2012 Organic Winter Wheat Variety Trial – Maine & Vermont

2012 Organic Winter Wheat Variety Trial Results — Maine & Vermont (PDF)

Ellen Mallory, Heather Darby, Thomas Molloy, Erica Cummings, Hannah Griffin

Bread wheat is a new crop option for farmers in Northern New England due to increasing consumer demand for locally grown food. In 2010, the University of Maine and the University of Vermont began a series of trials evaluating varieties of hard red wheat to identify those that perform well in northern New England under organic production. This publication presents results for winter wheat varieties tested in 2012, and some results from 2010 and 2011 as well. Separate publications for spring and winter wheat variety trials conducted in 2010 and 2011 are available online.

This collaborative work was funded by a grant from the USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative to improve bread wheat production in our region.

Table 1. Winter wheat varieties evaluated in ME, VT, and NY in 2012.

Variety	Type†	Origin and Year of Release‡	Seed Source
AC Morley	HR	Advantage Seeds, ON	Brahmill Seeds, ON
Alice	HW	SDSU, 2006	USDA-ARS, SD
Appal. White	HW	NC#, 2009	USDA-ARS, NC
Arapahoe	HR	NE, 1988	Albert Lea Seed House, MN
Banatka	HR	Hungary, 1800s	Heritage Wheat Conservancy, MA
Borden	MHR	Semican, Canada, 1983	Research farm saved seed
Camelot	HR	NE, 2008	USDA-ARS, NE
Expedition	HR	SDSU, 2002	Albert Lea Seed House, MN
Harvard	HR	C&M Seeds, ON, 2003	Agri-Culver Seeds, NY
Jerry	HR	NDSU, 2001	North Dakota State Univ.
Maxine	HR	C&M Seeds, ON, 2001	Research farm saved seed
Millenium	HR	NE, 1999	USDA-ARS, NE
NuEast	HR	NC, 2009	USDA-ARS, NC
Overland	HR	NE, 2007	USDA-ARS, NE
Redeemer	HR	Brahmill Seeds, ON, 2008	Brahmill Seeds, ON
Roughrider	HR	NDSU, 1975	Research farm saved seed
Sherman	SW	OR, 1928	Washington State Univ.
Warthog	HR	Semican, Canada	Research farm saved seed
Zorro	HR	Canada	Research farm saved seed
† HR = hard red, MHR = medium hard red, HW – hard white, SW = soft white. ‡ Year of release not always available. # Abbreviations: NC = North Carolina, NDSU = North Dakota State University, NE = Nebraska, OR = Oregon, SDSU = South Dakota State University

TRIAL DESIGN AND VARIETIES

Trials were established at four locations in the Northeast: the University of Maine Rogers Farm Forage and Crop Research Facility in Old Town, ME; Nature’s Circle Farm, a commercial operation in Houlton, ME; the Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT; and the Willsboro Research Farm in Willsboro, NY. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with four replications, which means each variety was planted in four separate plots at each location. The winter wheat varieties that were evaluated are listed in Table 1. Most are hard red types. Hard wheat varieties are preferred for bread flour.

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Seasonal precipitation and temperature data were recorded at or near trial locations (Table 2). The Alburgh, Old Town, and Willsboro locations had weather stations in close proximity, while the Houlton location had a weather station within 4.5 miles. Winter conditions in the Northeast were mild with very little snow. Early spring conditions (March and April) were substantially warmer and drier than normal for all locations. The VT and NY locations experienced above average temperatures during the middle and later part of the growing season. The two ME sites had above average precipitation during flowering (June) and drier and warmer conditions during grain fill and harvest (July to August).

