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New Mexico State University

Choosing Winter Wheat Varieties for Dryland, Limited, and Full Irrigation

Guide A-136

R.D. Baker, Extension Agronomist, Acting Superintendent Agricultural Science Center at Clovis
Shane T. Ball, Extension Agronomy Specialist

College of Agriculture and Home Economics New Mexico State University

This Publication is scheduled to be updated and reissued 8/02.

Researchers have conducted experimental wheat variety tests at NMSU's Agricultural Science Center at Clovis for a number of years. New varieties are added as they are released. Due to declining water resources in the Ogallala Aquifer, agricultural producers in eastern New Mexico must make more efficient use of existing water supplies for their irrigation programs. For this reason, yield trials also are conducted under limited irrigation conditions.

Background Information

The Agricultural Science Center at Clovis is located approximately 14 miles north of Clovis and has an altitute of 4,435 feet. Soils in the area are classified as Olton silty-clay loam. All experimental variety trials are conducted on fallow land. Full irrigation tests normally receive five irrigations, except during extremely dry years, which may require six irrigations. Limited irrigation variety trials receive either three or four irrigations, depending on rainfall. Dryland variety trials receive no irrigation unless one is necessary for germination purposes. Each irrigation applies between 4 and 5 acre-inches of water. Fertility rates vary from none in dryland plots to 200 pounds of nitrogen in fully irrigated plots.

Yield test results for wheat varieties are determined for dryland, limited, and full irrigation production conditions. Variety production was measured for an 11-year period (1985-1995) under each of the environmental conditions (tables 1-3). In addition to the 11-year averages, yields are presented for 10-, 8-, and 5-year averages to provide information on as many varieties as possible, because not all varieties were tested for 11 years.

Yield Results

Dryland Variety Tests

Average yields for 24 wheat varieties were tested (table 1). In 1995, yields were extremely low due to drought conditions that prevailed in eastern New Mexico. Yields ranged from 1 bu/acre to 6 bu/acre. The 10-year average yields ranged from a low of 18 bu/acre to a high of 29 bu/acre. For the 11-year average, TAM105 was the top yielding variety at 32 bu/acre, followed closely by Scout 66 and Brule at 30 bu/acre. Brule is the standard variety for the Southern Regional Performance Nursery trials. It's not commonly used by agricultural producers. Even though 1995 was an extremely dry year for wheat producers, TAM105 and Tamex each yielded 6 bu/acre.

Limited Irrigation Variety Tests

Average yields for 14 wheat varieties were tested under limited irrigation conditions (table 2). Limited irrigation tests were originally initiated in 1979. At that time, wheat varieties were only irrigated twice-at planting and heading. Later trials were irrigated at planting, jointing, and heading. In 1995, wheat varieties received four irrigations-at planting, mid-December, early February, and early spring. The individual variety yields for 1995 ranged from 11 bu/acre to 16 bu/acre. The 11-year averages ranged from 41 bu/acre to 54 bu/acre. The 1995 averages were considerably below the 5- to 10-year averages due to extreme dry weather which prevailed from the fall of 1994 through the early summer of 1995. Once again the top yielding wheat varieties for the 11-year average were Brule and TAM105, followed closely by Scout.

Full Irrigation Variety Tests

Average yield of 18 wheat varieties was tested under full irrigation (table 3). In 1995, yields ranged from 16 bu/acre to 34 bu/acre. The 11-year average yields ranged from 67 bu/acre to 87 bu/acre. The highest yielding varieties in the full irrigation tests were TAM105 and Vona.

Recommendations

The most consistent variety under all conditions was TAM105. This variety is well adapted to all conditions in the Clovis production area and other areas with similar growing conditions. All varieties were not tested under all conditions. However, TAM105, Vona, Newton, Capitan, Scout 66, TAM108, Brule, Larned, Sage, Chisolm, Centura, and Osage were tested under all conditions.

Based on the environment at the Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, the 11-year average highest yielding varieties for dryland were TAM105, Scout 66, Brule, and Larned (table 1). Under limited irrigation, the 11-year average highest yielding varieties were Brule, TAM105, and Scout (table 2). For full irrigated conditions, the 11-year average highest yielding varieties were TAM105, Vona, and Newton (table 3). For an 8-year average, both TAM200 and TAM107 exceeded yields of all varieties except TAM105.

Comparison of monthly and yearly rainfall with wheat yields provides some insight into wheat responses to available moisture (table 4).



