2002 MN Wheat Research Results, Priorities for 2003

By Tracy Sayler

Aster yellows, predicting wild oat development, and whether nitrogen fertilizer recommendations should be matched to new wheat varieties, are a few of the research projects funded by the Minnesota wheat checkoff in 2003.

The Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council manages the wheat checkoff in Minnesota. A Small Grains Research and Communications Committee, consisting of a cross-section of the state’s grain industry, advises the Council each year on investing Minnesota wheat checkoff dollars on wheat research priorities and programs.

Some of the research priorities and recommendations carry over from year to year, while others are new, based on trends in the marketplace and problems during the growing season.  In no particular order, the Small Grains Research and Communications Committee established a list of important research priorities for 2003:

•  Disease management and breeding for tolerance/resistance.

•  Varietal performance comparisons.

•  Water management.

•  Identification and development of specific end-use traits in wheat.  This should include educating growers on consumer trends and resulting opportunities they present for wheat.

•  Remote scouting/pest identification using the Internet and other information mediums.

•  Mechanical aspects of wheat production (i.e., residue management)

•  Wheat fertility, with an emphasis on micronutrients, and slow release forms of nitrogen for better wheat quality.

•  Educating producers on marketing.

•  Winter wheat production.

•  How to handle genetically-enhanced varieties in the marketplace.

•  Wheat insects.

•  Weed control and management, with an emphasis on split and reduced chemical rates, sprayer technology, and weed emergence predictions.

With these priorities in mind, the Committee and Council sought research proposals from crop scientists in the region.  The Committee reviewed applications from crop scientists who applied for research grants funded by the Minnesota wheat checkoff, with the Council formally approving grants to proposals recommended by the Committee. Research projects funded by the Council in 2003:

•  Development of molecular markers for stem and leaf rust resistance in wheat.

•  Toolshed Ag Information Network.

•  Wheat breeding and genetics.

•  Accelerated breeding for scab resistance in spring wheat.

•  Aster yellows in small grains.

•  Developing and characterizing transgenic wheat for scab resistance.

•  Inputs for wheat production: what’s economic, what’s not.

•  On-farm cropping research booklet.

•  Variety response to common root rot in spring wheat and durum.

•  Should nitrogen fertilizer recommendations be matched to new, improved wheat varieties?

•  Using wild oat growth and development to develop a predictive model for grain growers.

•  Hard red spring wheat regional crop quality survey.

•  Cropping systems specialist support.

•  Continuation of the wheat disease forecasting system at NDSU.

•  Genetic diversity analysis of a scab-resistant wheat germplasm collection.

Research progress and results are disseminated to growers, including through Prairie Grains, a research reporting session that is open to the public and held during the annual Prairie Grains Conference (most recently held in Grand Forks, N.D. in December).  The 2002 Wheat Research Review, a 44-page booklet containing reports of research progress and results from last year, is available by contacting the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, 1-800-242-6118.

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Small Grain Variety Fact Sheets Online
The Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station has fact sheets available on a number of spring wheat, barley, and oat varieties. Each fact sheet has detailed information about a variety’s pedigree, agronomic characteristics, seeding rate recommendations, herbicide sensitivities/tolerances, disease responses, and yield/grain quality data. Spring wheat variety fact sheets include Alsen, Gunner, Norpro, Oxen, Reeder, Russ, Walworth, and others. 

The variety fact sheets can be found on the Minnesota Ag Experiment Station web site, www.maes.umn.edu .  Go to the link “Variety Trials of Selected Minnesota Crops,” then “Crop Resource Pages.” Scroll down to the fact sheets on the links to variety trials for spring wheat, barley, and oats. 

Jochum Wiersma’s Spring Wheat “A-List” for 2003
Based on performance trials, University of Minnesota small grains specialist Jochum Wiersma recommends the following spring wheat varieties be considered for production in Minnesota: Oxen, Ivan, Verde, Alsen, Reeder, and NorPro.  Parshall may also be considered north of Highway 2, and Ingot south of Highway 2. 

Find small grain variety performance information from university trials in the Northern Plains, online at www.smallgrains.org . Click on the “Prairie Grains link,” then the Nov/Dec ’02 issue.