Table 2. Precipitation, temperature, and growing degree days at the trial locations in 2012.†

Location	Sept. 2011	Oct. 2011	Nov. 2011	March 2012	April 2012	May 2012	June 2012	July 2012	Total
Old Town, ME
Total precipitation (in.)	1.88	4.29	2.55	1.95	3.68	4.3	6.03	0.99	25.7
Departure from Normal	-1.96	0.89	-0.98	-1.31	0.47	0.96	2.47	-2.38	-3.5
Average Temperature (°F)	60.6	48.8	40.6	36.1	44.3	55.1	60.8	68.7	—
Departure from Normal	4.2	3.5	5.1	5.1	2.3	1.2	-1.9	0.3	—
Growing Degree Days‡	864	514	245	126	356	707	867	1114	4793
Houlton, ME
Total precipitation (in.)	3.41	3.25	1.73	1.47	3.03	3.46	11.51	0.59	28.45
Departure from Normal	-.03	-.06	-1.89	-1.24	0.19	0.23	7.85	-2.87	+2.2
Average Temperature (°F)	58.5	47.0	38.1	33.1	41.9	52.8	60.1	67.5	—
Departure from Normal	4.4	4.0	6.6	7.3	3.4	1.2	-0.7	1.4	—
Growing Degree Days	796	461	225	154	297	615	844	1059	4451
Alburgh, VT
Total precipitation (in.)	5.56	3.52	1.41	1.46	2.64	3.90	3.22	3.78	25.5
Departure from Normal	1.92	-0.08	-1.71	-0.75	-0.18	0.45	-0.47	-0.37	-1.2
Average Temperature (°F)	62.8	50.1	43.4	39.7	44.9	60.5	67.0	71.4	—
Departure from Normal	2.20	1.90	5.20	8.60	0.10	4.10	1.20	0.80	—
Growing Degree Days	932	978	344	331	396	884	1046	1221	6132
Willsboro, NY
Total precipitation (in.)	6.10	3.40	1.40	1.00	2.80	4.40	3.20	3.80	26.1
Departure from Normal	2.50	-0.10	-1.70	-1.20	0.00	0.90	-0.50	-0.40	-0.5
Average Temperature (°F)	64.1	50.1	43.3	43.2	46.1	61.6	67.8	73.0	—
Departure from Normal	3.50	1.90	5.10	12.10	1.30	5.20	2.00	2.40	—
Growing Degree Days	964	566	368	411	435	917	1072	1271	6004
† Based on National Weather Service data from cooperative observer stations in close proximity to field trials available at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/report. Historical averages are for 30 years (1981-2010) available at https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/datatools/normals. ‡Base 32°F

CULTURAL PRACTICES

Plots were managed following practices similar to those used by farmers in northern New England (see Table 3).

Rogers Research Farm – Old Town, ME – The trial was conducted on a field that had been in annual crop production for more than 20 years and fallowed in 2011. In early September 2011, the field was prepared using a moldboard plow and seedbed conditioner. Solid dairy manure was spread at a rate of 32 tons/acre on September 19, 2011 and immediately incorporated with a Perfecta harrow. The plots were seeded with an Almaco Cone Seeder on September 20, 2011, and top-dressed on May 23, 2012 with 100 lbs/acre of Chilean nitrate. The plots were harvested with a Wintersteiger Classic plot combine on July 20, 2012. The harvest area was 4’ x 44’.

Nature’s Circle Farm – Houlton, ME – The field used for the trial was in oats in 2011. In early September 2011, the field was prepared using a moldboard plow and seedbed conditioner. On September 21, dehydrated pelletized poultry manure (“Nutri-Wave” 4-1-2; Envirem Technologies Inc.) was applied at a rate of 800 lbs/acre and incorporated with a spring-tine harrow on the same day. The plots were seeded with an Almaco Cone Seeder on September 22, 2012. On April 27, 2012 a top-dress application of Nutri-Wave was applied at a rate of 3200 lbs/acre using a spin spreader. The plots were harvested with a Wintersteiger Classic plot combine on August 3, 2012. The harvest area was 4’ x 44’.

