1994 KANSAS PERFORMANCE TESTS WITH
WINTER WHEAT VARIETIES
INTRODUCTION
------------
This publication presents results from the 1993-94 Kansas Winter
Wheat Performance Tests and other information related to winter
wheat variety performance. The information included in the
report is intended to assist wheat producers in the variety
selection process. The first section includes a summary of
statewide growing conditions and harvest information for the
entire 1994 Kansas wheat crop. The second section includes the
statewide acreage distribution of leading Kansas varieties and a
summary of important agronomic and quality traits for these
varieties. The third section presents procedures and results
for the 1994 Kansas Winter Wheat Performance Tests.
1994 CROP CONDITIONS
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Weather and Crop Conditions
Seeding was at or ahead of schedule for most of the fall, aside
from a cool, wet period in late September. Emergence was near
normal for most of the fall, although cool temperatures
prevented rapid growth and tillering. Eleven of 13 Crop-Weather
reports listed below-average temperatures during September,
October, and November. Heavy rains soon after planting required
some fields in the eastern third of the state to be replanted in
early October and again in early November. In November, wheat
streak mosaic virus, greenbugs, and lack of sunlight combined to
stress some areas of the emerged wheat acreage. Extreme cold in
late November caused most of the wheat to enter dormancy before
it had a chance to put on much growth. Even so, 91% of the crop
was rated in good to excellent condition going into dormancy in
late November.
Coming out of dormancy in the spring, the wheat crop had
deteriorated in condition so that only 49% was rated good to
excellent. Above-normal temperatures for much of the spring
caused the wheat to develop at or ahead of the normal rate, but
several cool periods in different areas of the state slowed that
progress somewhat. Some freeze damage was reported in the
northwest and west central districts in early April and again in
early May.
Precipitation was far above normal for the fall (July -
September). Winter (October - December), spring
(January - March), and summer (April - June) were generally
below normal in precipitation in most areas of the state. Only
two districts (northwest and southeast) reported spring
precipitation significantly above 50% of normal. The central
and south central districts received the least amount of
precipitation during the winter, spring, and summer relative to
normal.
Topsoil moisture was generally adequate for most of the fall and
winter. Less topsoil moisture was available in late March,
early April, and during the grain filling period (late May and
June). Subsoil moisture was adequate to surplus over nearly 80%
of the state for most of the growing season.
(From Crop-Weather reports, Kansas Agricultural Statistics,
Topeka and Mary Knapp, KSU Extension Weather Data Library).
Diseases
Wheat streak mosaic virus was already a concern in November,
when it was found commonly on volunteer wheat in the western
half of Kansas. By early April, the incidence of wheat streak
mosaic virus in some fields in north central and northwest
Kansas ranged from 10% to 50%. Most fields in the vicinity of
uncontrolled volunteer wheat had some level of wheat streak
mosaic virus. High plains tenuivirus, a newly identified virus,
occasionally was found associated with wheat streak mosaic
virus. It has similar symptoms and also is vectored by the
wheat curl mite.
Barley yellow dwarf began to show up in irrigated wheat in
western Kansas in mid-April. It increased rapidly in late April
and early May. By mid-May, barley yellow dwarf was commonly
found across the state. Barley yellow dwarf was blamed for
blackened heads in some fields in the eastern half of the state.
It was probably the most important viral disease affecting the
1994 wheat crop statewide.
Tan spot started out slowly but by mid-May had reached the flag
leaf of wheat in several central-Kansas fields. Pathologists
described it as the most important foliar disease of wheat in
May. Speckled leaf blotch was also very common but did not
appear to cause as much trouble as tan spot. Both of these
diseases appeared to be present to a greater extent than leaf
rust.
Pathologists found light infections of leaf rust in November.
In March, they noted that it had appeared to overwinter across
the state, but by April it became obvious that leaf rust levels
were much lower than in 1993. Some leaf rust was present in
western fields in April. Early-season development of this
disease appeared to be delayed across the rest of the state.
Leaf rust was present in extreme south central and southeast
Kansas late in the season. It was of little significance in the
rest of the state.
