Evaluation of Agronomic Performance of Winter Wheat, Spring Wheat, and Barley Cultivars in Recrop Near Moccasin, Denton, and Geraldine, Montana (2010)

Abstract

This report evaluates the performance of winter and spring cereal grain varieties in continuous crop and re-crop environments near Moccasin, Denton, and Geraldine. The 2010 central Montana continuous crop cereal grain yields were generally above average do to more plentiful precipitation distributed more evenly across the growing season. In some cases, winter wheat and spring crop yields were limited by weather caused by delays in seeding date. Late seeded winter wheat experienced early and mid-spring stand losses due to weak seedlings being exposed driving winds and some soil movement around the plant crowns. Sawfly was not as great of a factor in the winter wheat, except for some late seeded stands. While sawfly was a significant factor in spring wheat, the cutting generally was not as great as that experienced in 2009. Sawfly was less of a factor in the 2010 barley crop, also. 2010 was a somewhat stressful year, for the crop producer, due to the multitude of atypical weather events that occurred across the crop year starting with extreme cold and wet conditions in October 2009. While not all cereal crops were successful, those crops that had good stands generally produced good to outstanding yields. Sawfly cutting was sufficient to provide a good evaluation of spring wheat varieties and late seeded winter wheat varieties for tolerance, yet were not so severe as to wipe out any chance for useable yield data.