plots. The adjacent plots represented forage only use and dual purpose forage and grain use. Plots harvested for forage were harvested on Feb. 7, March 5 and April 5 at HQF and on Feb. 22, March 20 and April 10 at RRF. Plots harvested for dual purpose forage and grain were harvested for forage on Feb. 7 and for grain on June 6 at HQF, and for forage on Feb. 22 and for grain on June 12 at RRF. At HQF, fertilization consisted of preplant incorporation of 100 lbs N/ac and 46 lbs P2O5/ac on Sept. 19, 2006, and a topdress application of 80 lbs N/ ac on Feb. 16, 2007. Broadleaf weeds were controlled with an application of 2,4-D amine at one pt/ac on Jan. 2, 2007. At RRF, plots were topdressed with 80 lbs N/ac on Nov. 29, 2006, and 70 lbs N/ac on Feb. 23, 2007. Broadleaf weeds did not pose a problem at RRF. The trials were randomized complete block designs with three replications. Variety/strain were blocked by crop and randomized within each replication. Data were analyzed by crop with the general linear models procedure in SAS (Statistical Analysis Software, Cary, N.C.), and means were separated by the least significant difference (LSD) method (P ≤ 0.05).
Results and Discussion
Growing conditions were fair for the trial (Table 2). Although precipitation for Ardmore and Burneyville was near the long-term average from October 2006 through April 2007, forage production was limited by the lack of subsoil moisture following severe drought throughout the spring and summer of 2006. Rainfall increased substantially in May and June, but these increases occurred towards the end of the trial. Fall forage production was best for Bates, Maton II, Wintergrazer 70 and TAMcale 5019 on the clay soils at HQF, as determined by forage yields on Feb. 5 (Table 3). The best fall forage producing wheat varieties on the clay soils included Coker 9553 (soft), Fannin, Kingrazer (soft), Doans and Overley. On sandy loam soils at RRF, the best fall forage producers included the ryes: Bates, Elbon, Maton, Oklon and Wintergrazer 70; the triticales: TAMcale 5019 and TAMcale 6331; and the oats: Dallas, Harrison and Plot Spike (Table 4). Total forage production was similar among all rye and triticale varieties on the clay soils at HQF, ranging from 3188 to 4013 lbs/ac (Table 3). Total annual forage production among wheat varieties was best for Coker 9553 (soft), Doans, Duster, Fannin and Kingrazer (soft), with yields ranging from 3416 to 3968 lbs/ac. Dallas and Harrison had the highest total forage production of oat varieties, ranging from 2775 to 2918 lbs/ac. On the sandy loam sites at RRF, total forage production was best for the ryes: Bates, Maton, Elbon and Oklon; and the triticales, TAMcale 5019 and TAMcale 6331 (Table 4). Total forage production among wheat varieties was best for Custer, Deliver, Doans, Duster, Endurance, Lockett, Overley and Ranger Brand (soft). Overall, varieties that performed well across both locations, in terms of total forage production, included the ryes: Bates, Elbon, Maton and Oklon; the triticales: TAMcale 5019 and TAMcale 6331; and the wheats: Doans and Duster.