Five Decades of Drill Box Surveys for Small Grains in Utah.

Planting high quality seed is a critical component of successful crop production and has long been the focus of Extension efforts in Utah.  Unlike many other crops, seed of small grains has the potential to be poor quality because any grower can raise their own seed.    Drill box surveys of Utah small grains were conducted in 1958, 1968, 1978, 1988, and 2001.  The purpose was to 1) determine the kind and quality of cereal grain seed being planted in the state of Utah and 2) to track changes in behavior over time as the educational program matured.  Samples of seed grain were collected out of drill boxes at planting time by county Extension agents and Utah Department of Agriculture employees.  All samples were sent to the state seed laboratory to test germination and purity.  At the time of sample collection, a questionnaire was completed by the grower that included such information as variety, seed source, certification, seed treatments, cleaning method, seeding rate, and acreage planted.  Between 1958 and 2001, most parameters were marked by steady improvement.  Samples with any weeds decreased from 52% in 1958 to 23% in 2001.  Individual species such as wild oats (Avena fatua), quackgrass (Elytrigia repens), and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) showed similar trends.  Jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica) first appeared in the 1988 survey where it infested 6% of samples, but declined to 2% by 2001.