Effect of Genotype, Environment, and Production Packages on Yield, Agronomic Characteristics, and End-Use Quality of Winter Wheat

Grain yield and end-use quality are the most important characteristics for hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivium L.). Improvement of grain quality characteristics of grain from a given growing season and location requires systematic understanding of the genotype chosen, the production environment, and also knowing the consequence of rate and time of individual production packages such as seed treatment, seed rate, nitrogen (N) fertilization, and foliar fungicide applications. The objectives of this study were to: identify the effects of seed rate, genotype, and N top-dressed on yield, agronomic characteristics, and end-use quality of winter wheat; and to determine the effects of seed treatment and flag leaf foliar fungicide application on yield and agronomic characteristics of wheat cultivars. Two experiments were conducted at Havelock, near Lincoln, NE and the High Plains Agricultural Lab (HPAL), near Sidney, NE in 2014 and 2015 using randomized complete block design with split factorial arrangement. Overall foliar N increased grain yield, grain protein concentration, other baking quality indicators such as flour water absorption, peak height, tail area, weakening slope, and depressed grain volume weight, mixing time, and tolerance. Similarly, increased seed rate improved grain yield, seed weight, grain volume weight, flour yield, mixing time, and mixing tolerance. Increased seed rate reduced grain protein, flour water absorption, tail area, peak height, and weakening slope. Seed treated with EverGol Energy and Gaucho showed improved seedling emergence, leaf greenness, grain yield, and seed weight. Application of foliar fungicide at flag leaf stage improved grain yield, seed weight, and leaf area. Among the six genotypes evaluated, ‘Settler CL’ and ‘Freeman’ had the highest overall grain yield. The study demonstrated the importance of seeding rate and the existence of a wider than expected tolerance range for seeding rate. The study also demonstrated the importance of in-season nitrogen top dress and foliar fungicide application to increased winter wheat grain yield and grain quality in Nebraska. However, further research is recommended to fine-tune the factors and interdependence of response in relation to a specific location, season or the prevailing weather condition, and the specific attribute of the genotype seeded. Adviser: Teshome H. Regass