variety trials Archives - Department of Soil and Crop Sciences

Texas A&M AgriLife brings wheat field tours to producers online

23Jun

By: Kay Ledbetter

Producers across the state are harvesting or have already harvested their wheat crop. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Texas A&M AgriLife wheat research and variety trials did not take a break during the COVID-19 pandemic. But it was not possible to conduct a traditional May wheat field tour, so Texas A&M AgriLife faculty across the state are bringing fields to producers – virtually.

The 2020 Virtual Wheat Tour is a combination of videos from across the state that allow producers to view the field trials and hear the latest in research, said Fernando Guillen, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service statewide small grains and oilseed crops specialist, College Station.

Picking the best of the best

Winter wheat uniform variety trials, or UVT, were planted at 23 sites across the state in 18 different geographic locations to evaluate lines of wheat under both irrigated and dryland conditions, Guillen said.

The plots are a collaboration of AgriLife Extension agronomists and county agents as well as Texas A&M AgriLife Research’s two wheat breeders, Jackie Rudd, Ph.D., Amarillo, and Amir Ibrahim, Ph.D., College Station.

Guillen said the UVT include different varieties and experimental lines developed by Texas A&M AgriLife, as well as varieties from other universities and private industry. The results gathered from these test plots are used to make sound variety recommendations to producers in the different growing regions – High Plains, Rolling Plains, Blacklands and South Texas – by way of an annual “Picks list.” The 2020-2021 list will be posted in early August.

The best materials placed in the Picks list are selected based on a careful evaluation of:

Grain yield – the variety performs above average in its target region.
Disease and insect package – the variety’s ability to cope with seasonal disease and pressures within the target region – particularly leaf rust, stripe rust, stem rust, wheat streak mosaic virus, soil-borne mosaic virus, greenbug, wheat curl mite and Hessian fly.
End-use quality – specifically the variety must have above average test weight and good milling and baking attributes.
Stability – the variety must have the ability to perform consistently across locations and years within a given region.

This drone shot of the irrigated uniform variety trial near Bushland gives a wheat tour perspective on the differences in hard red winter wheat varieties. (Texas A&M AgriLife drone photo by Shannon Baker)

Variety trial locations

In the High Plains, there were three irrigated and three dryland trials located near Bushland, Groom, Perryton, Dumas and Dalhart. In these trials, 34 varieties were planted in the dryland trials and 36 in the irrigated ones. The dryland trials included eight Texas A&M AgriLife, TAM, varieties, four new experimental TAM lines, nine from other universities and 13 from the seed industry. The irrigated trials had eight TAM varieties, three experimental TAM lines, 11 from other universities and 14 from private industry. These trials are approaching the final stages of development, and they will soon be ready to harvest. This year no trials were lost due to weather conditions at the Panhandle.

In the Rolling Plains, there were trials under dryland conditions near Abilene, Chillicothe, Munday and San Angelo. They included 31 varieties – five TAM varieties, five experimental TAM lines, five from other universities and 16 from private industry. One location, Chillicothe, was impacted by freeze and hail damage.

The Blacklands had trials in Ellis, Hillsboro, McGregor, Muenster, Thrall and Prosper, all under dryland conditions. The Thrall location was lost, however, due to significant cattle damage. Harvest is underway at most locations. There were 23 varieties planted – four TAM, four experimental TAM lines, one from another university and 14 from private industry.

In South Texas, dryland trials were planted at Castroville, College Station, Eagle Lake and Uvalde and all were harvested in May. Twenty varieties were included in these trials – four TAM, five new experimental TAM lines, one from another university and 10 from private industry.

Wheat tour: Conditions and yields

Guillen said based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture report from May, approximately 80% of winter wheat was in fair condition or better. Only 21% was listed as poor or very poor. And at that time, about 30% had been harvested.

Ibrahim reported leaf rust was a problem again this year in the southern regions of the state, although not as severe as in previous years.

“It’s been wet in many areas of the Blacklands, so much so that we didn’t get to apply second dose of nitrogen this year,” he said. “Our yields were 50 to 60 bushels per acre instead of the 70 or 80 bushels per acre we typically see there.

“We also had some freeze damage in some of the early lines in South Texas and Central Texas. We had freezing temperatures in February after the wheat had started to joint. The freeze in Uvalde and Castroville came when the stems were elongating and caused the damage.”