Take all was found in southeast Kansas in late May and in
several locations scattered across the state by mid-June. Scab,
which had reached epidemic levels in northeast Kansas in 1993,
was minimal to nonexistent in most of the crop in 1994. Some
scab was found in the southeast in early June.
(From Plant Disease Survey Reports, Kansas State Board of
Agriculture).
Insects
Entomologists found greenbugs in some fields in September.
Greenbugs increased in numbers and distribution in the central
wheat production area through December. Oat birdcherry aphids
(the vector for barley yellow dwarf virus) were found often in
lower numbers with the greenbugs. Greenbugs began to reach
treatment levels in March, but parasitic wasps and lady beetles
eventually held them in check, causing greenbug numbers to
decline by late April.
Russian wheat aphids were common in western wheat fields,
occasionally reaching treatment levels in the southwest.
Entomologists found a few wheat curl mites in some fields in the
west in March and armyworms and wheat stem maggots in the
southeast in May, but none of these pests appeared to cause
significant damage.
(From Cooperative Economic Insect Survey Reports, Kansas State
Board of Agriculture).
Harvest Statistics
The Kansas Agricultural Statistics office estimated the 1994
crop at 421.8 million bushels harvested from 11.4 million acres.
This estimate was up 9 percent from the 1993 harvest. The
statewide yield average of 37 bushels per acre was up 2 bushels
from last year. (From July 12, 1994 CROPS report, Kansas
Agricultural Statistics, Topeka).
WHEAT VARIETIES GROWN IN KANSAS
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Acreage Distribution
The leading wheat varieties planted in Kansas are reported in
the variety distribution map and in Table 1. The top 10
varieties occupied 85% of the state's seeded acreage.
The top 5 varieties for each crop reporting district are
presented in the variety distribution map. TAM 107, Larned, and
Newton again predominated in western Kansas. Arapahoe,
Karl/Karl 92, AgriPro Tomahawk, AgriPro Thunderbird, Scout/Scout
66, and TAM 200 also occupied a significant acreage in the west.
Karl/Karl 92 and 2163 were the most popular varieties in the
central and eastern districts. Wheat producers planted a number
of AgriPro varieties (Tomahawk, Victory, Thunderbird, and
Sierra) in the eastern two thirds of the state. Tomahawk was
the most widely planted AgriPro variety in most districts.
Cardinal replaced Caldwell as the most popular soft wheat in the
southeast district.
Variety Distribution Map:
Leading wheat varieties in Kansas in 1994,
presented as percent of seeded acreage by crop reporting districts
for 1994 and 1993 (1993 in parentheses). From Wheat Variety Report,
Kansas Agricultural Statistics, Feb. 25, 1994.
______________________________________________________________________
| TAM 107 33(36) | 2163 21(12) |Karl/Karl 92 51(39)\_
| Larned 12(11) | Karl/Karl 92 20(15) |2163 20(12) \
| Newton 10(5) | Tomahawk 15(3) |Tomahawk 9(5) /
| Arapahoe 5(1) | Victory 14(24) |Thunderbird 4(8) \
| Karl/Karl 92 3(2) | Thunderbird 5(9) |Sierra 2(4) \
|_________________________|________________________|_________________________\
| | | |
| TAM 107 51(52) | 2163 27(18) | Karl/Karl 92 57(57) |
| Larned 15(22) | Karl/Karl 92 23(22) | 2163 17(10) |
| Newton 4(5) | TAM 107 8(12) | Tomahawk 4(4) |
| Tomahawk 4(.3) | Tomahawk 8(2) | Sierra 4(5) |
| Karl/Karl 92 3(2) | Thunderbird 5(8) | Victory 3(9) |
|_________________________|________________________|__________________________|
| | | |
| TAM 107 41(42) | Karl/Karl 92 39(40) | Karl/Karl 92 79(75) |
| Larned 23(19) | 2163 23(14) | 2163 7(8) |
| Scout(s) 4(5) | Tomahawk 6(1) | Cardinal 2(2) |
| Thunderbird 4(2) | 2180 5(6) | TAM 107 2(.1) |
| TAM 200 4(3) | Victory 4(10) | Triumph(s) 1(1) |
|_________________________|________________________|__________________________|
Relatively few varieties have predominated the statewide wheat
acreage from 1977 through 1994. These varieties occupied 88.9%
of the planted wheat acres in 1994. Scout/Scout 66, Eagle, and
Sage combined for nearly 60% of the statewide acreage in the
late 1970's. In the early 1980's, Newton and Larned dominated,
with over 50% of the acreage devoted to these two varieties.