Borderview Research Farm – Alburgh, VT – The previous crop on this field was spring wheat. In September 2011, the field was plowed, disked, and spike-tooth harrowed. The plots were seeded using a Kincaid Cone Seeder on September 21. On May 3, 2012 a topdress application of Pro-Booster and Pro-Gro fertilizers were applied by hand at a rate of 500 lbs/acre each. The plots were harvested July 11, 2012 using an Almaco SPC50 combine. The harvest area was 5’ x 20’.

Willsboro Research Farm – Willsboro, NY – The field used for this trial was previously in a 3-year timothy/alfalfa sod. In September 2011, the field was mold- board plowed, disked, and spring-tooth harrowed. The plots were seeded on September 27, 2011 using an eight-row cone seeder. The plots were harvested on July 20, 2012 with a Hege combine. The harvest area was 4’ x 13’.

Table 3. General plot management of the winter wheat trials in 2012.

† The target seeding rate was calculated to achieve the same plant density for each variety. At the 33 seeds/ft2 rate, this translated to 70-240lbs of seed/acre depending on the seed weight of each variety.
Location	Rogers Research Farm Old Town, ME	Nature’s Circle Farm Houlton ME	Borderview Research Farm Alburgh, VT	Willsboro Research Farm Willsboro, NY
Soil type	Melrose & Elmwood fine sandy loam	Caribou gravelly loam	Benson rocky silt loam	Kingsbury silt clay loam
Previous crops	Fallow	Oats	Spring Wheat	Timothy/Alfalfa Sod
Tillage operations	Moldboard plow, seedbed conditioner, spring-tine harrow	Moldboard plow, seedbed conditioner, spring-tine harrow	Fall plow, disk, spike-toothed harrow	Fall plow, disk, spring-toothed harrow
Feritility source	Solid dairy manure (32 tons/acre) Chilean nitrate top-dress (16lbs N/acre)	Dehydrated, pelletized chicken manure (4,000 lbs/acre)	Pro-Booster (10-0-0) (500 lbs/acre) Pro-Gro (5-3-4) (500 lbs/acre)	Timothy/Alfalfa Sod
Estimated available nitrogen (lbs/acre)	86	80	75	65-75
Seeding rate (seeds/ft2)†	33	41	33	33
Planting date	9-20-11	9-22-11	9-21-11	9-27-11
Harvest date	7-20-12	8-3-12	7-11-12	7-20-12
Row spacing (in)	6.5	6.5	6	6
Harvest area (ft2)	4’ x 44’	4’ x 44’	5’ x 20’	4’ x 13’

MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS

Flowering date was recorded for each variety where possible. Plant heights were measured at physiological maturity in ME and at harvest in VT and NY. Prior to harvest, the incidence and severity of lodging was noted for each variety.

All varieties were harvested on the same day at each site once the latest maturing variety threshed free in hand tests and weather and logistics allowed. Following harvest, the grain was cleaned with a small Clipper cleaner and weights recorded. Harvest moisture and test weights were determined using a DICKEY-john GAC 2100 moisture meter.

Subsamples were ground into flour using a Perten LM3100 Laboratory Mill. The ground material was then analyzed for crude protein, falling number, and mycotoxin levels. Protein content was determined using a Perten Inframatic 8600 Flour Analyzer. Most commericial mills target 12% protein for winter wheat. Falling number was determined on a Perten FN 1500 Falling Number Machine. The falling num- ber is related to the level of sprout damage that has occurred in the grain due to enzymatic activity. It is measured as the time it takes, in seconds, for a plunger to fall through a slurry of flour and water to the bottom of the tube. Falling numbers less than 200 seconds indicate high enzymatic activity and poor quality wheat. Concentrations of deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin produced by the fungus that causes Fusarium head blight, were determined using the Veratox DON 2/3 Quantitative test from the NEOGEN Corp. This test has a detection range of 0.5 to 5 ppm. Samples with DON values greater then 1 ppm are considered unsuitable for human consumption.