Table 1. Average yield (bu/acre) of winter wheat varieties, dryland tests, New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, 1985­95.
Variety 1995 1991­1995 1988­1995 1986­1995 1985­1995
TAM105 6 21 24 28 32
Scout 66 5 20 27 30
Brule 5 22 23 27 30
Larned 3 19 20 25 29
Capitan 4 19 18 24 27
Osage 4 18 19 23 27
Centura 3 20 19 24 27
Newton 1 22 19 23 27
Vona 4 17 17 20 24
Chisolm 3 15 14 18 23
Chisolm 4 21 23 29 -
TAM108 5 19 21 25 -
Siouxland 5 20 19 24 -
TAM200 5 21 25 - -
Dodge 4 18 17 - -
Norkan 4 17 17 - -
Sage 4 22 - - -
Scout 4 21 - - -
Tamex 6 20 - - -
Siouxland 89 4 19 - - -
Arkan 2 16 - - -
Karl 2 16 - - -
TAM201 2 15 - - -
Century 4 14 - - -


Table 2. Average yield (bu/acre) of winter wheat varieties, limited irrigated tests, New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, 1985­1995.
Variety 1995 1991­1995 1988­1995 1986­1995 1985­1995
Brule 12 46 48 51 54
TAM105 16 43 49 51 53
Scout 14 43 46 50 51
Capitan 11 40 41 47 49
TAM108 12 40 45 49 49
Larned 13 39 44 48 49
Sage 15 37 41 45 48
Scout 66 12 37 41 46 47
Vona 13 36 41 44 46
Centura 12 31 37 44 46
Osage 12 32 38 43 46
Newton 12 31 36 43 46
Chisolm 13 35 39 45 45
Chisolm 78 11 30 34 39 41


Table 3. Average yield (bu/acre) of winter wheat varieties, full irrigation tests, New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, 1985­1995.
Variety 1995 1991­1995 1988­1995 1985­1995
TAM105 24 84 89 87
Vona 22 72 77 79
Newton 24 65 72 78
Capitan 28 62 67 71
Scout 66 25 59 63 67
TAM107 26 73 82 -
TAM108 28 68 75 -
TAM200 25 81 86 -
Norkan 16 73 76 -
Brule 34 69 73 -
Century 78 26 65 69 -
Larned 24 64 69 -
Sage 30 65 66 -
Dodge 28 64 68 -
Chisolm 22 62 70 -
Centura 24 58 63 -
Siouxland 30 60 62 -
Osage 28 59 62 -


Table 4. Total precipitation (in inches) by month, NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Clovis, 1985­1995.
Yearly
Year Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. totals
1985 0.40 0.00 2.80 1.60 2.70 2.80 2.00 1.50 4.73 2.60 0.20 0.15 21.56
1986 0.00 0.75 0.45 0.96 4.10 2.67 0.99 4.95 3.90 2.92 2.53 1.05 25.27
1987 0.27 1.29 0.24 0.17 4.44 2.04 0.22 9.35 1.73 0.78 0.30 1.50 22.33
1988 0.00 0.02 0.11 1.28 10.60 6.86 2.81 1.89 1.90 trace 0.03 0.20 25.70
1989 0.21 0.50 0.05 0.43 2.84 2.93 1.87 3.25 1.38 0.06 trace 0.62 14.14
1990 1.02 0.64 0.15 1.30 0.15 0.00 1.83 1.96 2.43 0.57 0.71 0.29 11.05
1991 0.61 0.02 0.63 trace 0.99 0.40 7.80 2.92 2.90 0.41 1.36 2.78 20.82
1992 0.51 0.45 1.52 0.51 3.11 4.02 1.22 2.60 3.20 0.02 0.23 0.03 17.45
1993 0.28 0.02 0.21 0.52 0.76 2.50 2.41 1.79 1.22 2.06 0.41 0.09 12.27
1994 0.06 0.17 1.42 0.69 3.86 1.47 2.17 2.11 0.65 0.72 0.33 0.30 13.95
1995 0.57 0.00 0.40 0.43 2.69 2.41 1.28 1.86 3.34 1.36 0.04 0.48 14.86
Avg. 0.36 0.35 0.73 0.72 3.30 2.56 2.23 3.11 2.49 1.04 0.56 0.68 18.13

New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. NMSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Printed August 1997
Placed on Server August 1997