Larned consistently has maintained about 10% of the planted
acreage since 1980. Newton has dropped from a high of over 40%
in 1982 to 2.5% in 1994. TAM 107 predominated the Kansas wheat
acreage in the early 1990's. In 1993, Karl/Karl 92 displaced
TAM 107 as the leading variety. Karl/Karl 92, TAM 107, and 2163
combined for 56.4% of the total wheat acreage in 1994. (From
February 11, 1993, Wheat Variety report, Kansas Agricultural
Statistics, Topeka).
Agronomic Characteristics
Comparative ratings for important agronomic traits, pest
resistance, and milling and baking quality are listed in Table
1. Varieties are included in this table if they appear in the
annual Wheat Variety survey report from Kansas Agricultural
Statistics. Ratings for a given trait in this table are
experts' best estimates of the relative performance of the
varieties based on information and observations over several
seasons and from numerous sources. The ratings are updated
annually to account for changes in performance that occur over
time and to adjust for the changes in ranking that arise with
the continued additions of new varieties.
New Variety Descriptions
General descriptions of new public entries are included below.
These descriptions are abstracted from release notices or other
material provided by the releasing agencies.
EXCEL is a soft red winter wheat released by Ohio in 1990. It
is a beardless, white chaffed cultivar with medium maturity and
excellent winterhardiness. Yields have exceeded those of
Cardinal in 43 Ohio trials. Excel has moderate resistance to
powdery mildew and very good resistance to leaf rust. It also
is resistant to wheat spindle streak mosaic virus and is
reported to have good soil borne mosaic virus resistance from
tests outside of Ohio. (From release notice for Excel soft red
winter wheat, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center,
Wooster, Ohio).
JAGGER is an early hard red winter wheat with very good disease
resistance. It was tested in Kansas nurseries from 1989-1990
and planted in state and regional performance tests in 1993-94.
Jagger is adapted to all wheat growing areas of Kansas. It is
very early in maturity, equal to Arlin and one day earlier than
Karl 92. Jagger is resistant to stem rust, leaf rust, soil
borne mosaic virus, spindle streak mosaic virus, tan spot, and
speckled leaf blotch. It is moderately resistant to glume
blotch, bacterial steak, and wheat streak mosaic virus. It is
moderately susceptible to powdery mildew. Jagger is susceptible
to Hessian fly, greenbugs, and Russian wheat aphids. (From
variety description, Department of Agronomy, Kansas State
University).
VISTA was developed by Nebraska and the USDA-ARS and released in
1993. It is a medium maturity, moderately short variety with
moderately strong straw. It has fair winterhardiness and good
tillering ability. It is best adapted to the northern and
western high plains region, especially under optimum management
conditions. Vista has a short coleoptile. The grain has good
test weight patterns and very acceptable miling/baking
qualities. It has performed well in the western, dryland Kansas
performance tests. (From Nebraska Certified Quality Seed Book
1993, Nebraska Crop Improvement Association).
1994 PERFORMANCE TESTS
----------------------
Objectives
To help Kansas growers select wheat cultivars suited for their
area and conditions, the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station
annually compares both new and currently grown varieties and
hybrids in the state's major crop-producing areas. The
objective is to provide Kansas growers with unbiased performance
information on all varieties and hybrids likely to become
available in the state.
Varieties Included in Tests
Parentage and origin of public varieties included in the 1994
Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station tests are given in Table
2. Public varieties are selected for inclusion in the tests
based on several criteria. Most represent new or established
varieties with potential for successful utilization by Kansas
wheat producers. Some are included as long-term checks for use
in environment or maturity comparisons.
Privately developed varieties are entered into the Kansas Wheat
Performance Tests by their originators or marketers. Entry is
voluntary. Entrants choose both the entries and test sites and
pay the state a fee for each entry-location to help defray test
expenses. The program is similar to those for corn, sorghum,
soybeans, and alfalfa.