All data were analyzed using mixed model Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) in which replicates were considered random effects. The LSD procedure was used to determine whether differences among variety averages were statistically significant (P<0.05) (See below for explanation of a significant difference). There were significant differences between the locations for most parameters, so results form each location are reported independently.

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What Is a Significant Difference?

Variations in yield and quality can occur not only due to genetics but also due to variability in soil, weather, and other growing conditions. Statistical analysis makes it possible to determine whether a difference between two varieties is real or whether it might have occurred due to other variability in the field. The Least Significant Difference (LSD) is the minimum difference needed between two averages to consider them statistically different. LSDs at the 5% level of probability are presented at the bottom of each table for each measure. Where the difference between two varieties within a column is equal to or greater than the LSD value, you can be sure in 19 out of 20 chances that there is a real difference between the two varieties.

In the example below, variety A is significantly different from variety C because the difference between their yields (1454) is greater than the LSD value (889). Variety A is not significantly different from variety B because the difference between their yields (725) is less than the LSD value (889).

Throughout this bulletin, the greatest value at each site for each measure is indicated with an underline and bold type. Varieties that are not significantly different from the greatest value are also in bold type. Using the example below, variety C had the highest measured yield (underlined and bolded) but it was not significantly different than the yield of variety B (bolded).

Example Table

Variety	Yield
A B C	3161 3886 4615
LSD	889

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RESULTS

Growth and Development

Winter survival was good for all varieties at all locations due to the mild conditions, and lodging and wildlife damage were minimal. An exception was Banatka, a tall heritage variety, that experienced severe lodging at the Old Town site. This was likely due to a relatively high nitrogen application rate at this location. As well, Appalachian White and Sherman showed partial lodging at Alburgh.

Flowering occurred predominately during the first and second week of June at all locations in 2012, with varieties in VT and NY flowering before the ME locations (Table 4). Most varieties flowered within a few days of one another. Appalachian White, Arapahoe, Expedition, andNuEast flowered relatively early, whereas Zorro flowered relatively late.

Plant heights were taken at the Old Town, Alburgh, and Willsboro locations and ranged from 29 to 57 inches (Table 4). Banatka, which was only planted at the two ME sites, was the tallest variety at close to 5 feet tall. Other tall varieties included AC Morley, Borden, Roughrider, Sherman, and Zorro. Shorter varieties included Appalachian White, Expedition, Harvard, Maxine, and NuEast.

Table 4. Estimated wheat flowering date and plant height at selected trial locations in 2012.

Variety	Flowering Date			Plant Height (inches)
AC Morley	8-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	48	48	40
Alice	—	1-Jun	<4-Jun	—	36	29
Appal. White†	4-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	34	36	31
Arapahoe	5-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	38	40	34
Banatka	6-Jun	—	—	57	—	—
Borden†	9-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	49	48	44
Camelot	7-Jun	4-Jun	<4-Jun	37	39	32
Expedition	5-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	37	39	36
Harvard	8-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	37	41	35
Jerry	9-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	40	46	39
Maxine	6-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	35	39	33
Millenium	8-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	38	41	35
NuEast	5-Jun	4-Jun	<4-Jun	35	38	31
Overland	7-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	38	42	35
Redeemer	8-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	40	41	38
Roughrider	7-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	45	46	38
Sherman†	—	1-Jun	<6-Jun	—	49	47
Warthog	8-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	39	44	38
Zorro	12-Jun	1-Jun	<4-Jun	45	45	41
† Variety is not a hard red type.

Yield

Yields for 2012, 2011, and 2010 are presented in Table 5. Yields from 2012 are also presented in graphical form in Figure 1 to easily compare varieties.

For each site, yields in 2012 were consistently higher than in previous years, due to favorable weather conditions and changes in nitrogen management, including adding a spring topdress fertilizer application (Old town and Alburgh) and shifting the majority of the split application of pelletized dehydrated chicken manure at Houlton to the early spring. Overall, the highest yields were at the Alburgh site, closely followed by Old Town. The Houlton site had the lowest yields, as has been the case in previous years. Lower yields at this northern ME location are likely due to more difficult winter conditions and fewer growing degree days.

