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ARS Home » Plains Area » El Reno, Oklahoma » Oklahoma and Central Plains Agricultural Research Center » Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit » Research » Research Project #448359

Research Project: Understanding Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Wheat

Location: Livestock, Forage and Pasture Management Research Unit

Project Number: 3070-21500-001-018-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jul 15, 2025
End Date: Jul 14, 2030

Objective:
Amendment #01 - An additional objective is being added to adapt a wheat decision support tool to the growing conditions of the southern Great Plains to increase productivity and profitability for producers in the region. The objective of the current work is to determine the nitrogen use efficiency of different varieties of wheat in Oklahoma State University variety testing trials across the state of Oklahoma.

Approach:
Amendment #01 - Field trials will be conducted in Stillwater and El Reno, Oklahoma to collect data to validate the tool, to assess variety differences in post-grazing recovery and to determine optimal seeding rates for maximizing forage production. The tool will be hosted on the OSU Wheat website (wheat.okstate.edu). Fertilizer containing a stable isotope of nitrogen (¹5N) will be applied to two wheat varieties grown in OSU variety trials across the state of Oklahoma. Plants will be sampled by destructive sampling of the leaf, stem, and grain during several growth stages (boot, anthesis, soft dough and physiological maturity). These samplings will allow for the analysis of nitrogen uptake and redistribution throughout the plant.