2015CollaborativeOn-FarmTest(COFT)VarietyPerformanceResults

Theobjectiveofouron-farmtestingprogramistocomparetheperformanceofwheatvarietiesthatareofmostinteresttoColoradofarmers.In2015,sixvarietieswereincluded:Byrd(popularHRW),BrawlCLPlus(herbicidetolerantHRW),Denali(HRW),Snowmass(extremelyhighqualityHWW),Sunshine(newly-releasedveryhighqualityHWW)andWB-Grainfield(newHRWfromMonsanto–WestBred).TheCOFTprogramprovidesunbiasedinformationonvarietiesthataretestedunderfarmfield-scaleconditionswithfarmerequipment.ColoradoStateUniversityExtensionSpecialistsoverseeallaspectsoftheprogram.TheCOFTprogramisinits

18thyearandthemajorityofColorado’s2015winterwheatacreageisplantedtovarietiesthathavebeentestedintheCOFTprogram.On-farmtestingleadstomorerapidreplacementofolderinferiorvarietiesandwiderandfasteradoptionofimprovedvarieties.

Inthefallof2014,overthirtyeasternColoradowheatproducersreceivedseedofthesixvarietiesandplantedtheminside-by-sidestripsunderthesameconditionsasthewheatintherestofthefield.Twenty-fourviableharvestresultswereobtainedfromtheseedthatwasdistributed.Failedtestswereduetodroughtconditionsandhail.

In2015therewasexcellentprecipitationinmanypartsofthestatefrommid-AprilthroughJune.TherewereextremesinyieldthisyearacrossColorado.Thehighestyieldingstripwasover100bu/acrewhilethelowestrecordedyieldthisyearwas15bu/acre.Yieldswereaffectedstrongly

bywinterkill,springfreeze,andstriperustinfectionsalthoughotherfactorsreducedyieldsaswell–winterdrought,viruses,Russianwheataphidinfestations,cutworminfestations,andlossestobrownwheatmite.Often,morethanoneofthesefactorswasatplayinasinglefield.

ThevarietiestestedinCOFTthisyearfitdifferentfarmerneeds.It’simportanttoplantmorethanonevariety.Forthoselookingforcontrolofwinterannualgrasses,BrawlCLPlusistheobviouschoiceeventhoughitsyieldthisyearwaslowerthanthepastfewyears.Farmerswanting

togrowwhitewheatwithexceptionalqualityandqualifyforapremiumshouldbegrowingSnowmassorSunshine.Thestatisticallydifferentyieldthisyearamongthethreeremainingvarieties(Byrd,Denali,andWB-Grainfield)canbeseenintheCOFTtable.Inpastyearsundermoretypicalconditions(drought),ByrdandDenalihavebeensubstantiallyhigheryieldingthanWB-Grainfieldinthevarietyperformancetrials.ByrdandDenaliaremoderatelysusceptible

tostriperustwhileWB-Grainfieldismoreresistant.WB-Grainfieldisearlymaturing,Byrdismediummaturing,andDenaliislatermaturing.WB-GrainfieldhasshownsimilartestweightcomparedtoByrdbutlowertestweightcomparedtoDenali.Onevarietynotincludedinthisyear’stest,Antero,wouldbethechoicetomakeforafarmerwhowantsanextremelyhigh-yieldingandstriperustresistantwhitewheat.Thesuperioryieldmorethancompensatesforthelackofapremium.Don’tselectavarietytoplantbasedupontheresultsfromasingleon-farmtest.Combined,the2015COFTresultsareapowerfultoolforselectingvarietiestobeplantedthisfall.

Weshouldnotbelulledintocomplacencybytheverygoodprecipitationreceivedin2015.

Itshouldnotbeforgottenthatdroughtstressisthemajoryield-determiningfactorineastern

Colorado.Youcan’tsprayfordrought.Itisveryimportanttouseresultsfrommultipleyearsand

multiplelocations.Producersshouldbeusingthepowerfulonlinetoolatramwheatdb.comto

makevarietycomparisons.

ColoradoextensionwheateducatorswhoconductedtheCOFTprogram:

JerryJohnson–ExtensionSpecialist,FortCollins

BruceBosley–ExtensionAgronomist,LoganCounty(retiredspring2015)WilmaTrujillo–ExtensionAgronomist,ProwersCounty,Lamar

DennisKaan–ExtensionDirector-GoldenPlains,Akron

RonMeyer–ExtensionAgronomist,KitCarsonCounty,Burlington

SallySauer–ResearchAssociate,FortCollins

AtributetoBruce

BruceBosleyretiredthisspring.Hewastheheartofthecollaborativeon-farmtestingprogram

innortheasternColoradofor20years.Herecruitedprogressivefarmerstodoon-farmtestsfrommultiplecountiesinnortheastColorado. Everyyearheworkedwithapproximately15farmersdoingon-farmtests.Brucedistributedtheseedtothem,hewastheretoridethedrillsandhelpplant,andhewastherewithaweighwagonatharvest.EvertheExtensionagent,aftertheharvestofalocationBrucewouldhavetheyieldandtestweightcalculatedsohecoulddiscusstheresultswiththefarmer.Hispodiumwasthehoodofapickuptruckbutthatdidnotstophimfromhavingameaningfulexchangewiththefarmer.TwentyyearsagoBruceandImettogether

withwhowouldbecomeourveryfirstparticipatingfarmer.Littledidweknowthatcollaborativeon-farmtestingwouldactuallywork!Itseemslikeyesterdaythatwewereinthatfarmer’skitchenandnowBruceisretired.NowordscanexpressthedebtofgratitudewehaveforwhatBrucedidtomakethiscollaborationsofruitful.Thankyou,Bruce.Friend.Colleague.

