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Winter Survival Response of Winter Wheat: Tillage and Cultivar Selection 1
Author(s) -
Cox D. J.,
Larsen J. K.,
Brun L. J.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1986.00021962007800050011x
Subject(s) - tillage , agronomy , cultivar , winter wheat , mulch , snow , shoot , biology , poaceae , conventional tillage , environmental science , geography , meteorology
Winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) production in the Northern Great Plains is dependent upon adequate survival of the crown tissue for regeneration of root and shoot in early spring. Thus, the establishment of winter wheat as a viable alternative crop in North Dakota has been dependent upon the use of management practices that enhance winter survival. Objectives of this study were (i) to verify previous results associating winter injury or lack of with tillage and its associated effects on snow depth and soil temperature, and (ii) to determine the affect of tillage and cultivar selection on grain yield in an environment where winter injury frequently is experienced. Two hard red winter wheat cultivars were planted during the fall of 1981 and 1982 into conventional tillage (CT), mulch tillage (MT), and notillage (NT) plots on a Fargo clay (fine, montmorillonitic, frigid Vertic Haplaquoll) located at Fargo, ND. The experiment was repeated during the winters of 1983–1984 and 1984–1985 using MT, and short (0.05 m) and tall (0.20 m) stubble NT plots. Snow depth was greatest in conjunction with tall stubble (0.20 m) and resulted in warmer soil temperatures and a reduction in the duration of time temperatures dropped within the range responsible for winter injury. Winter injury was recorded only for the winters of 1981–1982 and 1984–1985. Percentage winter survival was greatest for NT wheat planted into tall stubble. The survival of MT wheat was intermediate between that of CT and NT wheat. The snow trapping ability of short stubble (0.05 m) and amount of winter injury recorded was similar to that for MT. The mean grain yield of CT, MT, and NT (both 0.05 and 0.20 m) wheat was 455, 2203, 2270 and 4073 kg ha −1 respectively, for the two winters in which winter injury was recorded. There were no significant differences in yield harvested from tillage treatments for the two mild winters. Tillage selection (CT vs. NT) was more important in explaining the variation in percentage winter survival than was cultivar selection.