Seed quality, including such factors as seed size, purity, and
germination, can be important in determining the performance of
a variety. Wheat seed used for public and private entries in
the Kansas Crop Performance Tests is prepared professionally and
usually meets or exceeds Kansas Crop Improvement Certification
standards (See Table 32). Relative performance of a given
variety or hybrid comparable to that obtained in these tests is
best assured under similar environmental conditions and cultural
practices and with the use of certified or professionally
prepared seed.
The 1994 private entrants and entries are listed in Table 3.
Fourteen entrants provided a total of 47 varieties and hybrids
for testing at locations of their choice. Public and private
entries were grown together at random in the same tests.
Growers interested in more detailed descriptions of private
entries should contact the entrants directly (see addresses and
telephone numbers in Table 3 or consult the Kansas Crop
Improvement Certified Seed Directory).
Environmental Factors Affecting Individual Tests
Locations of test sites are shown on the map on the front cover.
None of the 17 tests had to be discarded in 1994, although
environmental factors should be considered when examining the
results for a particular location. Site descriptions and
management practices for each site are summarized in Table 4.
Performance test summary: The performance tests were subjected
to much the same regimen as described under the statewide
growing conditions. Disease notes from the 1994 performance
tests are listed in Table 31. The location codes listed in
parentheses after each location name are used as column headers
in the data tables.
EAST
Brown County (BR): Adequate moisture at planting enabled the
plots to establish well in the fall. Little or no snow cover
during the winter did not seem to drastically affect any
particular varieties. The spring months brought good growing
conditions with little disease pressure.
Riley County (RL): Good planting conditions and adequate fall
moisture took the nursery through the winter in good shape.
Spring conditions were adequate for good tiller and plant
development. Dry conditions limited buildup of diseases and
loss was minimal. Hot weather in early June speeded senescence
and shortened the grain filling period. Yields are below the
long-term average for this location.
Franklin County (FR): Heavy rains soon after the October 12
planting prevented adequate emergence. The test was replanted
in early November under very cool conditions. Persistent cool
temperatures limited vegetative growth in the fall.
Fortunately, temperatures were mild in the winter months, and
three of the four replications from the late planting were
acceptable for summarization and are presented with the test
results. April was extremely wet with 9.71 inches of rain. May
was unusually dry with only 1.23 inches of precipitation. The
first week of June was wet with 4.98 inches of rain. Then
weather was dry until harvest. Disease pressure developed late
with some leaf rust, tan spot, and speckled leaf blotch.
Overall disease was less severe than in previous years.
Labette County (LB): Agronomists planted the test into an
excellent seedbed. Cool weather after planting limited fall
growth. Winter growth was also minimal. Cool and generally
very wet conditions characterized late winter and early spring.
Little rain fell after heading; however, the days were warm and
nights were cool until the early dough stage. Hot, windy
weather prevailed at harvest. Speckled leaf blotch probably
affected yield and test weight of susceptible varieties. Hail
at first jointing reduced leaf area and cut off approximately
25% of the tillers. Heads were large as a result. The hail's
effect on yield is unknown.
CENTRAL
Republic County (RP): Adequate soil moisture at planting
resulted in good stand establishment. Mild temperatures
characterized the winter months, but precipitation was minimal.
April and May were also dry, but timely rains maintained good
growing conditions. Rains in late May and early June helped
crop development. Some tan spot and speckled leaf blotch
attacked the plots. Leaf rust entered the test very late and
likely did not affect yield.
Harvey County (HV): September marked the beginning of dry
weather that persisted until mid-April. October and November
maximum and minimum temperatures averaged 4 degrees to 6 degrees below
normal, but December temperatures averaged 4 degrees and 5 degrees above
normal. January temperatures were near normal. February was cooler
than normal. March was not only dry, but unusually warm at times,
resulting in average maximum temperatures nearly 6 degrees above
normal. April brought some record low temperatures, and average
extremes were -3 degrees to -4 degrees from normal. Rains in April,
well above normal, were crucial to the wheat crop. Temperatures
increased toward the end of May, and no significant rainfall
events occurred. Greenbugs were present in late fall through
early spring but not in sufficient numbers to cause direct
damage. Barley yellow dwarf was the primary disease affecting
the crop. It caused irregular stunting of plants as well as
yellowing of leaves. Moisture stress in late May and June
shortened the grain filling period and reduced yields. Harvest
was nearly 2 weeks early.
