Farm Tech 2013 recap #1

Farm Tech this year was great! Lots of interesting speakers and a topic for everyone. 
For the next few weeks we will be sharing with you some of the sessions notes.
This weeks topic is Pushing Wheat Yields to 150 bu/ac presented by Peter Johnson from Ontario. 

There is no silver bullet and the secret to high yielding wheat is truly the combination of:
*effective hherbicide use
*semi dwarf varieties
*increased and well timed Nitrogen
*fungicide to keep the plants alive and using nitrogen as long as possible.

The biggest benefit yield wise that they have seen is when they combine 150 lbs of total N used throughout the season and at least one application of fungicide to keep that plant alive.  The only problem this could potentially bring to us in Alberta is the risk of the crop maturing late and or lodging.

Peter put a lot of emphasis on seeding rate. According to him if you are still talking bushels for seeding rate you need to change that first to 1.5 million seeds per meter squared.  This should give you a desired plant stand of 700 heads/ meter squared and that is hoping for only one tiller per plant.

If you are not able to get semi dwarf varieties then that causes a few issues such as lodging and spreading of straw, and straw causes issues with seed emergence. 
Use ESN as it does show yield response consistently.
Use seed treatments they work.

Seeding date wise you want to aim to have the wheat in full pollination by June 21 so work backwards form there ( in a perfect unfrozen world).  Seeding date is Very important because being a week late can cost you 30 % of your yield.
Seed depth is important as well because if you are deeper than and 1 inch in good moisture then you are also loosing yield.

From Peter's experience the 12 inch row space is an in-efficient use of sunlight and it makes room for weeds.  Overall decreases yield. He likes 7 inch row space. More plants/M2 and a more even crop.

Every rain storm during harvest reduces your bushel weight by 1 lb per rain strom.
Crop will use 1/3 of its N needs up front and then 2/3 of its N needs about 1-2 weeks ahead of flag timing.

Be careful not to burn your seed with your fert.