Freezing temperatures and snow damaged wheat across the state in 2020. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Qingwu Xue)

Ibrahim said overall they saw good moisture and timely rains, although some rains impeded field operations. All locations other than the Blacklands were expected to see average yields.

Rudd said the weather has definitely provided the most optimum conditions to find the hardiest varieties.

“The reason our varieties are such strong performers under stress is because they have been bred and selected under stress,” he said.

In 2018, there was almost no rain and 2019 there was a lot of rain and good yields. Now in 2020, the rains were in the middle – decent early rains and then some snow through February and March, before they shut off.

“This gives us a good diversity of what we need when looking at different germplasm. Since breeding is a long multi-year process, something that can do really well in all three years are definitely keepers,” Rudd said.

He said many of the plots saw freeze and hail damage and then recent high winds caused some shattering in wheat lines that were not bred for the High Plains.

“Our target environment is a tough place and we need lines that will survive all these conditions,” Rudd said. “There are several experimental lines coming through the pipeline that we feel very good about. What we have in the pipeline are better than the existing varieties. The process works.”

Texas A&M ready to begin hemp variety trials

8May

By: Kay Ledbetter

Texas A&M AgriLife will be planting hemp variety trials for the first time this spring, with a goal to provide producers, hemp seed companies and the larger hemp industry with a reliable, independent scientific assessment of hemp varietal performance in Texas.

Calvin Trostle, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agronomist and statewide hemp specialist, Lubbock, said they will begin implementing the Texas A&M AgriLife fee-based variety testing program for hemp cannabinoid, fiber and grain at Plainview and San Angelo under irrigation, and Commerce and College Station, both rainfed.

Hemp variety trials will be conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

These trials will be conducted under the long-time Texas A&M AgriLife Crop Testing Program, which is a combined effort of AgriLIfe Extension and Texas A&M AgriLife Research faculty, Trostle said. This self-supporting program has offered public variety trials for wheat, grain sorghum, corn, sunflowers and soybeans, as well as other crops, for decades.

Due to the urgency to get trials planted in May, the due date for receiving entry forms, seed and payment is May 8. Anyone with questions about the program and protocol should contact Trostle at ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu or call 806-777-0247. He can provide the program description, fee structure and entry form, which can also be accessed at http://varietytesting.tamu.edu.

“We are adding hemp testing to the program for 2020, however, because we are getting a later start than we wanted due to meeting licensing requirements, we will not test in South Texas this year,” he said.

AgriLife Extension’s Industrial Hemp Education Initiative Team, established shortly after House Bill 1325 was signed into law by the Governor last June, determined the variety trials are the next step in educating potential hemp producers. The team has already gathered many hemp resources since that time. However, this is the first step in conducting Texas testing.

“Trial results for crops tested by Texas A&M AgriLife are used by farmers across Texas to make decisions on their planting seed,” said Larry Redmon, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension program leader for the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and associate department head. “Our goal is that Texas hemp producers may enjoy the same type of information for their seed selection decisions.”

Utilizing the full expertise and resources of Texas A&M AgriLife, Trostle said it is especially important to identify varieties with low THC. THC must remain at or below 0.3% or the crop must be destroyed. As such, THC levels and seed quality are two of the main issues other states have dealt with since hemp was legalized.

He said the entry fees charged will cover the cost of conducting the program, which was established after reviewing the methodology of the few hemp variety trials to date conducted in other states.

“We will seek a balance between a bare-bones approach vs. an intensive assessment of hemp variety growth and performance,” Trostle said.

“This year will be trial run in some ways as we prepare for broader statewide testing, including South Texas in 2021,” he said. “For now, we are emphasizing seed trials rather than transplants or clones, though we will consider those planting stocks if needed.

“Long-term we believe field agriculture hemp will move toward mostly seeded production, which should have lower costs. With AgriLife’s eventual emphasis on certified Texas hemp seed, I think this will fix some of the concerns we hear about poor seed quality in other states.”

Certified seed should have improved genetic purity, higher germination and seedling vigor, Trostle said.

“If you are interested in participating, please notify me as soon as you can as we are working on the individual sites for field preparation,” Trostle said. “We will do our best to accommodate all interested companies, but if we receive more entries than we can handle, we will ensure that each company is represented as best we can. If the small-plot research is still tight for available planting area, we will choose submissions that are pursuing certified seed status in Texas.”

