Evaluation of 15 inch Row Wheat and Double-Crop Soybean in the Mid-South Michael Scott Ebelhar MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN AGRONOMY COMMITTEE: Palle Pedersen, Major Professor Ken Moore, Major Professor Tom Loynachan, Member May 7 th, 2010
BACKGROUND Owensboro, KY
BACKGROUND Family Wife: Laura Children: Abigail 2 ½ Ethan 1
EDUCATION & WORK EXPERIENCE Western Kentucky University B. S. Agriculture, Spring 2001 Pasture Belt Farms : 2001-2003 Garst Seed Company: 2003 2005 Development Agronomist Beck s Superior Hybrids: 2005 Present Southern IN Practical Farm Research Director Southern Agronomist
Beck s Southern IN Practical Farm Research Facility Fort Branch, IN
WHY 15 INCH ROW WHEAT? Agronomy District Covers: 76.1% of KY Wheat Acres 72.1% of IL Wheat Acres 30% of IN Wheat Acres (Including 3 of top 5 counties) Farmer focus on profitability Minimize labor Eliminate unneeded equipment Adaptation of No-Till = Residue Challenges Corn, Wheat, Double-Crop Soybean rotation
OBJECTIVES 1. Determine yield difference between wheat planted in 7.5 inch rows and 15 inch rows 2. Determine optimum seeding rate for 15 inch row wheat 3. Determine optimum seeding rate for doublecrop soybean planted into 15 inch wheat stubble
ELEMENTS OF WHEAT YIELD Wheat yield based on # of heads area -1, # kernels head -1, and kernel weight Plant populations & row spacing that minimizes inter-row and intra-row competition will optimize yield by optimizing sunlight utilization (Joseph et al., 1985)
ELEMENTS OF WHEAT YIELD Many studies show row spacing narrower than 7.5 inch rows are optimum for maximizing yield. Frederick and Marshall, 1985 Joseph et al., 1985 Marshall and Ohm, 1987 Johnson et al., 1988 Little work has been done to document if a yield penalty exists for planting wheat in rows wider than 7.5 inches
ELEMENTS OF SOYBEAN YIELD Dry matter production is correlated to solar radiation interception by the crop canopy - Shibles and Weber, 1965 Maximum soybean yield requires canopy closure at beginning flower - Kane and Grabau, 1992 Maximum yield requires a leaf area index of 3.5 at R5 - Holshouser and Whittacker, 2002
ELEMENTS OF SOYBEAN YIELD Maximum yield occurs when 95% light interception is achieved at R5 - Board and Harville, 1994 Management Practices Influencing Leaf Area Index in Soybean: Planting Date Plant Population Row Spacing - Kratochvil et al., 2004
SOYBEAN PLANTING DATE & SEEDING RATES Full Season Soybean Longer growing season Leaf area index to maximum yield is achieved at lower populations Double-Crop Soybean Shorter growing season (4-6 weeks later) Higher populations are needed to achieve leaf area index required to maximize yield - Kratochvil et al., 2004
SOYBEAN PLANTING DATE & SEEDING RATES Kratochvil et al., 2004 Full Season Soybean Seeding Rate: 140 100 seeds acre -1 Double-Crop Soybean Seeding Rate: 180 200 seeds acre -1 Lee et al., 2008 May Soybean Seeding Rate: 69 000 to 106 900 seeds acre -1 June Soybean Seeding Rate: 107 000 to 124 000 seeds acre -1
MATERIALS & METHODS Experiment conducted Fall 2008 Fall 2009 3 Locations Fort Branch, IN Owensboro, KY Gracey, KY Two Study Experiment Wheat Row Spacing & Population Study Double-Crop Soybean Population Study
MATERIALS & METHODS Wheat Study Randomized Complete Block Design Treatment 5 Treatment 1 Treatment 3 Experiment Design Fort Branch, IN: Fall 2008 Treatment 2 3 Replications at each site Soybean Study Plot Width and Length varied by location Treatment 4 Treatment 6 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 Treatment 6 All post-emergence applications were made perpendicular to rows Pesticide applications were made as necessary Treatment 1 Treatment 5 Treatment 5 Treatment 3 Treatment 3 Treatment 4 Treatment 4 Treatment 2 Treatment 1 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 All side-dress N was applied as banded 28% Treatment 6 Treatment 2 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000 15in Wheat @ 1,500,000
