Effect of Cropping Frequency and Wheat Class on Grain Yields and Quality in the Semiarid Canadian Prairies.
(A08-campbell279784-poster)
Authors:
C.A. Campbell* - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada R.P. Zentner - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada F. Selles - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada R. Lemke - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada P.G. Jefferson - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada B.G. McConkey - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada Y. Gan - Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada
Abstract:
Canadian Prairie producers frequently summerfallow (F) to conserve water and control weeds;
however, this practice causes soil degradation. A field study was initiated in 1987 on a medium textured, Orthic Brown Chernozem to determine the ideal cropping frequency and whether flexible rotations in which fallowing is decided each spring based on available soil water (if water), or the need to control perennial weeds (if weeds), were more effective than fixed rotations such as
fallow-wheat-wheat (F-W-W). The study also compared Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat with the newer higher-yielding (Hy), Canada Prairie Spring (CPS) wheat class. The rotations included F-W-W, F-W-W-W, F-Hy-Hy, Continuous wheat (Cont W), Cont W (if weeds), and Cont W (if water). Over the 1987-98 period, weather conditions were favourable and yields were above average.
CPS wheat outyielded CWRS by 35% when grown on fallow and by 15% when grown on stubble;
however, straw yields for the two wheat classes were similar on fallow and CPS was 7% less than CWRS on stubble. Grain N concentration averaged 25.5 g/kg for CWRS and 22.5 g/kg for CPS;
straw N concentration averaged 4.0 g/kg for CWRS and 4.6 g/kg for CPS. On a rotation basis, F-W-W-W and Cont W (if weeds) produced 9% more grain than F-W-W, while Cont W (if water) produced 24% more grain, and Cont W and F-Hy-Hy produced 29% more grain than F-W-W.
Speaker Information: Con Campbell, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research CentreK.W. N, Ottawa, ON K1A 0C6; Phone: (613) 759-1536; E-mail: [email protected]
Session Information: Monday, November 3, 2003, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM Presentation Start: 4:00 PM (Poster Board Number: 134)
Keywords: fallow frequency; wheat rotations; flex-cropping; grain yields and quality