Cereal Grain Cultivar Performance Under No-Till Continuous Cropping in Central Montana Off-Station Trials in central Montana off-station trials (4W2755) (2009)

Abstract

This report evaluates the performance of winter wheat, spring wheat, and barley varieties in no-till continuous crop systems across central Montana and to provide unbiased information on improved cereal cultivars for producers to use in the selection of best suited cereal grain varieties for the various cropping environment. The management strategy utilized for the off-station trial sites is for CARC staff to establish, monitor, harvest, record and process the data. The concept is to evaluate the cultivars under the conditions in which the producers are going to be raising them. The 2009 crop year experienced harsh, dry, cold and windy, weather during the winter and spring causing stand survival problems and inhibited the growth of both winter and spring cereals. Numerous central Montana winter wheat fields experienced winter wheat mortality in the field headlands due to tractor and implement turning. The resilience exhibited by winter wheat, spring wheat and barley in the 2009 central Montana variety trials clearly demonstrate why cereals are the predominant annual crops in central Montana. In spite of the harsh spring growing conditions all three crops produced well. barley is a crop of last resort used to deal with a particular pest, wheat disease, situation. No-till practices have proven ineffective in reducing soil erosion through increased ground cover. However, the turning area in the headlands are proving to some times and conditions to be a challenge, particularly with winter wheat, for stand establishment and survival.