Texas A&M AgriLife’s High Plains wheat “Top Picks” list released

18Sep

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contacts: Dr. Calvin Trostle, 806-746-6101, ctrostle@ag.tamu.edu
Dr. Jourdan Bell, 806-677-5600, jourdan.bell@ag.tamu.edu
Dr. Jackie Rudd, 806-677-5600, jcrudd@ag.tamu.edu

Each year, experts with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research jointly provide wheat producers across the High Plains their “Top Picks” list for varieties with the highest potential before planting time.

The summaries are derived from wheat variety trials coordinated by the Texas A&M AgriLife wheat breeding program in Amarillo, with funding provided by variety trial entry fees as well as the Texas Wheat Producers Board.

Picks are based on yield performance and consistency from over 30 multiyear, multisite irrigated and dryland trials harvested from 2015-2018. Test sites range from Lamesa to Perryton and west to Clovis, New Mexico.

A drone shot of the Texas A&M AgriLife wheat breeding and variety trials near Bushland. (Texas A&M AgriLife drone photo by Shannon Baker)

In the High Plains, picks for full irrigation include TAM 113, TAM 114, TAM 304, Iba and Winterhawk. Top limited-irrigation picks are TAM 112, TAM 113, TAM 114, Iba, T158 and Winterhawk. Top dryland varieties are the TAM 112, TAM 113, TAM 114 and T158, along with the addition of two new ones this year, WB4721 and LCS Mint.

Dr. Calvin Trostle, AgriLife Extension agronomist in Lubbock, said WB Grainfield, Winterhawk and Iba were removed from the previous dryland list because their long-term performance has flattened out, while WB4721 and LCS Mint were added to the list.

“Pick” varieties with a minimum of three years in the Texas A&M AgriLife High Plains tests continue to yield 6-10 percent better as a group than all other varieties in both irrigated and dryland tests, according to the selection team.

Trostle said the experts also keep a two- and three-year “watch list” of varieties that might eventually make the Top Picks list. Denali, a Colorado line that was not entered in the 2017-2018 trials, was taken off the watch list this year and PlainsGold Avery and Long Branch were added for dryland production.

Dr. Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist in Amarillo, said Picks varieties are stable performers over several years, so producers are encouraged to consider them when purchasing new seed.

“Adding a Pick variety with a specific disease package or maturity that contrasts with your current variety would be a good complement to your overall program,” Bell said.
Across the Texas High Plains, much of the early wheat planted in September for dual-purpose production was drilled into good soil moisture resulting in good stands and good early forage production, she said. However, rain subsided in October, and much of the late wheat was dry sowed.

The drought persisted across the Texas High Plains with the winter of 2017-2018 being one of the driest winters on record. Due to drought and lack of forage, producers pulled cattle off dryland wheat earlier than anticipated.

Heavy fall forage production depleted soil water and deteriorated wheat conditions, especially on dryland acres, with many dryland fields not recovering, Bell said. With irrigation, many producers maintained forage and grain production. Some producers received localized rain in April and May that helped carry dryland wheat.

In several areas, dry-sowed winter wheat did not germinate until April, she said. Spring temperatures were above average, especially during pollination and early grain development. Yields of early planted ungrazed dryland wheat that established normally, if harvested, ranged from 10 to 20 bushels per acre.

“Amazingly, a few yields on dryland wheat topped 30 bushels per acre even though in-season rainfall was at best 2 inches,” Trostle said. “This is a testament to the value of deep soil moisture that carried the crop. Irrigated wheat ranged from 50 to 100 bushels per acre, depending on irrigation capacity.”

The AgriLife High Plains Wheat Picks over the years often only include one or two changes from previous years because multiyear data contributes to selection and wheat varieties tend to be available over many years, said Dr. Jackie Rudd, AgriLife Research wheat breeder in Amarillo.

“There can be good and bad years where a single variety might suffer or excel, but by taking the long-term look at them at multiple locations, we can better identify those that will have a more consistent performance,” Rudd said.

TAM 112 has had average performance most years and poor in 2017, but it was very good in 2018, he said. Due to greenbug tolerance and wheat curl mite/wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance, it continues to have an important role in High Plains wheat production.

Also, Rudd stressed this list is for grain production only. Although beardless TAM 204 is not on the picks list because of marginal bread-making quality, “it is an excellent choice for grazing.”

Full wheat variety testing results for the High Plains are posted on http://amarillo.tamu.edu; http://lubbock.tamu.edu; and http://varietytesting.tamu.edu.