MATERIALS AND METHODS Data analyzed using Proc Mixed in SAS. Location and replications treated as random effects Treatments treated as fixed effects Mean separation done using Fisher s protected LSD at P 0.05
WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY Wheat planted directly into undisturbed residue from previous corn crop Treatments: Treatment Row Spacing Planted Population 1 7.5 inch 1,500,000 2 15 inch 750,000 3 15 inch 1,000,000 4 15 inch 1,250,000 5 15 inch 1,500,000 6 15 inch 1,750,000
WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY 7.5 inch row treatment planted with no-till drill 15 inch row treatments planted with Kinze Planter Two, 15 inch rows between standing corn stalks
KINZE BRUSH METER
WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY Location Planting Date Harvest Date Fort Branch, IN October 12 th, 2008 June 22 nd, 2009 Owensboro, KY October 13 th, 2008 June 19 th, 2009 Gracey, KY October 14 th, 2008 June 23 rd, 2009 Data Collected Tiller Counts after Feekes 6 Head Counts after Feekes 10.5 Grain Yield Grain Moisture Test Weight Lodging Score
CANOPY CLOSURE @ FEEKES 10 Treatment 5: 15 inch rows @ 1.5 million seeds acre -1 Treatment 1: 7.5 inch rows @ 1.5 million seeds acre -1
WHEAT HARVEST - OWENSBORO, KY
DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN POPULATION STUDY Soybean planted directly into undisturbed 15 inch row stubble from previous wheat crop Treatments: Treatment Row Spacing Planted Population 1 15 inch 120,000 2 15 inch 150,000 3 15 inch 180,000 4 15 inch 210,000 5 15 inch 240,000
Experiment Design Fort Branch, IN Summer 2009 Wheat Study Soybean Study Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Treatment 3 Treatment 5 Treatment 1 Treatment 2 Treatment 4 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Treatment 1 Treatment 4 Treatment 3 Treatment 5 Treatment 2 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Soybean @ 180,000 Treatment 2 Treatment 1 Treatment 5 Treatment 4 Treatment 3
DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN POPULATION STUDY Location Planting Date Harvest Date Fort Branch, IN June 24 th, 2009 November 2 nd, 2009 Owensboro, KY June 25 th, 2009 November 4 th, 2009 Gracey, KY June 23 rd, 2009 November 13 th, 2009 Data Collected Stand Count after V1 Grain Yield Grain Moisture Lodging Score
DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN IN 15 WHEAT STUBBLE SOYBEAN HARVEST FT. BRANCH, IN: FALL 2009
SOYBEAN HARVEST FT. BRANCH, IN: FALL 2009
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY Significance of P-values from analysis of variance of wheat grain yield, moisture and head count. Treatments Grain Grain Head Trt # Seeding Rate Row Spacing Yield (Bu acre -1 ) Moisture (Percent) Count (Heads/ft 2 ) 1 1 500 000 7.5 inch 78.7 13.2 64.2 2 750 000 15 inch 72.4 13.2 55.2 3 1 000 000 15 inch 75.8 12.8 67.1 4 1 250 000 15 inch 78.8 13.4 65.5 5 1 500 000 15 inch 76.7 12.7 67.4 6 1 750 000 15 inch 74.1 12.8 70.7 Mean 76.1 13.0 65.1 CV, % 10 4 6 P-value 0.59 0.27 0.03 LSD (0.05) NS NS 7.9
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY No difference in grain yield or moisture between 7.5 inch row and 15 inch row treatments 750,000 seed acre -1 treatment resulted in lower head count, but no difference in yield Ideal head count for maximum wheat yield is 60-70 heads/ft 2 while adequate yields can be produced with a head count of 55 heads/ft 2 - Lee et al., 2009
