Off-Station Winter Wheat Cultivar Performance on Fallow in Central Montana (2010)

Abstract

This report evaluates the relative performance of winter wheat cultivars and development lines in central Montana crop environments. The 2010 growing season conditions were generally optimal for wheat production. However, fall seeding conditions were challenging if the seeding was not accomplished prior to early October. For many locations, a combination of events led to early to mid-November seeding of winter wheat. Late seeding coupled with late April cold driving winds caused some marginal winter wheat stands. Generally, plentiful growing season precipitation helped off-set some of the stand deficiencies. Winter wheat continues to produce much higher yields than spring wheat at the Geraldine location. There is not a spring wheat trial established at Winifred due to 1990 trials which showed large yield differences between the spring wheat and winter wheat. Thus, the choice was made to discontinue spring wheat trials at Winifred.

Winter wheat will continue to be the crop of choice in these areas.