Cotton Variety Trial Results posted in south, east and central Texas

24Jan

Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Dr. Gaylon Morgan, 979-845-2425, gdmorgan@tamu.edu

COLLEGE STATION – The 2017 Replicated Agronomic Cotton Evaluation or RACE trial results from South, East and Central Texas are in and give producers a look at how the latest transgenic varieties performed across the state, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialist.

“Our data show transgenic varieties accounted for 99 percent of the state cotton acreage in 2017,” said Dr. Gaylon Morgan, AgriLife Extension state cotton specialist in College Station. “Texas has been at over 90 percent transgenic varieties for a decade, but the traits being utilized are being stacked with more insect and herbicide tolerant traits.”

Harvest of the 2017 RACE cotton trials in Navarro County. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Dr. Gaylon Morgan)

In 2017 in Texas, 64 percent of the cotton varieties were XtendFlex, up from about 10 percent in 2015, and are expected to increase again in 2018, he said. The Enlist cotton was at 3 percent in 2017, but also is expected to have a big increase in 2018 as well. However, the data show LibertyLink trait and associated herbicide remain a viable weed management system, especially in South and East Texas.

“This is one of the values of the RACE trials in South and East Texas,” Morgan said. “We provide each company’s varieties and associated traits to be included and provide an unbiased head-to-head comparison at 17 locations each year.”

He said variety decisions should start with the agronomic characteristics such as yield, maturity and fiber quality first and then match the transgenic technology with the highest pest management priority second.

The AgriLife Extension cotton agronomy team of Morgan, Dr. Josh McGinty, agronomist in Corpus Christi; Dale Mott, program specialist in College Station; along with technicians and county agents have been conducting large-plot, on-farm, replicated variety trials for 12 years in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Blacklands, South Texas/Wintergarden and Upper Coastal regions.

He said 17 RACE trials and three Monster Trials were planted in 2017. The Monster cotton variety trials are conducted by McGinty as small-plot variety evaluations and include a larger number of both commercially available and experimental cotton varieties.

The results of all trials are available at http://Cotton.tamu.edu. Results include yield, fiber quality and estimated lint value for each location, as well as rankings based upon lint yield for the varieties within a production region.

“Yields across the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend were very good this season, with good early season moisture and some timely rains during the season,” Morgan said. “Also, favorable weather at harvest helped maintain yields, unlike in the Central and Upper Gulf Coast and Southern Blacklands where some received heavy rainfall as harvest approached.

“In the Upper Gulf Coast, higher-than-average yields were expected, but yield and fiber quality were significantly impacted by Hurricane Harvey. In the Southern Blacklands, low yields were primarily due to erratic rainfall during late-season, but Hurricane Harvey negatively impacted harvestable lint and fiber quality as well.”

Morgan said prior to making landfall, Hurricane Harvey caused various degrees of damage to the Coastal Bend cotton crop as a result of wind, rain and floodwaters.

“Cotton harvest was wrapping up in the lower Coastal Bend, but was in full swing further north along the middle and upper Coastal Bend regions of the state,” he said. “Cotton losses varied greatly across several regions due to damaged/destroyed modules of cotton, floodwaters that soaked modules, and excess wind, rain and floodwaters on cotton yet to be harvested. The areas to the west and north of where Harvey hit were impacted to a lesser extent.”

The average non-irrigated yields for the 2017 RACE trials ranged from 1,981 pounds per acre for Nueces County to 761 pounds per acre for the Williamson County location. Average irrigated location yields ranged from 2,369 pounds per acre for the Medina County location to 753 pounds per acre for the Burleson County location, where Hurricane Harvey also impacted yields.

Morgan said when selecting cotton varieties, several key factors should be considered before planting.

“Producers need to gather as much unbiased yield and fiber quality data as possible from their area and beyond,” he said. “Some varieties are widely adapted, while others perform well under more specific growing conditions and situations.”

Also, Morgan said, select the herbicide- and insect-tolerant traits that best fit the expected challenges for 2018.

“Seed and technologies fees for the newer herbicide and insect traits are usually more expensive,” he said. “If you don’t need these traits, then many varieties with older trait packages are still competitive in yield and quality.”

For more information, contact Morgan at gdmorgan@tamu.edu or 979-845-2425 or McGinty at jmcginty@tamu.edu or 361-265-9203.