2015CollaborativeOn-FarmTest(COFT)VarietyPerformanceResults

2015Varietiesa

DenaliWB-GrainfieldByrdSunshineSnowmassBrawlCLPlus

COFTAverage

Test

Test

Test

Test

Test

Test

Test

County/NearestTownYieldb Weight Yieldb Weight Yieldb Weight Yieldb Weight Yieldb Weight Yieldb Weight Yieldb

Weight

bu/ac lb/bu
Adams/BennettN47.762.3
Adams/ProspectValley47.459.6
Arapahoe/DeerTrail16.653.4
Baca/Pritchett59.364.4
Baca/Vilas57.160.9
Bent/Lamar31.260.2
Cheyenne/CheyenneWells 21.158.1
Crowley/OlneySprings35.958.6
KitCarson/Bethune43.452.6
KitCarson/BethuneN68.758.3
KitCarson/BurlingtonN85.461.4
Lincoln/Arriba64.460.9
Morgan/Orchard78.359.6
Otero/Manzanola46.057.1
Phillips/Haxtun87.860.0
Prowers/LamarS29.557.1
Washington/Akron48.155.0
Washington/AkronS58.255.0
Washington/Central65.2 -Weld/Keenesburg75.358.3
Weld/NewRaymerSE60.058.7
Weld/NewRaymerSW106.5 60.5
Weld/Roggen83.460.0
Yuma/Yuma55.661.8 / bu/ac lb/bu
48.262.5
49.559.5
14.653.5
54.263.7
43.458.3
25.360.8
19.557.1
24.457.8
41.260.5
56.859.3
100.6 63.0
60.859.4
69.159.6
42.855.9
79.161.0
26.757.8
45.757.0
77.359.0
67.0-
89.659.7
57.258.5
98.361.0
78.158.8
57.660.9 / bu/ac lb/bu
46.261.2
49.457.4
21.953.5
65.262.6
48.460.5
27.559.0
24.858.2
27.259.0
41.457.8
64.258.5
88.661.0
47.554.8
77.159.4
58.358.1
85.061.0
32.658.2
32.153.0
58.957.0
61.1-
68.058.7
69.059.5
104.8 60.5
73.259.4
49.959.3 / bu/ac lb/bu bu/ac lb/bu / bu/ac lb/bubu/aclb/bu
47.861.0
59.157.6
17.154.5
61.562.6
52.359.4
29.560.1
20.857.2
32.658.3
40.656.6
58.056.2
89.362.8
49.357.5
62.659.7
57.858.2
89.060.5
26.858.2
35.356.0
55.957.0
68.6-
72.259.5
58.058.8
97.260.0
65.358.3
48.560.4 / 40.461.5
50.759.2
18.652.5
53.562.6
51.360.5
31.758.3
25.857.4
39.858.7
32.263.0
67.261.1
75.862.4
42.751.9
72.259.4
56.457.2
64.960.0
31.758.2
26.051.0
57.955.0
50.7-
66.056.5
57.558.8
96.060.0
69.557.7
41.960.8 / 35.264.5
36.856.2
18.754.0
54.363.2
49.160.3
22.260.0
16.255.9
27.158.4
44.856.1
58.657.8
83.959.0
28.954.9
59.559.0
51.357.4
72.960.0
27.957.4
21.653.0
46.358.0
46.5-
55.060.3
68.757.6
64.860.0
52.657.5
46.561.9 / 44.262.2
48.858.3
17.953.6
58.063.2
50.360.0
27.959.7
21.357.3
31.258.5
40.657.8
62.358.5
87.361.6
48.956.6
69.859.5
52.157.3
79.860.4
29.257.8
34.854.2
59.156.8
59.9-
71.058.8
61.758.7
94.660.3
70.458.6
50.060.9

LSD(P<0.30) foryield=2bu/ac

LSD(P<0.30) fortestweight=0.4lb/bu

aVarietiesarerankedlefttorightbyhighestaverageyield.

bAllyieldsarecorrectedto12%moisture.

cYieldandtestweightsignificance: varietieswithdifferentlettershaveyieldsortestweightsthataresignificantly differentfromoneanother.

Summaryof2015COFTVarietyResults(24testsincluded)

Variety / Yielda / TestWeight
Denali / bu/ac
57.2 / lb/bu
58.9
WB-Grainfield / 55.3 / 59.3
Byrd / 55.1 / 58.6
Sunshine / 54.0 / 58.7
Snowmass / 50.9 / 58.4
BrawlCLPlus / 45.4 / 58.4
Average / 53.0 / 58.7
LSD(0.30) / 2.0 / 0.4

bYieldcorrectedto12%moisture.