Reno County (RN): All entries emerged well because of adequate
soil moisture at planting. Cool, dry growing conditions in the
fall may have inhibited growth somewhat. The test received
limited rainfall throughout the winter and early spring, but
April showers provided adequate moisture for vigorous growth.
Two hard freezes in late April (24 and 16 degrees F) did not appear
to cause noticeable damage. The relatively dry conditions early in
the spring appeared to inhibit foliar disease development. Most
varieties exhibited limited symptoms of rust and tan spot. Hot,
dry winds in early June may have cut short the grain filling
period.
Stafford County, dryland (SD): Dry, warm conditions in the fall
resulted in poor growth prior to dormancy. Dry conditions
continued into winter, but mild temperatures minimized stress
and winterkill. Three late freezes in April appeared to produce
little damage. April rains provided moisture necessary to carry
the test through the very dry months of May and June. Barley
yellow dwarf was present in May along with some tan spot. Leaf
rust moved in too late to cause much damage.
Sumner County (SU): Planting conditions were dry, but good
stand establishment for the nursery was obtained. The fall,
winter, and spring were drier than normal, which retarded plant
development. The pH of this site ranges from 4.9 - 5.2, and
aluminum toxicity did affect performance. Because of the dry
spring, disease pressure was extremely light and did not affect
final yield results. Average yields were slightly below
average, reduced mainly from lack of sufficient moisture and
aluminum toxicity.
WEST
Ellis County (EL): Good stands were established for all entries
in the fall. Fall growth was less than usual for this location,
but no winter damage was evident. Very dry conditions through
May and June likely limited yields. High winds in mid-June
caused slight shattering on some varieties (see notes in Table
30).
Thomas County, dryland (TD): Adequate soil moisture at planting
enabled the establishment of excellent stands. Near average
temperatures and precipitation through the winter resulted in
little or no winter injury. Spring began dry and warmer than
normal. A 24 degree freeze on April 27 caused some minor damage.
Hot, windy conditions from June 13 to June 21 caused all
varieties to mature rapidly. Rains from June 21 to June 23
delayed harvest a few days. Russian wheat aphids and Hessian
flies caused no significant damage. Wheat streak mosaic and
leaf rust resulted in minimal yield reduction.
Greeley County, dryland (GD): Good stands resulted from
adequate soil moisture at planting. All plots survived the
winter with no noticeable stand loss. A late spring freeze
caused little or no damage. Warm weather in June may have
limited grain fill potential (20 days of 90 degrees F or above,
101 degrees F on June 15).
Finney County, dryland (FD): Fall planting conditions were
excellent. Emergence and establishment benefited from a full
profile of soil moisture. Aphids appeared in the fall but did
not appear to cause noticeable damage at that time. The winter
months were very dry with no snow cover. Dry conditions
continued into the spring. Barley yellow dwarf virus caused
symptoms on most varieties in late May.
IRRIGATED
Stafford County, irrigated (SI): See description for dryland
test. The April freezes appeared to cause some significant
damage to varieties in this test, perhaps because they were more
mature than those in the dryland test at the time of the freeze.
Two minor hail storms affected this test, but caused little
lasting damage. Wheat spindle streak, soilborne mosaic virus,
and wheat streak were evident on susceptible varieties.
Thomas County, irrigated (TI): (See description for dryland
test at this location). A possible hardpan at this test site
may have contributed to the lower yields for this test.
Greeley County, irrigated (GI): See description for dryland
test.
Finney County, irrigated (FI): An excellent seedbed contributed
to good stand establishment. The winter months provided no snow
cover, but winter survival was very good. Some wind damage
likely reduced yields from a few of the plots. Late grain
filling may have been cut short by very hot temperatures.
Several varieties exhibited light barley yellow dwarf symptoms.
Test Results and Variety Characterization
Results from Kansas tests are presented in Tables 5 through 30.
The information in these tables is derived from replicated
varietal comparisons at several sites representing various
wheat-producing areas of the state.