Varieties that were among the highest yielding at a minimum of 3 of the 4 sites in 2012 were AC Morley, Expedition, and Warthog. Banatka (only grown in ME), Redeemer, and Roughrider were the lowest yielding varieties in ME, while in VT and NY, Roughrider, Sherman (only grown in VT and NY), and Zorro were the lowest yielding. Varieties that have yielded above average over multiple years and sites include AC Morley, Borden, Expedition, Harvard, Jerry, and Warthog.

Table 5. Yield of winter wheat at trial locations in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Variety	Yield at 13.5% Moisture (lbs/acre)
	Old Town, ME			Houlton, ME		Alburgh, VT			Willsboro, NY
	2012	2011	2010	2012	2011	2012	2011	2010	2012	2011	2010
AC Morley	4812	2799	2746	4020	2993	5507	5171	3985	3887	3226	3798
Alice	—	—	—	—	—	4224	3159	—	3966	2498	—
Appal. White‡	4257	2710	—	3540	2160	4648	3839	—	4376	2501	—
Arapahoe	3876	2337	2515	3083	1921	3948	3028	4041	4261	2653	4439
Banatka	3596	2660	—	2484	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Borden‡	4652	2752	3344	4089	2602	3872	4306	4615	3766	2331	4657
Camelot	4583	2332	2887	3242	1960	4824	3687	3631	4175	2387	4121
Expedition	4710	2504	2656	3724	2522	4748	3207	3466	5073	2436	4173
Harvard	4321	2696	3247	3538	2740	4221	4338	3237	3708	3006	4303
Jerry	4385	2372	3469	3360	3024	3816	3609	4408	3740	2862	4432
Maxine	4080	1774	2388	2927	1651	4839	3324	3692	4198	1654	2822
Millenium	4298	2214	2511	3056	1767	4585	3683	4319	4591	2501	4397
NuEast	3932	2680	—	3729	1893	5210	3758	—	4128	2913	—
Overland	4155	2248	3001	3426	2237	4983	3904	4208	4229	3397	4372
Redeemer	3783	2537	2652	2925	2704	4159	4149	3886	3958	2217	3043
Roughrider	3146	—	—	2479	—	3650	3010	3423	3212	2457	3798
Sherman‡	—	—	—	—	—	3043	3226	—	3396	2660	—
Warthog	4695	3068	3387	3569	3330	4437	4202	3580	4440	1691	3178
Zorro	4413	2667	3145	3362	2379	3553	3933	2836	3320	2984	3746
Site Average	4215	2522	2919	3286	2392	4348	3752	3809	4023	2576	3949
LSD (0.05)	414	433	695	449	466	451	518	NSD	NSD	811	564
† For all measures, bolded values are not significantly different from the highest value, which is indicated with an underline. ‡ Variety is not a hard red type. NSD = No significant difference among the varieties for this site in this year.

 

Alternative Text for Figure 1

Wheat Quality

Commercial mills use a variety of measurements to determine if a particular lot of wheat is suitable for bread flour including test weight, falling number, grain protein, and mycotoxin (DON) concentration.

The standard test weight for wheat is 58 lbs/bushel, with an acceptable range of 56-60 lbs/bushel. In 2012, test weights fell within this range, with several varieties exceeding it. NuEast had some of the highest test weights at all locations.

Falling number values exceeded the acceptable level (250 seconds) for all varieties and locations, ranging from 337 to 525 seconds (Table 6).

Grain protein levels were highest at Alburgh in 2012, followed by Houlton, Willsboro, and Old Town. Hard red varieties that had high protein levels across all sites were Maxine, Redeemer, and Roughrider (proteins ranged from 10.0 to 13.3% among these varieties). Banatka (a heritage variety), and Sherman (a soft white variety) also had relatively high protein levels (Table 7, Figure 2). Redeemer stands out as the single variety that has consistently been among the highest protein performers for all sites and years.

