2006
|
Research Articles

Evaluation of winter wheat varieties in northern Peace area

Tags:
Wheat

Winter wheat offers producers several advantages. It provides soil cover during the fall and winter, reducing the potential for wind and water erosion; spring moisture is not lost from seeding disturbance; seeding and harvest dates are off-set to different times of the year; and it often out-competes spring emerging weeds. Winter wheat lines have been found to vary in winter hardiness, e.g. SM-8323 is considered resistant to snow mold.

The production of winter wheat is concentrated in the southern areas of Alberta. Its area in northern areas of Alberta is limited due to poor winter survival and susceptibility to snow molds.

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2005
|
Research Articles

Intercropping of winter – spring cereals and stubble effects on forage yield

Tags:
Cereal,Wheat

Seeding two crops together (intercropping) that can utilize soil resources and sunlight during different parts of the growing season may improve forage production in terms of yield, quality and, and utilization. When grown together, the spring cereal can be cut for silage, usually shortly after heading (about 65% moisture), and the winter cereal may grow quickly in the absence of competition from the spring cereal for grazing later in the fall. The silage crops may suffer some yield loss but the silage and pasture yields may add up to produce more forage per acre than either one grown separately. The cereal combinations that can be useful for such purposes in the Peace region include spring seeding of spring barley or spring triticale intercropped with fall rye or winter triticale.

One obstacle to integrating winter cereals into a silage production system in the northern Peace region is the winter survival. Past research done at the AAFC Experimental Farm in Fort Vermilion, AB showed better winter survival from the winter cereals seeded into stubble rather than summer fallow.

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