The malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) industry is often challenged by the availability of sufficient volume and quality to meet demand. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of agronomic practices on grain uniformity, protein concentration, yield, and yield components. Field experiments were conducted from 2005 to 2008 at eight rain‐fed locations in western Canada. The effects of two seeding rates (200 and 400 seeds m−2) and five N (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg ha−1) rates on two two‐row barley cultivars (‘AC Metcalfe’ and ‘CDC Copeland’) were determined. Each experiment was conducted for 3 yr at each location (24 environments). CDC Copeland displayed some advantages over AC Metcalfe including higher grain yield, lower protein and more uniform kernels. For both cultivars, kernel weight, and plumpness were lower at the higher seeding rate; protein was also lower, maturity was earlier and kernels were more uniform. With increasing N rate, barley yield, kernel weight, and tillers plant−1 increased, but days to seed maturity and protein concentration also increased, and kernel plumpness and seed uniformity decreased. The increase in protein was less pronounced with CDC Copeland suggesting that there may be less risk with this cultivar of unacceptable protein levels at relatively high N rates. At many environments barley plant stand decreased while lodging increased with increasing N rates. To improve the likelihood that barley will be acceptable for malting growers should select low‐protein varieties, seed at relatively high rates and limit N application.

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. 2004. Effect of nitrogen, seeding date and cultivar on oat quality and yield in the eastern Canadian prairies. Can. J. Plant Sci. 84: 1025-1036. The proportion of oat (Avena sativa L.) being used for race horses and human consumption has increased over the past 15 yr. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of N, seeding date and cultivar on grain yield components, grain yield and grain quality of oat under a directseeding system. Four N rates, three seeding dates and two cultivars were tested at Indian Head, Melfort, and Canora, SK, and Brandon, MB. Yield was more responsive to increasing N rates from 15 and 80 kg ha -1 when oat was seeded in early May versus early June. Panicles plant -1 was the yield component that accounted for most of the yield increase achieved from increasing rates of N, while kernel weight was the yield component that decreased as the rate of N increased. Physical seed quality decreased (plump seed decreased and thin seed increased) with delayed seeding and greater N fertilizer rates. Nitrogen fertilizer and seeding date had a much larger effect on the quality of CDC Pacer than AC Assiniboia. Combining early seeding, appropriate N fertility and well-adapted cultivars should increase the likelihood of optimizing oat yield and quality necessary for high-value markets. Depuis quinze ans, la quantité d'avoine (Avena sativa L.) employée pour nourrir les chevaux de course et pour la consommation humaine ne cesse d'augmenter. L'étude devait évaluer les effets de l'azote (N), de la date des semis et du cultivar sur les composantes du rendement grainier, le rendement grainier proprement dit et la qualité du grain de l'avoine ensemencée directement. Pour cela, les auteurs ont testé quatre taux d'application, trois dates de semis et deux cultivars à Indian Head, Melfort et Canora, en Saskatchewan, ainsi qu'à Brandon, au Manitoba. Le rendement réagit mieux à l'augmentation du taux d'application (de 15 à 80 kg de N par hectare) quand l'avoine est semée au début de mai plutôt qu'au début de juin. Le nombre de panicules par plant est la composante qui explique la majeure partie de la hausse de rendement dérivant de la plus grande quantité d'engrais utilisée; le poids de l'amande, en revanche, diminue avec la hausse du taux d'application. La qualité physique des semences diminue (réduction du nombre de grains ventrus et hausse du nombre de grains minces) quand on retarde la date des semis et accroît les applications d'engrais. L'engrais azoté et la date des semis influent plus sur la qualité de CDC Pacer que sur celle d'AC Assiniboia. En combinant de la bonne façon des semis précoces, le volume d'engrais et des cultivars bien acclimatés, on devrait se rapprocher du rendement optimal pour l'avoine et de la qualité souhaitée pour accéder aux marchés les plus lucratifs.

According to the UN-FAO, agricultural production must increase by 50% by 2050 to meet global demand for food. This goal can be accomplished, in part, by the development of improved cultivars coupled with modern best management practices. Overall, wheat production on farms will have to increase significantly to meet future demand, and in the face of a changing climate that poses risk to even current rates of production. Durum wheat [Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum (Desf.)] is used largely for pasta, couscous and bulgur production. Durum producers face a range of factors spanning abiotic (frost damage, drought, and sprouting) and biotic (weed, disease, and insect pests) stresses that impact yields and quality specifications desired by export market end-users. Serious biotic threats include Fusarium head blight (FHB) and weed pest pressures, which have increased as a result of herbicide resistance. While genetic progress for yield and quality is on pace with common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), development of resistant durum cultivars to FHB is still lagging. Thus, successful biotic and abiotic threat mitigation are ideal case studies in Genotype (G) × Environment (E) × Management (M) interactions where superior cultivars (G) are grown in at-risk regions (E) and require unique approaches to management (M) for sustainable durum production. Transformational approaches to research are needed in order for agronomists, breeders and durum producers to overcome production constraints. Designing robust agronomic systems for durum demands scientific creativity and foresight based on a deep understanding of constitutive components and their innumerable interactions with each other and the environment. This encompasses development of durum production systems that suit specific agroecozones and close the yield gap between genetic potential and on-farm achieved yield. Advances in individual technologies (e.g., genetic improvements, new pesticides,

High costs of fertilizer in western Canada have generated interest in alternative N sources. Legumes produce N through fixation, and may increase soil residual and mineralizable N, thus reducing the need for fertilizer N in subsequent crops. Hybrid canola (Brassica napus L.) has a high N requirement for optimum yield, but knowledge of rotational effects of legumes on canola is limited. The objective was to determine the effects of legume and non-legume preceding crops on yield and quality of canola grown the following year and malting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown after canola. Field pea (Pisum sativum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), faba bean (Vicia faba L.), canola, and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) harvested for grain, and faba bean grown as a green manure were direct-seeded at seven locations in 2009. Canola was seeded in 2010 and barley in 2011, with fertilizer N applied at 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg ha -1 . On average, all legumes, except faba bean for seed, produced higher canola and barley yields than when wheat was the preceding crop. Faba bean green manure produced the highest yields, while canola on canola produced the lowest canola yield. The legumes had little negative effect on canola oil or barley protein concentration. Yields of both crops increased with increasing N rate, but canola oil concentration decreased, and barley protein increased. The results indicate that growing legumes for seed before hybrid canola can improve canola and subsequent barley yield without negatively affecting canola oil or malting barley protein.