Fusarium head blight, which produces the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON), is a disease of major concern for wheat growers in northern New England. It primarily infects the plant during flowering and is favored by cool, humid weather, particularly just before and during flowering. The United States Food and Drug Administration has established a maximum DON guideline of 1 ppm for finished human products. Millers may accept grain with slightly higher DON levels because they can remove some of the infected grain and reduce DON levels through cleaning.

DON levels in 2012 were low, with all varieties testing below 1 ppm at all locations (Table 8). VT and NY did experience higher DON levels in previous years, however the ME sites have consistently had low DON levels for winter wheat in these trials.

Table 6. Test weight and falling number of winter wheat at trial locations in 2012.

Variety	Test Weight (lbs/bu)				Falling Number at 14% Moisture (seconds)
	Old Town, ME	Houlton, ME	Alburgh, VT	Willsboro, NY	Old Town, ME	Houtlon, ME	Alburgh, VT	Willsboro, NY
	2012				2012
AC Morley	59	59	62	60	507	419	377	354
Alice	—	—	61	59	—	—	416	402
Appal. White‡	61	57	62	58	438	400	392	408
Arapahoe	60	57	60	58	436	452	404	394
Banatka	60	60	—	—	427	421	—	—
Borden‡	57	58	59	56	508	508	354	377
Camelot	61	57	61	60	472	436	402	405
Expedition	61	57	63	60	511	479	405	395
Harvard	58	59	60	59	502	355	337	361
Jerry	60	58	59	58	448	402	413	386
Maxine	60	57	60	59	525	484	391	405
Millenium	60	57	60	59	503	425	397	390
NuEast	63	59	64	60	456	458	403	396
Overland	59	56	62	58	438	477	382	384
Redeemer	62	58	61	59	466	488	407	439
Roughrider	61	58	63	61	478	434	369	387
Sherman‡	—	—	62	59	—	—	399	411
Warthog	61	58	59	59	463	461	388	435
Zorro	58	59	59	59	471	482	372	351
Site Average	60	58	61	59	473	449	389	393
LSD (0.05)	0.9	1.0	1.9	1.7	—	—	30.2	33.0
† For all measures, bolded values are not significantly different from the highest value, which is indicated with an underline. ‡ Variety is not a hard red type. § Average value taken from two samples per variety instead of four

 

