Ontario Grain Farmer March 2021

22 MANY WHEAT FARMERS across Ontario have increased their nitrogen rates in recent years with resulting increases in yield. Whatever nitrogen rate you went with last year, however, Peter Johnson, agronomist with Real Agriculture, cautions you — based on recent research results — to pay attention to your sulphur and take a systems approach to prevent lodging and achieve the best crop possible. Grain Farmers of Ontario supported a sizable research project that examined nitrogen (N), sulphur (S) and fungicide applications in three classes of wheat in terms of disease, yield, and quality parameters such as protein content. Over three years, sites in southwestern and eastern and northern Ontario were planted with soft red winter, hard red winter, and hard red spring wheat and treated with five levels of N, with split treatments and control strips for comparison. The research teammeasured disease, lodging, yield, moisture, maturity, thousand kernel weight, protein, Fusarium-damaged kernels (where appropriate), and at some sites, tiller and head counts. Soil type, previous crop, and residual soil nitrate concentrations were also measured. Yield and quality in wheat NITROGEN RATES Treena Hein THREE YEAR STUDY OF WHEAT TREATED WITH FIVE LEVELS OF NITROGEN. PHOTO COURTESY OF PETER JOHNSON. POTENTIAL Protein response to various N levels was extremely variable across the study locations, making it hard for the team to draw any conclusions. As expected, protein increased as N rate increased, says Johnson, and protein content increased a little in wheat treated with no fungicide compared to that which received an application. Overall, he says farmers can feel assured that their normal practices, particularly having N applications at or near maximized economic return, will continue to deliver a high-quality product for end users, and that management changes are not required for quality purposes. Research