April 8, 2011

Producers can compare how various wheat varieties performed under this year’s conditions at a series of wheat tours in western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming this June. The tours, sponsored by university extension programs in each state, will be held at farmer sites and university research farms.

Farmers can learn about the performance of newly released varieties they may want to plant next year, as well as how Nebraska wheat varieties fared compared to varieties from neighboring states and from private seed companies.

This project includes both red (majority) and white wheat planted in three types of trials:

• Conventional Dryland – 51 entries
• Conventional Irrigated – 42 entries
• Organic Dryland – 34 entries

Through these trials, researchers are looking at variety response and regional adaptation to the local climate, occurrence of new insects and diseases, yield, and grain protein.

Entries include varieties and experimental lines from Nebraska (the majority of the varieties), Kansas, Colorado, and South Dakota, and from some private seed companies (AgriproSyngenta and Westbred). From UNL, they include Robidoux and McGill plus a promising experimental.

Also included are several experimental lines being tested for improved yield, disease resistance, and quality.

Dipak Santa
Extension Alternative Crops Breeder
Stephen Baenziger
Eurene W. Price Distinguished Professor
Small Grains Breeding and Genetics
 

Tour Schedule

June 20, 6 p.m — Deuel County, Terry Akeson Farm
Directions: From Hwy 30 and Wheatland Dr. on the west edge of Chappell, go north 8.5 miles on Road 165; plots are on the west side of road.
Host Specialist/Educator: Dipak Santra (dsantra2@unl.edu, office: 308-632-1244 or cell: 970-396-2521); Carla Mahar (cmahar1@unl.edu, 308-874-2705 or 308-772-3311)

June 21, 8:30 a.m. — High Plains Ag Lab
Directions: From Sidney go 6 miles north on US 385. From Gurley go 7 miles south on US 385, 2.5 miles west at Huntsman elevator on Road 32, 0.5 mile north on Road 109, and 1 mile east on Road 32N.

• 8:30 a.m.: Conventional wheat trial
• 10 a.m.: Organic wheat trial

Host Specialist/Educator: Dipak Santra (dsantra2@unl.edu, office: 308-632-1244 or cell: 970-396-2521); Drew Lyon (dlyon@unlnotes.unl.edu, 308-632-1266) and Karen DeBoer (kdeboer1@unl.edu, 308-254-4455)

June 21, 3 p.m. — Box Butte County Dryland (Cullan Farms)
Directions: From Hemingford, take Hwy 2 south about 5.5 miles to Hall Road, turn and go west on Hall about 0.5 mile. Plots are on the south side of the road (0.2 mile west of Hall Road & Road 67)
Host Specialist/Educator: Dipak Santra (dsantra2@unl.edu, office: 308-632-1244 or cell: 970-396-2521-cell) and Bill Booker, wbooker2@unl.edu, 308-762-5616

June 21, 4:30 p.m. — Box Butte County Irrigated (Darby Jesperson Farm)
Directions: From Hemingford go 0.5 mile straight north on CR 70 (oil road). Plots are on the east side of the road.
Host Specialist/Educator: Dipak Santra (dsantra2@unl.edu, office: 308-632-1244 or cell: 970-396-2521) and Bill Booker, wbooker2@unl.edu, 308-762-5616

June 23, 10:30 a.m. — Albin, Wyo. (Theron Anderson Farm)
Directions: From Albin, west 2.5 miles on Hwy 216, then 2 miles south on Road 159, then 0.3 miles west on Rd 227, then continue south 2 miles on Road 159, then west 3 miles to Road 156, turn north 0.7 mile. Plots are on the west edge of the north center pivot.
Host Specialists: Jerry Nachtman (office: 307-837-2000 or cell: 307-575-1731) or Jim Krall (307-837-2000).

June 23, 1:30 p.m. — Pine Bluffs, Wyo. (Herb Mattson Farm)
Directions: From Pine Bluffs, go north 6 miles on Hwy 215. From Albin go 11 miles south, west at Mattson farm sign, plots are on the east side of the road, south of grain cleaning building.
Host Specialists: Jerry Nachtman (office: 307-837-2000 or cell: 307-575-1731) or Jim Krall (307-837-2000).