Tools for Selecting Small Grain Varieties from UCCE Statewide Trials

Mark Lundy Assistant CE Specialist UCCE-UC Davis

Nicholas George Assistant Project Scientist UC Davis

Overall Program Objective: Deliver timely, site-specific crop management information to grain growers throughout the state

Variety selection is a key component of crop management. The variety testing program is a cornerstone of our research & extension program.

PAST <---> PRESENT <---> FUTURE

The region pictured is primarily the state of:

A. California

B. Arizona

C. Nevada

D. Jefferson

E. Drought

Californ

ia

Arizona

Nevada

Jeffe

rson

Drought

0% 0% 0%0%0%

Are you a (mark all that apply)?

A. Grower

B. CCA/PCA

C. Input supplier

D. Researcher

E. Other

Grower

CCA/PCA

Input s

upplier

Resear

cher

Other

0% 0% 0%0%0%

Have you grown or consulted on a small grain crop (excluding rice) in the past 5 years?

A. Yes

B. No

YesNo

0%0%

If you have you grown or consulted on a small grain crop in the past 5 years, was it primarily harvested

for grain or forage?

A. Grain only

B. Forage only

C. Mostly grain

D. Mostly forage

E. A mix of grain and forage

Grain

only

Fora

ge o

nly

Most

ly gr

ain

Most

ly fo

rage

A mix

of g

rain

and fo

rage

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For small grains you have harvested for grain in the past 5 years, what crops have you grown (mark all

that apply)?

A. Wheat

B. Triticale

C. Barley

D. Oats

E. Other

Wheat

Tritica

le

Barley

Oats

Other

0% 0% 0%0%0%

For small grains you have harvested for forage in the past 5 years, what crops have you grown (mark

all that apply)?

A. Wheat

B. Triticale

C. Barley

D. Oats

E. Blend

F. Other

Wheat

Tritica

le

Barley

Oats

Blend

Other

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

What are your average wheat grain yields?

A. 3000 lbs/acre

B. 4000 lbs/acre

C. 5000 lbs/acre

D. 6000 lbs/acre

E. 7000 lbs/acre

F. 8000 lbs/acre

G. 9000 lbs/acre

3000 lbs/

acre

4000 lbs/

acre

5000 lbs/

acre

6000 lbs/

acre

7000 lbs/

acre

8000 lbs/

acre

9000 lbs/

acre

0% 0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

In which California region/county(ies) do you manage or consult on small grains and/or forage

crops (mark all that apply)?

A. San Joaquin

B. Solano

C. Sacramento

D. Contra Costa

E. Stanislaus

F. Yolo

G. Other

San Jo

aquin

Solano

Sacra

mento

Contra C

osta

Stanisl

ausYolo

Other

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What source of information helps you to determine which small grain variety to plant (mark all that

apply)?

A. Personal experience

B. Seed dealer

C. UC Cooperative Extension

D. Conversations with other growers

E. California Wheat Commission

Personal e

xperience

Seed deale

r

UC Coopera

tive Ext

ension

Convers

ations w

ith o

the...

Californ

ia W

heat Com

mi..

.

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Rank the following components in the order of their importance to your variety selection decision

(most important first):

A. Yield

B. Disease resistance

C. Protein

D. Marketability

E. Adaptation to my conditions

Yield

Disease

resis

tance

Prote

in

Mark

etabili

ty

Adaptatio

n to m

y condit.

..

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On what percentage of your small grain acreage do you plant certified seed?

A. 0%

B. 25%

C. 50%

D. 75%

E. 100%

0%25%

50%75%

100%

0% 0% 0%0%0%

Do you typically plant with a contract in place at the start of the season?

