Winter wheat: 100 bushels or bust!
2021
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, Michigan State
Project Media
Continued improvements in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield have generated
interest towards more focused input applications within enhanced managed systems. However,
maintaining or improving profitability has become increasingly important as broad implementation
of enhanced management has not produced consistent yield gains. Several field studies
conducted over the last several years evaluated multiple inputs including autumn starter
fertilizer, plant growth regulator, greater rates of N, sulfur, fungicide, and seeding rates. Autumn
applied starter fertilizer was the only individual input to consistently produce a grain yield
response and accounted for 71% of the grain yield difference between enhanced (i.e., multiple
input) and traditional (i.e., base N only) management systems. In each scenario where autumn
starter positively affected grain yield, pre-plant soil nitrate concentrations have been < 10 ppm
and wheat planted prior to October 1. Autumn starter fertilizer increased straw yield 30-50% on
average compared to no starter fertilizer with responses varying by cultivar mean height. Plant
growth regulator used solely in combination with greater rates of N has not significantly
increased grain yield. Despite some grain yield increases to specific inputs, producers need to
consider site-, soil-, and plant-specific characteristics in combination with realistic yield
potentials and economics prior to implementing enhanced wheat management.