| | Plant Breeder's Rights | Summary methods | Canola | Maturity | Performance data
This publication provides information on cereal and oilseed variety performance within Alberta. Important agronomic characteristics are given in tabular form for varieties of wheat, oats, barley, flax, canola, triticale and rye. The agro-climatic areas, based primarily on precipitation and length of growing season, are indicated on the map. This information can help farmers choose varieties that are best suited to their own particular farming situation.
Contributors to this publication: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Seed Growers Association, cereal and oilseed commodity groups, applied research associations, the Canadian Seed Trade Association, Canola Council of Canada and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. This information is coordinated by the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA).
Funding for the 2008 trials has been provided by Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, seed industry groups, the Alberta Branch of Canadian Seed Growers Association and the Association of Alberta Co-op
Plant Breeder’s Rights
The use of the logo indicates a variety protected by law, and seed of this variety cannot be sold without permission and royalty payment.
Summary Methods
Past versions of this publication summarized multi-year and multi-location yield data on a geographical basis (agro-climatic areas). The combined data averaged the effects of drought, heavy rainfall, high/low fertility, etc. that are often experienced at different sites or years in each agro-climatic area. This method of analysis has not reliably identified varieties better adapted to low or high yield conditions, and producers have been given the false impression that varieties will respond close to the long-term averages reported in each area.
For the past several years, an additional approach has been used to better reflect the yield performance of varieties under varying growth conditions. For several crops, yield data is expressed on the basis of individual growth environment productivity (low, medium, high and very high). Experience has shown that yield rankings can change substantially due to growing conditions. Thus, data from a test site that receives good growing season moisture resulting in high yields would be placed into the database for ‘high’ yielding environments. That same site may contribute to the ‘low’ yielding category in a drought year, when yields are low.
This new method allows producers to select the most beneficial varieties for their particular situation. Variety choice based on yield performance should reflect a realistic prediction of fall yield, taking into account factors such as growing season rainfall and disease forecasts, soil moisture, fertility and weed pressure. Consistent performance over all productivity environments indicates that the variety has good yield stability over a wide range of environments. Producers are encouraged to consider other characteristics such as maturity, straw strength and disease resistance rather than settling on a variety based solely on yield performance.
Yields tables show relative yields compared to a check variety. Although variety test plots are carefully conducted with statistical designs, small percentage differences in yield are usually statistically insignificant or meaningless. In Area 1, irrigated yields expressed as per cent of dryland yields are C.W. wheat 185, barley 160, oats 180, flax 210 and canola 125%. In Area 2, irrigated yields expressed as per cent of dryland yields are C.W. wheat 130, barley 125, oats 120, flax 145 and canola 120%.
Canola
The canola variety performance data is generated by the Prairie Canola Variety Trials (PCVT) and is appended to this factsheet. Trials are conducted over the three provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well as the B.C. Peace River region. The PCVT system reports individual years of data for publication in the Agrifacts. The Alberta Cereal and Oilseed Advisory committee does not take any responsibility for accuracy or validity of the PCVT results.
Maturity
Maturity is indicated as +/- days relative to the check variety for each crop and cannot be used to compare different crops. In Areas 2, 3 and 5 of Alberta, the following can be used as a guide for estimating maturity in actual days from seeding to harvest when the crops are seeded on fallow land:
- AC Barrie wheat – 113 days
- Cascade oats – 108
- Harrington barley – 98
- Kasota barley – 93
- McGregor flax – 120
- 46A65 (Argentine) canola – 109
- Reward (Polish) canola – 92
Note: These days to maturity do not match the days to maturity shown in the charts because they are the average of only three of the six agro-climatic areas.
In Area 6, the longer daylight hours usually reduce the number of days to maturity required. Area 4 experiences the longest maturity. In southern Alberta, AC Barrie can be expected to mature in 103 to 108 days, and other crops are similarly earlier maturing. Maturity rankings of varieties within crops tend to be consistent regardless of where the crops are grown.
Diseases, seed treatment and seed testing
Disease ratings are compiled from various data sources in Alberta and other prairie provinces.
- Treat rye and flax seed to control seedling blight, cereal seed for smuts and fusarium, canola seed to control flea beetles, seedling blight and the seed borne phase of virulent blackleg.
- Treated seed must not be fed to livestock, poultry or wildlife or sold for feed. Refer to labels for maximum periods for storing treated seed.
- The Leaf Spot rating in the wheat charts is a combination of resistance to tan spot and septoria leaf disease complex.
- Currently, Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum, is a minor problem in Alberta. However, this pathogen has been appearing with greater frequency and intensity in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. It has also appeared in trace levels in Alberta. The relative rating of crops from most susceptible to least is durum, CPS wheat, HRS wheat, triticale, barley and oats. Corn is a host of F. graminearum and can serve as a source of infection when residue is left on the ground. Under severe epidemics, all cereal varieties will suffer damage. All seed, especially seed brought in from infected areas of the eastern prairies, should be tested for FHB and treated with the appropriate seed treatment. Producers should choose varieties with the best FHB tolerance wherever possible.
- All seed tested in the Regional Cereal Program comes with a fusarium-free certificate and is treated with the appropriate fungicides. In addition, all regional trials are inspected for the disease at the most susceptible stage.
Laboratories participating in the FHB testing program:
- 20/20 Seed Labs Ltd., Nisku, AB 1-877-420-2099
- Brett Young Seeds (Rycroft Inc.), Rycroft, AB 1-780-765-3069
- BioVision Seed Research Ltd., Edmonton, AB 1-800-952-5407
- BioVision Seed Research Ltd., Grande Prairie, AB 1-877-532-8889
- Parkland Laboratories, Red Deer, AB 1-403-342-0404
- Precision Seed Testing, Beaverlodge, AB 1-780-354-2259
- Seed Check Technologies Inc., Leduc, AB 1-780-980-8324
Other variety information
For additional variety information, including varieties not listed in this factsheet, check Alberta Agriculture’s website or call the Alberta Ag-Info Centre toll-free at 310-FARM (3276).
Factsheet prepared by
Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development
Gayah Sieusahai - Crop Program Manager
Agricultural Research and Extenstion Council of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
Performance Data
Source: Agdex FS100/32. February 2009. |
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