Aldura, Westbred Turbo and Westbred 881 were grown in four sites in three counties (Graham, Greenlee and Cochise) in southeastern Arizona to determine which would produce the largest income per acre. At an assumed 75 cent premium for Westbred 881 over a base of $5.25 per hundredweight, Aldura and Westbred Turbo generally out produced Westbred 881. Relative yields of the three varieties are shown for all locations.

Sixteen winter wheat varieties (including three hybrids) were evaluated in a randomized, complete block experiment, with four replications. Stephens, the standard variety grown in the area, was outyielded by four of the winter wheat cultivars, including two of the hybrids. The highest yielding cultivar was a hybrid, Bounty 100, which yielded 5853 pounds per acre (23% higher than Stephens).

Results from 1988 show that yields of 3.9 and 3.7 tons per acre are feasible for Gustoe and NKX -1558 barley cultivars. The short season cultivar Barcott yielded about one ton less. The predicted optimum amounts of water and nitrogen were approximately 30 inches and 150 pounds per acre, respectively.

One-irrigation barleys were bred to be grown with only a single irrigation near planting time. To further our understanding of how to manage these new cultivars, two one - irrigation barley genotypes (Seco and 2 -22 -9) were grown at four seeding rates (20, 40, 60, and 80 lbs seed /A); four nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 lbs N /A); two phosphorus rates (0 and 100 lbs P₂O₅ /A); four row spacings (6, 12, 18, and 24 inch); and three planting dates (Nov 19, Dec. 23, and Jan. 22). The optimum seeding rate, fertilizer rate, and row spacing were dependent on genotype and planting date. The optimum seeding rate was 40 to 60 lbs /A for Seco and 80 lbs /A for 2 -22 -9. An increase in seeding rate decreased kernel weight and kernel number per head but increased head number. A positive response to nitrogen fertilizer was not obtained due to the high levels of residual soil nitrogen at planting (20 ppm NO₃⁻N) except for the case of Seco at the Dec. 23 planting date. Phosphorus fertilizer increased yield only at the Nov. 19 planting date and if accompanied by 100 lbs N /A. Soil phosphorous levels were 2 ppm PO₄⁻P and a positive response was expected Kernel weight was not influenced by Nor P fertilizer. Kernel number per head increased with certain combinations of genotype and planting date. Head number decreased with N rate but increased with phosphorus. The optimum row spacing was 18 inches at the Nov. 19 planting and 12 inches for Seco at the Jan. 22 planting date. At other combinations of genotype and planting date, no differences in grain yield were detected due to row spacing. Kernel weight increased with row spacing at the Nov. 19 planting date; kernel number per head was generally not affected and, head number decreased with row spacing. The results of this study surest that any recommendations on how to grow one - irrigation barley are gross approximations because of variations due to year, planting date, and genotype.

WestBred 881 durum commands a premium price due to its superior quality, but it produces a lower yield than other commonly grown cultivars. This study was initiated to improve our understanding of how to grow WestBred 881. Two dumm cultivars (WestBred 881 and Aldura) were planted at five seeding rates (30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 lbs seed /A) and five row spacings (3, 6, 12, 18 an 24 inches) at the Marana Agricultural Center. The optimum seeding rate was 180 lbs /A for WestBred 881 and 120 lb /A for Aldura. An increase in seeding rate resulted in decreased kernel weight and number and increased head number. At row spacings of 3, 6 and 12 inches, grain yield of WestBred 881 was 6120, 6300, and 6060 lbs /A and grain yield of Aldura was 6350, 6770, and 7190 lb /A, respectively. WestBred 881 has larger kernels than Aldura but fewer kernels per head and heads per unit area. The yield advantage of WestBred 881 relative to Aldura at higher seeding rates was due to in kernels per head. At the closer row spacings, the advantage was due to kernel weight, kernels per head and heads per unit area.

Three varieties of feed wheat were compared in an on farm demonstration in the Safford valley. AC79 -97, developed by the University of Arizona for the Safford area,produced the largest amount of high protein feed Comparing 200 and 300 pound per acre seeding rates, both AC79 -97 and Super -X yielded slightly more grain at the 200 pound rate than at the 300 pound rate. Yolo, a feed wheat variety that has done well in the Sacramento valley in California, yielded slightly lower than the Super-X.

Plant growth regulators are applied to small grains to decrease lodging which can adversely affect crop growth and yield. Wheat is intensively managed in Arizona, and lodging can be a problem. Chlormequat and ethephon were applied at various rates and times in six studies in 1987 to evaluate their use on Arizona's semi -dwarf cultivars with respect to lodging plant height, yield components and grain yield The results indicated that growth regulators applied at the recommended rates and times may decrease plant height and decrease kernel weight. However, the influence of growth regulator treatments on tiller number, head number, kernel number, and grain yield was not demonstrated. The ambiguous results obtained suggest our efforts need to be directed toward documenting the extent of lodging in the state, studying the effects of lodging and predicting when lodging will occur.

One-irrigation barleys were bred to be grown with only a single irrigation near planting time. To further our understanding of how to manage these new cultivars, one-irrigation barleys were grown at 4 seeding rates (20, 40, 60, and 80 lbs seed /A), 4 nitrogen rates (0, 50, 100, and 150 lbs/A), and 3 planting dates (Nov. 17, Dec. 15, and Jan. 22). Seeding rates 01 40 to 60 lbs seed/A resulted in the highest yields at the Dec. 15 planting date, comparing all planting dates combined. However, in individual analyses of the Nov. 17 and Jan. 22 planting dates, no significant differences in yield due to seeding rate were detected. Grain yield increased linearly with nitrogen rate at the Nov. 17 planting date, but was not influenced by nitrogen rate at the other planting dates. Yields were similar for the Nov. 17 and Dec. 15 planting dates, but decreased considerably in the Jan. 22 planting date due partially to lower head number. Grain yields of 2-22-9 were consistently higher than Seco this year.

Westbred 881 durum wheat commands a premium price due to its superior quality, but produces a lower yield than other commonly grown commercial cultivars. This study was initiated to improve our understanding of how best to manage Westbred 881. Two durum wheat cultivars (Westbred 881 and Aldura) were planted at 5 seeding rates (30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 lbs. seed/A), 5 row spacings (3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 inches), and two planting dates (Dec. 1 and Jan. 16) at the Maricopa Agricultural Center. Both cultivars produced optimum yields at seeding rates of 120 to 180 lbs/A for the Dec. 1 planting date. At the Jan. 16 planting date, however, yields of Westbred 881 increased linearly with seeding rate up to 240 lbs/A, while Aldura produced optimum yields between 120 and 180 lbs. seed/A. At the Dec. 1 planting date, Aldura produced similar yields at row spacings from 3 to 12 inches, while the yield of Westbred 881 decreased linearly with an increase in row spacing. The highest yield achieved in this study was with Westbred 881 at the 3 -inch row spacing. Row spacings of 6 to 12 inches were optimum for both Westbred 881 and Aldura at the Jan. 16 planting date. The seeding rate and row spacing responses attained with Westbred 881 may be related to its tittering characteristics.

Five varieties of durum wheat were evaluated at two different seeding rates, in cooperation with Pacheco Farm Management in Marana. Significant differences between varieties were observed in grain yield, plant height, lodging, bushel weight and protein level. No significant differences in yellow berry were observed between the varieties. The planting rates did not cause significant differences in grain yield nor in any of the other characteristics that were measured. There were no significant variety x planting rate interactions.