Ohio Farm News
By Roger Bender

Add $2 or more to the price of any bushel of grain and the interest of farmers perks up. When that type of increase and more happens within 30 days or fewer, the desire to plant wheat can go from “not interested” to “how much good seed can I buy?”

In our part of Ohio, we often have a love-hate relationship with wheat. In 2009, we marveled at our high yields and excellent test weights. This year’s crop looked good early, but much of its yield potential and quality was doomed by frequent rains during the flowering period.

After taking a beating on yield, test weight and damage, many farmers in west-central Ohio swore “never again” to wheat. Of course, “never” is a long time and such a statement is often challenged much sooner than we could ever expect.

A dealer called a week ago, requesting information on wheat varieties resistant to Fusarium Head Scab, that were also winter hardy, with high yield potential. Because of farmer customer distaste for the 2010 wheat crop, he had not planned to sell much seed wheat for fall planting.

Then, reports on wheat production challenges in Russia, Canada and elsewhere dramatically changed the market and his phone was “ringing off the hook” with requests for wheat seed.

The best source for wheat varietal information available in Ohio is the 2010 Ohio Wheat Performance Test. This test evaluates wheat varieties, blends, brands and breeding lines for yield, grain quality and other important performance characteristics.

This publication gives wheat producers comparative information for selecting the varieties best suited for their production system and market. Varieties differ in yield potential, winter hardiness, maturity, standability, disease and insect resistance and other agronomic characteristics. Selection should be based on performance from multiple test sites and years.

Each entry was evaluated at five test sites using four replications per site in a randomized complete block design. Participating companies specified the seeding rate used for each of their varieties. Tests were planted within 14 days after the fly-safe date. The following data were collected:

•Yield is reported in bushels per acre at 13.5 percent moisture.

•Test Weight is reported in pounds per bushel averaged across all locations.

•Seed Size is thousands of harvested seeds per pound (Example: 15.5 = 15,500 seeds per pound).

•Percent Lodging is the percent of plants that lean more than 45 degrees from vertical.

•Plant Height is the distance from the soil surface to the top of the heads.

•Heading Date was the average calendar day of the year on which 50 percent of the heads were completely emerged.

•Growth Habit was determined to allow producers to select varieties suitable for wide row (WR) 15-inch production or for a relay cropping (RC) system.

•Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) – Varieties were evaluated in an inoculated screening nursery at Wooster. FHB was rated as the percentage of spikelets diseased per head (disease index).

•Powdery mildew (PM) was evaluated at Wooster when most varieties were at the flowering (Feekes growth stage 10.5.1) growth stage. The rating scale took into account the percentage of leaf area affected and the upward progress of the disease on the plants.

•Flour Yield and Softness are also rated.

This report can be found on the Internet at www.agcrops.osu.edu and www.ag.ohiostate.edu/~perf

Any column of data can be sorted by clicking at the top of the column, which makes it easy to arrange varieties in order by any characteristic for comparison purposes. Hard copies are available at Ohio State University extension county offices.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Roger Bender may write to him in care of this publication.