Frost seeding increases spring cereal yield

Abstract

Short growing season and mid-summer heat and drought are limiting factors for spring cereal production in Canada, suggesting that higher and more stable yields may be possible if the seeding date occurred earlier in the spring. Field trials were conducted in southern Ontario in 2003 and2004 to compare development and yield potential of frost (early April) and conventional (late April-early May) seeded hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and oat (Avena sativa L.) established using commercially available no-till planting equipment. Frost seeding had lower plant populations than conventional seeding, with pre-tillering plant population reductions for frost seeding averaging 44 plants m −2 (12%) for wheat and 27 plants m −2 (10%) for oats. In spite of lower plant population, frost seeding yields were higher than conventional seeding, with yield increases averaging 0.66 Mg ha −1 (24%) for wheat, 0.72 Mg ha −1 (20%) for oats, and 0.36 Mg ha −1 (11%, 2004 only) for barley. Frost seeded cereals had earlier occurrence of key phenological stages with average heading dates for frost seeded wheat and barley occurring 5 d earlier. Frost seeded cereals also had a longer vegetative period, which, along with earlier heading dates, contributed to increased yields for frost seeded cereals.Key words: spring wheat, spring barley, oat, frost seeding, planting date.Résumé : La brièveté de la période végétative ainsi que la chaleur et la sécheresse qui sévissent au milieu de l'été nuisent à la culture des céréales de printemps, au Canada. On présume que le rendement serait plus élevé et plus stable si les semis avaient lieu plus tôt au printemps. Mots-clés : blé de printemps, orge de printemps, avoine, semis en sol gelé, date des semis.

The Integration of Spring and Winter Wheat Genetics With Agronomy for Ultra-Early Planting Into Cold Soils

“…However, anthesis to maturity and emergence to maturity periods were offset as a result of seeding date. The length of days and available solar radiation captured in the anthesis to maturity and emergence to AB 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. Regina, SK 2015, Swift Current, SK 2015‡ 7 site years.…”

“…Edmonton, AB 2015, 2016, 2017. Scott, SK 2016, 2017. Bolded values indicate a p -value of less than 0.05.…”

“…Many studies have indicated higher grain yield from seeding wheat earlier in western Canada (Larter et al, 1971;Mckenzie et al, 2008;McKenzie et al, 2011;Lanning et al, 2012) however, few have indicated the point at which seeding earlier has a detrimental effect on yield. Thilakarathna et al (2017) evaluated frost-seeding, or seeding prior to spring ground thaw, in Ontario, Canada and determined a grain yield benefit of up to 24% over conventional seeding times for spring wheat in that environment, despite increased plant mortality.…”