Table 7. Protein concentration of winter wheat at trial locations in 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Variety	Crude Protein at 12% Moisture (%)
	Old Town, ME			Houlton, ME		Alburgh, VT			Willsboro, NY
	2012	2011	2010	2012	2011	2012	2011	2010	2012	2011	2010
AC Morley	8.7	8.4	10.8	9.7	8.2	10.8	9.6	12.1	9.7	10.6	13.1
Alice	—	—	—	—	—	10.9	9.8	—	9.5	11.3	—
Appal. White‡	9.2	8.9	—	9.1	9.2	11.6	9.9	—	10.2	11.5	—
Arapahoe	8.9	9.8	11.0	10.0	8.4	11.0	9.6	11.2	9.4	10.6	13.0
Banatka	9.8	10.2	—	11.8	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Borden‡	8.5	8.2	10.1	9.1	8.4	10.5	9.7	9.7	9.5	9.8	12.1
Camelot	9.3	8.9	10.7	9.5	9.4	10.5	9.2	11.1	9.3	11.4	13.1
Expedition	8.9	8.6	10.2	8.6	8.4	10.7	9.4	10.1	8.7	10.7	13.1
Harvard	9.1	8.9	9.6	9.8	8.9	11.6	9.7	9.7	10.7	11.2	12.2
Jerry	9.1	9.6	10.9	9.9	8.5	11.4	10.4	10.7	9.9	11.5	12.7
Maxine	10.0	10.6	11.7	10.2	10.4	11.9	10.3	10.8	10.5	12.7	13.6
Millenium	9.1	9.2	10.8	9.7	8.7	10.0	9.8	10.0	9.4	10.9	12.8
NuEast	9.2	8.9	—	8.8	8.8	10.3	8.6	—	9.4	11.1	—
Overland	8.9	8.4	10.5	9.5	8.2	10.2	9.7	9.6	8.4	10.9	12.8
Redeemer	11.0	10.5	11.5	12.6	10.4	12.8	12.3	12.9	11.4	13.0	14.3
Roughrider	10.4	—	—	13.3	—	10.9	10.3	11.4	10.5	11.7	13.6
Sherman‡	—	—	—	—	—	13.0	11.8	—	11.3	13.5	—
Warthog	8.9	8.8	10.7	10.1	8.8	11.3	10.0	11.1	10.5	12.0	13.1
Zorro	9.8	9.7	10.6	10.8	8.6	12.3	11.0	12.1	11.2	11.3	13.1
Site Average	9.3	9.2	10.7	10.3	8.9	11.2	10.1	10.9	10.0	11.5	13.0
LSD (0.05)	0.5	0.9	0.7	0.8	0.9	0.6	0.9	1.5	0.6	0.7	1.1
† For all measures, bolded values are not significantly different from the highest value, which is indicated with an underline. ‡ Variety is not a hard red type. § Average value taken from two samples per variety instead of four. ¶ Average value taken from one sample per variety instead of four.

 

Alternative Text for Figure 2

Table 8. DON levels for winter wheat at trial locations in 2010, 2011, 2012.

Variety	DON (ppm)
	Old Town, ME			Houlton, ME		Alburgh, VT			Willsboro, NY
	2012	2011	2010	2012	2011	2012	2011	2010	2012	2011	2010
AC Morley	All values were <0.5 for all years at these sites					<0.5	<0.5	0.6	<0.5	0.6	0.7
Alice						<0.5	1.0	—	<0.5	1.3	—
Appal. White†						<0.5	2.0	—	0.8	2.0	—
Arapahoe						<0.5	1.3	0.6	<0.5	0.9	0.6
Banatka						—	—	—	—	—	—
Borden†	All values were <0.5 for all years at these sites					<0.5	0.6	<0.5	<0.5	0.5	0.5
Camelot						<0.5	1.8	0.6	0.7	1.5	<0.5
Expedition						<0.5	1.3	0.6	0.6	1.2	0.8
Harvard						<0.5	0.6	1.9	<0.5	1.1	0.6
Jerry						<0.5	0.8	2.1	0.6	0.8	<0.5
Maxine	All values were <0.5 for all years at these sites					<0.5	1.0	<0.5	<0.5	1.2	0.8
Millenium						0.5	1.5	<0.5	<0.5	1.2	1.0
NuEast						<0.5	1.2	—	0.6	2.4	—
Overland						<0.5	1.6	0.8	<0.5	1.3	<0.5
Redeemer						<0.5	0.4	<0.5	<0.5	0.7	<0.5
Roughrider	All values were <0.5 for all years at these sites					<0.5	0.6	0.6	<0.5	<0.5	0.8
Sherman†						<0.5	0.6	—	<0.5	0.6	—
Warthog						<0.5	0.7	1.0	<0.5	0.8	0.9
Zorro						<0.5	1.0	0.9	<0.5	<0.5	0.9
† Variety is not a hard red type.