A. Usually

B. Sometimes

C. Never

Usually

Sometim

es

Never

0% 0%0%

A solid foundation

Multi-environment trial measuring: Yield Quality Disease prevalence Agronomic traits

Genetics x Environment G = commercial and elite Varieties E = biophysical determinants of crop growth

Crop management is implicitly included as part of the Environmental effect

A solid foundation

Multi-environment trial measuring: Yield Quality Disease prevalence Agronomic traits

PAST <--> PRESENT <---> FUTURE

A solid foundation

Results are compiled in tables:

A solid foundation

Results are compiled in tables:

In the past have you made small grain variety decisions based on information

available on this website? A. Yes

B. No

C. Unsure

YesNo

Unsure

0% 0%0%

A solid foundation

Strengths of past program: Extensive, continuous data

reported in a thorough format

How can we maintain strength while: Gleaning more information from the historical efforts and existing data? Restructuring/augmenting the presentation of the results for users with different needs/objectives from the data?

Current Efforts

New approaches to analysis and presentation of data

Would you be interested in using or learning more about a tool like this for making small grain variety decisions?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Unsure

YesNo

Unsure

0% 0%0%

Current Efforts

New approaches to analysis and presentation of data

Genotype

G x E

• How does variety performance change according to environment?

2016 Durum

UC

Nu

mb

er

Would you be interested in using or learning more about a tool like this for making small grain variety decisions?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Unsure

YesNo

Unsure

0% 0%0%

Looking Ahead

From: Genetics x Environment To: Genetics x Environment x Management

Separate questions: Do variety rankings change as a function of environment?

Do variety rankings change as a function of management? How can we gradually improve our estimates of N & water

management effects on productivity across diverse environments, cropping system goals

Looking Ahead

Increased in-season measurement and real-time information

Looking Ahead

Increased in-season measurement and real-time information

Looking Ahead

Increased in-season measurement and real-time information

For the small grain crop that you predominantly grow/consult on, is irrigation typical?

A. Usually

B. Sometimes

C. Never

Usually

Sometim

es

Never

0% 0%0%

planting/early emergence tillering stem elongation boot/heading flowering grain fill

If you irrigate your small grain crop, select the 2 growth stages that you are most likely to apply water:

A. Planting/early emergence

B. Tillering

C. Stem elongation

D. Boot/heading

E. Flowering

F. Grain fill

Planting/e

arly em

ergence

Tillerin

g

Stem

elo

ngatio

n

Boot/headin

g

Flow

ering

Grain

fill

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

planting/early emergence tillering stem elongation boot/heading flowering grain fill

When do you typically apply nitrogen?

A. Preplant only

B. Preplant-tillering/stem elongation

C. Preplant-boot/heading

D. Preplant-flowering

E. Never

Prepla

nt only

Prepla

nt-till

ering/s

tem

e...

Prepla

nt-boot/

headin

g

Prepla

nt-flo

werin

g

Never

0% 0% 0%0%0%

How much total N do you typically apply?

A. None

B. 50 lbs/acre

C. 100 lbs/acre

D. 150 lbs/acre

E. 200 lbs/acre

F. 250 lbs/acre

G. 300 lbs/acre

None

50 lbs/

acre

100 lbs/

acre

150 lbs/

acre

200 lbs/

acre

250 lbs/

acre

300 lbs/

acre

0% 0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

Would you be interested in participating in a California Wheat Yield Contest?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Maybe

YesNo

Mayb

e

0% 0%0%

Are increased research and extension efforts specifically related to small grain forages something

you would value?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Maybe

YesNo

Mayb

e

0% 0%0%

Would you be willing to make a voluntary contribution of $2/acre on your forage acres at the end of each season to

fund forage-specific research in California?

A. Yes

B. No

C. Maybe

YesNo

Mayb

e

0% 0%0%

Looking Ahead

People: Davis-based staff

Looking Ahead

People: UCCE Regional Advisors, REC Staff

Looking Ahead

Keep in touch!

melundy@ucdavis.edu; 530-902-7295

Acknowledgements

Michael Rodriguez, Taylor Nelsen, Paul Martinez, Peter Murphy, Rozana Moe, Jessica Henriquez, Quinn Levin, Jim Jackson, Fred Stewart, Lalo Banuelos, Francisco Maciel, Darrin Culp, Rob Wilson, Lee Jackson, Josh Hegarty, Phil Mayo, Diane Prato-Mayo, Sam Fraser, and Jorge Dubcovsky

melundy@ucdavis.edu; 530-902-7295

Questions/Discussion