“The crop itself can be harvested for straw and grain for food and also livestock feed use, adding to farm revenue,” says Jaber Husiny, a research associate in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph who recently completed a master’s degree looking at a new way to screen for cultivars that overwinter better than others. Working with a team of researchers at the University of Guelph, Dr. Dave Hooker, associate professor and field crop agronomist at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, has found that corn yields can rise on average more than 15 per cent and soybeans 13 per cent when winter wheat is added to the rotation. During dry years, soybean yields go up an astounding 20 to 30 per cent depending on the tillage system. Looking at the results of a long-term 28-year study, this team also found that using wheat in the rotation reduces the dependence on nitrogen fertilizer. Combining this rotation with reduced tillage in their study also resulted in increased nitrogen and organic carbon, benefiting soil microbes. But not all cultivars survive equally over the harsh times of the year. In some fields, Ontario winter wheat growers can struggle with maintaining viable wheat stands through winter and early spring, notes Hooker, especially with ice, snow cover (or lack thereof), and freeze-thaw during early spring. “It would, therefore, be very useful to have a reliable screening method to determine survival rates,” he says. “Wheat breeders need these techniques to help them introduce or enhance traits associated with winter survival.” Hooker and his colleague Dr. Michel McElroy at the Grain Research Centre (CÉROM) in Quebec have conducted a small preliminary study looking at how to mimic conditions that cause wheat to die overwinter, such as pooling water and ice accumulation. They looked Treena Hein Overwintering winter wheat Variety research shows promise for future plant breeding Many farmers in Ontario are already reaping the benefits of growing winter wheat. These range from reduced soil erosion and compaction to weed suppression and spreading out the yearly planting workload. ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER RESEARCH 22
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