STEEP - Foliar Fertilizer on Soft White Winter Wheat

Foliar Fertilizer on Soft White Winter Wheat

Dave Bodine
with Ken Hart, Lewis/Idaho County Cooperative Extension

Objective

Evaluate yield impact of foliar fertilizers on winter wheat production.

Location: Near Denver, Idaho County
Annual precipitation: 22 inches
Previous crop: Canola
Fertility information: 60 units N and 100 lbs. 16-20

Treatments

Check - no foliar
Treatment 1 - 2 oz. seaweed and 1 lb. 7-11-27 w/ chelated micronutrients per acre (Reward, provided by Wilkes Agricultural Products)
Treatment 2 - 2 qt./acre of 5-18-2-2 w/ magnesium, boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc (Bushel Builder Plus, provided by the McGregor Company)

Comments

The winter wheat stand was overseeded with spring wheat to improve thin stand. Foliar application of 10 gallons solution/acre was on May 23, 1995. Winter wheat was fully tillered, Feekes 5 and spring wheat was tillering, Feekes 2 - 3. Plot size was 30' X 1100', with four replications. Plots were harvested August 31 and weighed with portable truck scales.

Data

Yield, bu/ac

Treatment

Rep 1

Rep 2

Rep 3

Rep 4

Average

Check

63.4

58.2

63.0

67.6

63.0a

Foliar 1

60.3

62.3

51.1

71.4

61.3a

Foliar 2

61.2

63.2

63.4

64.3

63.0a

LSD

8.2

Conclusion

Application of foliar nutrients had no effect on yield, as measured by this test. The LSD statistic on this test was slightly higher than anticipated due to outlier yields in the Foliar 1 replication. This may be due to a harvest error. However, yields were not significantly different even if the LSD statistic had been in the lower expected range. Variability in yields may also be related to approximately 30% hail damage in the field. This is the first year of a planned three year project.