Small Grain Variety Performance Tests at Hayden, Colorado 2004

Summary Each year small grain variety performance tests are conducted in the Hayden, Colorado area to identify varieties that are adapted for commercial production in northwest Colorado. Three small grain experiments (winter wheat, spring wheat, and AGRO polyacrylamide (PAM of hydrogel)) were conducted at Hayden in 2004. Growing conditions during the 2004 growing season were more favorable for wheat production than in the past few years. The 2004 results provide information about the performance of wheat varieties under moderate, dryland stress conditions. Grain yield in the winter wheat variety performance test averaged 1902 lbs/acre (31.7 bu/acre) for the 24 entries tested. The highest yielding entry in the winter wheat test was Golden Spike at 2456 lbs/acre (41.0 bu/acre) with six entries outyielding other varieties. Grain yield in the spring wheat variety performance test averaged 1737 lbs/acre (28.9 bu/acre). Grain yield ranged from a high of 2391 lbs/acre (39.8 bu/acre) for Lolo to a low of 1227 lbs/acre (20.5 bu/acre) for SD 2746. An AGRO by N rate study was conducted on spring wheat at Hayden during 2004 in a two-factor experiment. The two factors were: 1) PAM applied at rates of 0, 2, and 6 lbs/acre of AGRO and 2) nitrogen rates applied at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 lbs N/acre using ammonium nitrate as the N source. Nitrogen and AGRO PAM applications did not affect grain yields significantly. Based on data obtained from this study and other similar studies over several years in the Hayden area, spring grain yields have not been consistently increased when applying polyacrylamide and does not appear to be a profitable production practice for growers in northwest Colorado.