Characteristics of specific 1994 entries can best be determined
by examining Table 1 and data in Tables 5 through 30 for the
relative performance of new varieties or hybrids of interest
compared to those the grower is currently planting. Yields are
reported in Tables 5-8 as bushels per acre (60 pounds per
bushel) adjusted to a moisture content of 12.5 percent, where
moistures were reported at harvest. In Tables 9-12, bushel
yields are converted to yields as percentages of the test
averages to speed recognition of highest yielding entries (more
than 100%, the test average). The excellent performances of
several of the entries are highlighted in these tables.
Growers should examine Tables 13-16 to check the performance of
entries over several years at locations closest to their farms.
One-year or one-location results can be misleading because of
the possibility of unusual weather conditions, such as those
experienced this year. Measurements of characteristics often
contributing to yield performance are shown in Tables 17-20
(test weights); Tables 21-24 (maturity differences); Tables
25-28 (heights); Table 29 (lodging), Table 30 (shattering),
Table 31 (disease notes); and Table 32 (planted seed
characteristics, coleoptile lengths, disease and insect ratings,
etc.).
At the bottom of each table is the L.S.D. (least significant
difference) for each column of replicated data. The use of the
L.S.D. is intended to reduce the chance of overemphasizing small
differences in yield or other characteristics. Small variations
in soil structure, fertility, water-holding characteristics, and
other test-site characteristics can cause considerable yield
variation among plots of the same variety grown only a short
distance apart.
Another statistical parameter is the coefficient of variation
(C.V.) shown at the bottom of most columns. This figure, if
properly interpreted, can be used to estimate the degree of
confidence one may have in the data presented. In this testing
program, C.V.'s below 10% generally indicate reliable, uniform
data, whereas C.V.'s from 11 to 15% usually indicate less
desirable but generally useful data for the rough performance
comparisons desired from these tests.
Protein Content
Samples of grain from each variety harvested from Kansas Wheat
Performance Tests are submitted annually for protein content,
kernel hardness, kernel weight analysis, and other tests.
Screening for protein and other analyses are conducted by the
staff at the U.S. Grain Marketing Research Laboratory in
Manhattan, Kansas. Because of the time requirement for
obtaining analyses, protein results included in this report are
for the previous year's tests. Results for the 1993 harvest are
presented in Table 33. The number of values used to calculate
variety means is presented in the last column.
Excerpts from the UNIVERSITY RESEARCH POLICY AGREEMENT WITH
COOPERATING SEED COMPANIES*
Permission is hereby given to Kansas State University to test
our varieties and/or hybrids designated on the attached entry
forms in the manner indicated on the test announcement. I
understand that all results from Kansas crop performance tests
belong to the University and to the public and shall be
controlled by the University so as to produce the greatest
benefit to the public. It is further agreed that the name of
the University shall not be used by the company in any
commercial advertising either in regard to this agreement or any
other related matter.
* This agreement must be signed by an authorized individual
before results involving the company's entries can be published
by the Experiment Station. Except for the limitation that the
name "KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY" cannot be used in advertising
(you may use something like "official state tests" or "state
yield trials"), this does not preclude the use of data for
advertising, if done in a fair manner.
CONTRIBUTORS
------------
MAIN STATION, MANHATTAN
Kraig Roozeboom, Assistant Agronomist (Senior Author)
Rollin Sears, Wheat Breeder
RESEARCH CENTERS
Patrick Evans, Colby
James Long, Parsons
T.Joe Martin, Hays
Alan Schlegel, Tribune
Merle Witt, Garden City
EXPERIMENT FIELDS
Mark Claassen, Hesston
W. Barney Gordon, Scandia
William Heer, Hutchinson
Keith Janssen, Ottawa
Brian Marsh, Powhattan
Victor Martin, St. John
Others providing information for this report:
R.K. Bequette, Grain Science & Industry
W.W. Bockus, Plant Pathology
R.L. Bowden, Extension Plant Pathology
M.G. Eversmeyer, USDA Plant Pathology
J.H. Hatchett, USDA Entomology
NOTE: Trade names are used to identify products. No endorsement is intended,
nor is any criticism implied of similar products not named.