Seeding Rate Effects on Hybrid Spring Wheat Yield, Yield Components, and Quality

Agronomic practices, such as planting date, seeding rate, and genotype, commonly influence hard red spring wheat (HRSW, Triticum aestivum L. emend. Thell.) production. Determining the agronomic optimum seeding rate (AOSR) of newly developed hybrids is needed as they respond to seeding rates differently from inbred cultivars. The objectives of this research were to determine the AOSR of new HRSW hybrids, how seeding rate alters their various yield components, and whether hybrids offer increased end-use quality, compared to conventional cultivars. The performance of two cultivars (inbreds) and five hybrids was evaluated in nine North Dakota environments at five seeding rates in 2019−2020. Responses to seeding rate for yield and protein yield differed among the genotypes. The AOSR ranged from 3.60 to 5.19 million seeds ha−1 and 2.22 to 3.89 million seeds ha−1 for yield and protein yield, respectively. The average AOSR for yield for the hybrids was similar to that of conventional cultivars. However, the maximum protein yield of the hybrids was achieved at 0.50 million seeds ha−1 less than that of the cultivars tested. The yield component that explained the greatest proportion of differences in yield as seeding rates varied was kernels spike−1 (r = 0.17 to 0.43). The end-use quality of the hybrids tested was not superior to that of the conventional cultivars, indicating that yield will likely be the determinant of the economic feasibility of any future released hybrids