Effects of Management and Plant Population On Grain Production and Quality of Winter Wheat.

This is the second year of a study to evaluate genetic by environment by management variation in winter wheat production in Indiana.  Seven wheat lines with varying genetic resistance to barley yellow dwarf virus were planted at two seeding rates (35 and 45 seeds per ft²), under each of six management regimes at West Lafayette and Evansville Indiana.  The six management regimes ranged on Nitrogen fertilizer application rate and presence or absence of seed treatment, insecticide and fungicide.  The grain yield, milling quality and economic cost-benefits were analyzed for each treatment.  Preliminary results show that line, location, nitrogen, seed treatment, and fungicide all had significant effect on yield at α<0.001 while seeding rate was significant at α=0.05.  Insecticide was not significant.  The only highly significant (α<0.001 ) interaction was line*location; line*nitrogen level was significant at α=0.1.  Tukey tests show that 135 lb N topdress yielded 104 bu/a and 95 lb N/a topdress yielded significantly different 91 bu/ac.  The higher nitrogen fertilizer and plant population had significant effects on both yield and grain quality.  Data from the 2009 harvest shows that high N fertility statistically increased flour protein, but it was not a substantial amount, (<0.05g protein/100 g flour). The high fertility treatment also decreased the grain softness equivalent, although it was a small effect; this effect did not affect gluten strength as measured by lactic acid SRC.  The least significant effect was in cookie top grain, which is a visual assessment.  This study did not identify significant cultivar x management interactions for milling and baking qualities, indicating that higher production management for increased yield, does not dramatically alter flour qualities. Economic analyses of the earning potential for each management regime are also being performed.