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY The optimum seeding rate to maximize yield could not be determined with this data set. Favorable weather conditions for fall growth, tiller development, and seed set resulted in high head counts and similar yields across all treatments.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY Return on investment for seeding rates of wheat Treatments Trt # Seeding Rate Row Spacing Grain Yield Gross Income Seed Cost Return on Investment Bu acre -1 $ acre -1 $ acre -1 $ acre -1 1 1 500 000 7.5 inch 78.7 $362.02 $53.23 $308.79 2 750 000 15 inch 72.4 $333.04 $26.61 $306.43 3 1 000 000 15 inch 75.8 $348.68 $35.48 $313.20 4 1 250 000 15 inch 78.8 $362.48 $44.35 $318.13 5 1 500 000 15 inch 76.7 $352.82 $53.23 $299.59 6 1 750 000 15 inch 74.1 $340.86 $62.10 $278.76 Based on average wheat price of $4.60 Bu -1 for 2009 Kentucky Wheat Crop. (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2010). Seed Cost based on $21.29 per 50 pound unit (12,000 seeds pound -1 ).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: WHEAT ROW SPACING & POPULATION STUDY 1,250,000 seed acre -1 treatment provided the highest return on investment for wheat planted in 15 inch rows.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN POPULATION STUDY Significance of P-values from analysis of variance of doublecrop soybean final stand, moisture and grain yield. Treatments Final Grain Grain Trt # Seeding Rate Stand Moisture Yield Seeds acre -1 Plants acre -1 Percent Bu acre -1 1 120 000 126 000 11.8 55.0 2 150 000 128 000 11.8 55.8 3 180 000 145 854 11.9 62.7 4 210 000 167 689 11.8 61.2 5 240 000 190 384 11.8 63.1 Mean 151 770 11.8 59.6 CV, % 19 2 10 P-value 0.03 0.88 0.05 LSD (0.05) 40 220 NS 6.3
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN POPULATION STUDY As seeding rate increase, final stand increased Regression analysis indicates that a seeding rate of 200,000 seeds acre will achieve maximum yield Regression Equation Model Sig. R 2 Predicted yield at seeding rate of 160,000 180,000 200,000 220,000 240,000 ------------------------------ Bu acre -1 ------------------------------ Y = -5.00x10-10 (S) 2 +0.0002(S) + 31.735 P 0.05 0.82 50.9 51.5 51.7 51.5 50.9 Y = soybean yield in Bu acre -1 ; S = seeding rate acre -1 R 2, coefficient of determination
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN POPULATION STUDY Results from this study were similar to results found by Kratochvil et al.(2004) In both studies double-crop soybean was planted into the remaining stubble from that spring s wheat crop. Lee et al. (2008) achieved optimum yield with lower seeding rates Soybeans in that study were planted into stubble that lay fallow for 11 months.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: DOUBLE-CROP SOYBEAN POPULATION STUDY Return on investment for seeding rates of double-crop soybean Treatments Grain Gross Seed Return on Trt # Seeding Rate Yield Income Costs Investment Seeds acre -1 Bu acre -1 $ acre -1 $ acre -1 $ acre -1 1 120 000 55.0 $529.65 $37.59 $492.06 2 150 000 55.8 $537.35 $46.99 $490.36 3 180 000 62.7 $603.80 $56.38 $547.42 4 210 000 61.2 $589.36 $65.78 $523.58 5 240 000 63.1 $607.65 $75.18 $532.47 Based on average soybean price of $9.63 Bu -1 for 2009 Kentucky Soybean Crop in November. (National Agriculture Statistics Service, 2010). Seed Cost based on $40.72 unit -1. 130 000 seed unit -1.
CONCLUSIONS There was no significant difference in grain yield between 7.5 inch and 15 inch row wheat. The optimum seeding rate to maximize grain yield in 15 inch row wheat could not be determined since there was no difference in yield for the treatments tested. Economic analysis indicates that the 1,250,000 seed acre -1 treatment provided the highest return on investment.
CONCLUSIONS The optimum seeding rate to maximize yield for 15 inch row double-crop soybean was 200,000 seeds acre -1 when planting into 15 inch wheat stubble. Economic analysis indicates that the 180,000 seed acre -1 treatment provided the highest return on investment.
THANKS! Dr. Palle Pedersen, Major Professor Dr. Ken Moore & Dr. Tom Loynachan, Committee Members Dr. Chad Lee, University of Kentucky Pasture Belt Farms, Hirsch Family Farms, and Lester Farms, Plot Cooperators Fellow Employees at Beck s Superior Hybrids My Parents & Brothers My Wife and Children
QUESTIONS?