Bake Testing

Eleven varieties were chosen to test for baking per- formance based on several criteria, including quantity of grain available, protein (>9%), DON levels (<1 ppm), and falling number (>250 seconds). The varieties chosen were; Appalachian White, Arapahoe, Borden, Expedition, Harvard, Maxine, Millenium, Nueast, Overland, Roughrider, and Warthog. Samples were milled by Gleason Grains in Bridport, VT and each sample was bolted (sieved) with an extraction rate of 92%. Three bakers, Alison Pray (Standard Baking Co. Portland, ME), Jeffrey Hamelman (King Arthur Flour, Norwich, VT) and Randal George (Red Hen Baking Co. Middlesex, VT) ran the bake tests at their respective facilities using a baking and evaluation method that they developed together based on one created by Thom Leonard of Heartland Mills in Kansas. The most notable result from these bake tests was that, of the eleven varieties tested, the bakers found that nine of them were suitable for making a saleable loaf of bread, despite fairly low protein levels for most of the samples. Warthog, Harvard, and Arapahoe performed the best in these bake tests, while Borden and Roughrider were found to be very challenging to work with, and did not produce bread that was acceptable.

DISCUSSION

Wheat grain sold for bread flour can receive up to twice the pay price as grain sold for livestock feed in New England, but the grain must meet higher quality standards. Therefore, when choosing which varieties to plant, it is important to consider their potential to produce grain with acceptable protein, test weight, falling number, and DON levels, as well as their ability to yield well.

Yields in 2012 were higher than in any other year of these trials due to favorable weather conditions and increased nitrogen fertility. Site average yields ranged from 3286 to 4348 lbs/acre, which is well above the typical winter wheat yield for this region of around 2,500 lbs/acre. In contrast, protein levels were similar to protein levels in previous years, and in only a few cases did protein exceed 12%. This is in spite of higher nitrogen rates, and likely due to the extremely high yields. There is a common tradeoff between grain yield and protein, which can be seen not only among the site averages but among the individual varieties as well. Those that yielded the highest in 2012 had lower protein levels than those that yielded less. Over all of the sites and years, varieties that have tended to be the highest yielding are AC Morley, Borden, Harvard, and Warthog. Varieties that consistently have had above average protein levels include Banatka, Maxine, Redeemer, Roughrider, Sherman, and Zorro.

Fusarium head blight can be a major issue in our region. DON levels were quite low in 2012 at all locations with no varieties testing above 1 ppm. In ME, DON levels have been low across all years for winter wheat, perhaps due to flowering occurring before the build up of inoculum levels in these northern sites. In contrast, VT and NY have seen measurable DON levels in winter wheat in previous years. Options for managing the disease in organic systems are limited and include rotation with non-grain crops (i.e. avoiding planting wheat after wheat, corn, or barley and rye), burying any disease-carrying residue, and choosing less susceptible varieties. While no current wheat varieties are resistant to Fusarium head blight, some have shown better tolerance to the disease when it has occurred in VT and NY, with DON levels consistently below 1 ppm. These include AC Morley, Borden, Redeemer, Roughrider, and Sherman.

It may be helpful to compare these results from ME, VT, and NY with results from variety trails conducted in other regions. Ultimately, though, it is important to evaluate data from test sites that are similar to your farm and region when deciding which varieties to grow.

Full reports of the 2010 and 2011 results are available as separate publications.

Acknowledgements: The UVM Extension Crops and Soils Team would like to thank the Borderview Research Farm and the Willsboro Research Farm for their generous help with the trials. We would also like to thank Savanna Kittell-Mitchell, Amber Domina, Chantel Cline, and Katie Blair for their assistance with data collection and entry. The University of Maine Sustainable Agriculture team thanks Dick York of Nature’s Circle Farm for providing his assistance and field in Houlton, the University of Maine Rogers Research Farm, and Joe Cannon, Hannah Griffin, Chris Illingworth, Maggie Lynn, Emilie Seavey, Jess Richards, Erin Roche, and Aaron Englander for their technical help. Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

This research is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Organic Research and Extension Initiative under Award No. 2009-01366, “Enhancing farmers’ capacity to produce high quality organic bread wheat.”

Published and distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Land Grant University of the state of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Cooperative Extension and other agencies of the U.S.D.A. provide equal opportunities in programs and employment. Call 800.287.0271 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from Univer- sity of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu.

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