FHB Research at Morris, MN

In 2003 the West Central Research and Outreach Center provided a screening site for preliminary yield trials, advanced yield trials, and uniform regional nurseries for the U of M spring wheat and barley breeding programs.  Our primary role with funds provided from the Small Grains Initiative provides land and labor for seeding, crop care, agronomic measurements, and harvesting of seed stock.  Wheat trials were seeded April 9-11, heading, height, and lodging notes taken in-season as appropriate, and trials harvested August 4-8. 

In 2003 we cared for:

•  The Uniform Regional Hard Red Spring Wheat Nursery Trial

•  Eight Preliminary Yield Spring Wheat Trials

•  Five Advanced Yield Spring Wheat Trials

• A Winter Wheat Variety Trial

• Demonstration plots of recommended wheat varieties for summer station day tours.

Funds provided to the WCROC from the Small Grains Initiative are also used to provide a misted fusarium head blight screening nursery site for the wheat and barley breeding programs. Dr. Anderson and Dr. Smith provide us with lines from their FHB wheat and barley breeding programs, and we grow the lines out for evaluation of FHB resistance. We mist 3 times each day (5 a.m., 7 p.m., and 11 p.m.) for 45 minutes each time or 2 and ¼ hours of misting per 24 hour cycle to provide thorough and uniform wetting of the plants, creating conditions for optimum scab development. WCROC has provided a misted screening site since 1995.

– George Nelson, research scientist, West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN