SOFT RED WINTER WHEAT RESPONSE TO NITROGEN RATE DURING AN ABNORMALLY WET SPRING
Lentz, E. M.11Extension Educator and Professor, The Ohio State University Extension, Findlay, OH, 45840
Abstract:
Producers rely on university research to apply the proper rate of nitrogen for optimal wheat yields and to reduce the risk of nutrient loss into the environment. Few nitrogen rate studies have been completed in recent years in the Eastern Corn Belt. The objective of this study was to determine the nitrogen rate for optimal yields for soft red winter wheat. AGI 2017B, a medium-maturity variety, was established in the fall of 2018 on the OARDC Northwest Agricultural Research Station near Custar, Ohio. Seven nitrogen rate treatments were applied as urea-ammonium nitrate between greenup and early stem elongation (Feekes Growth Stage 6). Rates included in the study were 0, 40, 70, 90, 110, 130, and 150 pounds per acre. All treatments received 20 pounds of nitrogen per acre prior to planting. Experimental design was a completely randomized block replicated four times. Analysis was a simple ANOVA. Grain yield, test weight, and spike number were measured for each plot. Yields were 26.4, 41.8, 42.4, 47.7, 49.7, 48.2, and 49.9 bushels per acre for the 0, 40, 70, 90, 110, 130 and 150 nitrogen rates, respectively. All treatments were significantly better than the 0 check, p<0.01. Among the other treatments, significant differences were only between the lowest and highest nitrogen rates. Large amounts of nitrogen were lost because of the excessive spring rain; thus, an optimal spring nitrogen rate was difficult to establish for this given study.