Dual Purpose Wheat

Impact of Tillage on Forage and Grain Yield for Dual Purpose Winter Wheat

Objectives:

1.  Evaluate the effect of no-till practices on phenology, forage production, and grain yield of hard red winter wheat cultivars commonly grown in the southern Great Plains

2.  Collect data necessary for development of a mechanistic model that predicts fall forage production by small grains

Materials and Methods:

Research plots were established at El Reno, OK in the fall of 2006.  The El Reno site was chosen as an alternaive to the Wheat Pasture Research Unit at Marshall, OK because of synergies with existing reserch, the ability to introduce a crop rotation, and support and involovement of the county-level extension personnel. No-till and conventional-till wheat plots were sown on Sept. 12, 2006 and cattle grazed the plots from mid-Oct. until late Feb.

Results:

Yield results from this field trial can be found in the 2006-2007 Wheat Variety Publication. Table 2 of this publication shows that average forage yields were 2260 and 3330 lbs/acre for no-till and conventional practices, respectively.  In contrast, grain yields at this location were not affected by tillage practices.

This research is ongoing and will in the future include data evaluating yield components under no-till management and crop rotation.