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ARKANSAS SMALL-GRAIN CULTIVAR PERFORMANCE TESTS
1993-94
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R. K. Bacon, J. T. Kelly, and C. E. Parsons
INTRODUCTION
Small-grain cultivar performance tests are conducted each year in
Arkansas by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Department
of Agronomy. The tests provide information to companies developing
cultivars and/or marketing seed within the state, and aid the Arkansas
Cooperative Extension Service in formulating cultivar recommendations
for small-grain producers.
The 1993-94 tests were conducted at the Northeast Research and
Extension Center at Keiser, the Vegetable Substation near Kibler, the
Cotton Branch Station near Marianna, the Southeast Branch Station near
Rohwer, the Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart, and the
Southwest Research and Extension Center at Hope.
Two wheat tests were conducted at each location. The STANDARD INPUT
WHEAT TESTS and the HIGH INPUT WHEAT TESTS contained the same entries,
and were treated identically with respect to cultural practices,
except, the High Input Tests received more topdress nitrogen and a
foliar fungicide application. Specific location and cultural practice
information accompanies each table. This dual approach is utilized to
give information on cultivar performance under the various production
strategies employed by Arkansas farmers.
METHODS
Each wheat test contained 50 entries and each oat test contained 41
entries. A randomized complete block experimental design with four
replications was used for all tests. Seeding rates of 110 lbs/A for
wheat and 64 lbs/A for oat were used to establish plots 15 feet in
length and 49 inches in width (seven rows, seven inches apart). Plots
were end-trimmed, and harvested with a plot combine. At Hope the
entire 15 ft plot was harvested.
Characters evaluated
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Yield: Yields were calculated from the weight of cleaned samples
harvested from each plot and are expressed as bushels per acre (bu/A)
at 13% moisture content.
Test weight: Test weights, expressed in pounds per bushel (lbs/bu),
were determined using sub-samples from each plot with a DICKEY-john
Model GAC II Grain Analysis Computer (DICKEY-john Corporation, Auburn,
IL 62615).
Lodging: Lodging is reported as an estimated percentage of plants
prostrate at maturity: 10 = 10% lodged; 100 = 100% lodged. The
lodging ratings are usually taken at harvest so many of the earlier
maturing lines may have higher ratings since they may have been ready
to harvest earlier. Also high lodging scores are sometimes directly
associated with more seeds per head or high grain yields.
Heading Date: Heading dates are reported as the day when an estimated
50% of the heads had emerged.
Maturity Date: Maturity dates are reported as the day when an
estimated 90% of the culms were yellow.
Disease Ratings: Disease infections were rated visually based on the
percentage of leaf or glume area displaying symptoms. Ratings for the
tests at Kibler for glume blotch were made by Dr. Gene Milus,
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. The ratings at Hope
for percent armyworm damage were also made by Dr. Milus.
WEATHER SUMMARY
Field conditions were generally favorable for planting at all
locations. Although planting and emergence was a problem for many
wheat growers this year most of the tests were planted before
conditions became unfavorable. Stands were somewhat thin at Marianna
and Keiser due to the cool, wet conditions but were acceptable.
Stands were excellent at all other locations.
Seasonal rainfall was higher than normal at all six test sites.
Precipitation from October through March, was above normal at all the
locations. During March and April the monthly rainfall totals were
below normal except at Kibler where they were above normal in April.
Monthly rainfall totals from October though May and departure from
normal (30-year average) are given for each test. Temperatures during
the Spring were cooler than normal.
RESULTS
Grain yields were high for all the tests. Dry, cool conditions during
the Spring helped reduce the incidence of foliar diseases and insure
good grain filling. Yields of wheat cultivars at all locations are
summarized in Tables 1 and 2. Yields and other measurements and
cultural practice and site information including precipitation
summaries can be found in Tables 3-14. The results from the oat tests
are in Tables 15 and 16. Due to the relatively dry conditions, only
the standard input test at Kibler had a sufficient amount of foliar
disease to be rated.
Due to wet soil conditions, the stand establishment in the Keiser oat
test was unacceptable and the test was abandoned. Because there was
also some water damage in both the standard and high input wheat tests
at Keiser in the first replication, only 3 replications were
harvested.
NK Coker 9803 and NK Coker 9543 yields were not reported at Rohwer due
to unacceptable stand densities. The quality of the seed lot received
from the company to plant the trials was very poor, resulting in
visually noticeable stand problems at this location. Although not
obvious at other locations, stand establishment of these two entries
may have been affected at other locations.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded in part by participating companies. The
assistance of the following individuals in conducting these
experiments is gratefully acknowledged.
Department of Agronomy, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Mr. Lee Craig, Undergraduate Assistant
Mr. Danny Boothe, Undergraduate Assistant
Mr. Tully Hornor, Undergraduate Assistant
Ms. Marilynn Correll, Research Assistant
Ms. Greta Haustein, Undergraduate Assistant
Ms. Julie Barham, Undergraduate Assistant
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Dr. Gene Milus, Assistant Professor
Agricultural Statistics Laboratory, University of Arkansas,
Fayetteville
Mr. Kevin Thompson, Research Associate
Northeast Research and Extension Center, Keiser
Dr. Tom Evrard, Center Director
Mr. Bobby Glover, Research Specialist
Vegetable Substation, Kibler
Mr. Dennis Motes, Resident Director
Mr. Steven Eaton, Research Specialist
Cotton Branch Station, Marianna
Mr. Bob Turner, Resident Director
Mr. Claude Kennedy, Research Specialist
Southeast Branch Station, Rohwer
Mr. Larry Earnest, Resident Director
Mr. Dan Halter, Research Specialist
Mr. Cliff Coker, Area Extension Specialist
Rice Research and Extension Center, Stuttgart
Dr. John Robinson, Center Director
Mr. P.A. Shockley, Jr., Research Assistant
Dr. John Bernhardt, Research Associate
Southwest Research and Extension Center, Hope
Dr. Mike Phillips, Acting Center Director
Dr. William Loe, Former Resident Director
Mr. David Barber, Research Specialist
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1/ Use of products and tradenames in this report does not constitute
a guarantee or warranty of the products and does not signify that
those products are approved to the exclusion of comparable
products.
2/ Professor and Research Associate, respectively, Department of
Agronomy, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, and
Research Specialist, Strawberry Substation, P. O. Box 347, Bald
Knob, AR 72010.