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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Corn, Soybean and Wheat Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #317685

Title: Row width influences wheat yield, but has little effect on wheat quality

Author
item LINDSEY, LAURA - The Ohio State University
item LENTZ, EDWIN - The Ohio State University
item Baik, Byung-Kee

Submitted to: Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2016
Publication Date: 6/14/2016
Publication URL: https://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/5801833
Citation: Lindsey, L.E., Lentz, E., Baik, B.-K. 2016. Row width influences wheat yield, but has little effect on wheat quality. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management. doi:10.2134/cftm2015.0158.

Interpretive Summary: Soft red winter (SRW) wheat acreage is declining because it tends to give smaller economic return to the growers than corn and soybean. SRW is, therefore, largely produced through double cropping in southern regions. In northern regions, where planting soybean after winter wheat harvest has proven difficult for improving profitability, SRW wheat can be produced by intercropping with soybean. For the intercropping, wide row spacing is needed. Wide row spacing is also an option for growers who do not have a grain drill for the production of wheat. Increase in row width is, however, reported to negatively affect wheat yield. End-use quality of wheat could also be influenced by cultural practices (including row spacing) in addition to cultivar and environment. With little information available for the effect of row width on wheat quality, research was conducted to evaluate the effect of row width and variety on grain yield and grain quality of soft red winter wheat grown in Ohio. Four SRW wheat varieties, ‘Rupp 935’, ‘Rupp 972’, ‘Syngenta SY483’, and ‘Syngenta W1104’, were grown in the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons with row widths of 7.5 and 15 inches and the previous crop of soybean using a split-plot, randomized complete block design with four replications, and analyzed for crop yield and end-use quality parameters. Reduction in wheat yield was observed with 15-inch row width compared to 7.5-inch row width in three out of four site years by 2 to 15% depending on location, year, and wheat variety. Test weight, flour yield, flour softness, and flour protein are, however, minimally affected by row width, which is thus likely to be of insignificant concern to the baking industry.

Technical Abstract: Growers are interested in wide-row wheat production due to reductions in equipment inventory (lack of grain drill) and to allow intercropping of soybean into wheat. A trial was established during the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 growing seasons in Wayne County and Wood County, Ohio to evaluate the effect of row width and variety on soft red winter wheat grain yield and quality. Treatments included two row widths (7.5- and 15-inch) and four wheat varieties (‘Rupp 935’, ‘Rupp 972’, ‘Syngenta SY483’, and ‘Syngenta W1104’). Wheat grain yield was reduced when grown in 15-inch row width compared to 7.5-inch row width in three out of four site years by 2 to 15% depending on location, year, and wheat variety. A row width by variety interaction only occurred at one out of four site years indicating that yield reductions associated with row width tended to be similar among the four wheat varieties evaluated in this study. Row width slightly altered test weight, flour yield, flour softness, and flour protein; however, the effect was quite small and likely insignificant to the baking industry.