Wheat Cultivar Performance and Stability between No-Till and Conventional Tillage Systems in the Pacific Northwest of the United States

Sustainability

Ryan W. Higginbotham²  Stephen S. Jones¹ 

[1] Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, WSU Mount Vernon Northwest Research and Extension Center, 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, USA; E-Mail:;Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Washington State University, 291D Johnson Hall, Pullman, WA 99164, USA; E-Mail:

关键词: Triticum aestivum L.;    late-planted no-till fallow;    tilled fallow;    cultivar performance;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su5030882

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

In Washington, over fifty percent of the wheat produced under rainfed conditions receives less than 300 mm of annual precipitation. Hence, a winter wheat-summer fallow cropping system has been established to obtain adequate moisture for winter wheat production. Current tilled fallow systems receive significant soil erosion through both wind and water. As a result, no-till chemical fallow systems are being adopted to mitigate erosion concerns. The objective of this study was to evaluate current Pacific Northwest cultivars under no-till chemical fallow and tilled fallow systems to identify cultivars adapted to a late-planted no-till system. Twenty-one cultivars were planted in a split-plot design with fallow type as the main plot and genotype as the sub-plot. Four replications were planted at two locations over three years. Data was collected on heading date, grain yield and grain volume weight. Analysis of variance was conducted on data from each year and location. Results were significant for all traits. Cultivars in the late-planted no-till system yielded an average of 39% less than the tilled fallow system. It is evident that cultivars vary in their adaptability and yield stability across production systems. Chukar and Eltan displayed the highest levels of yield stability, and growers who wish to plant winter wheat in a late-planted no-till system may benefit from choosing these cultivars.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.