Graduation date: 1992

Thesis (PhD)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2008. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David K. Weaver. Includes bibliographical references.

Master of Science / Department of Agronomy / Romulo P. Lollato / Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) water limited yield potential in Kansas averages 5.2 Mg ha⁻¹; however, state-level yields rarely surpassed 3.4 Mg ha⁻¹. Our objective was to quantify the contribution of individual management practices to reduce wheat yield gaps (YG) economically. An incomplete factorial treatment structure established in a randomized complete block design with six replications was used to evaluate 14 treatments during two years in Manhattan, Belleville, and Hutchinson Kansas. Sites were combined based on tillage practice, growing region in Kansas, and disease pressure. Thus, Manhattan had low disease pressure, was no-tilled, and in eastern Kansas for 2015-16 and 2016-17 (two site years). Meanwhile, Belleville and Hutchinson had high disease pressure, were conventionally tilled, and in central Kansas for 2015-16 and 2016-17 (four site years). We individually added six treatments to a farmer’s practice control (FP) or removed from a water-limited yield control (Y[subscript]w), which received all treatments. Practices were additional split-nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), chloride (Cl), increased plant population, foliar fungicide, and plant growth regulator (PGR). Percent YG was calculated by block and site-year using the Y[subscript]w as reference for potential yield. Orthogonal contrasts indicated yield under no-till which had low disease pressure increased from the FP by the full Y[subscript]w (+0.37 Mg ha⁻¹), but also by the individual practices split-N (+0.28 Mg ha⁻¹), S (+0.26 Mg ha⁻¹), increased plant population (+0.36 Mg ha⁻¹), and fungicide (+0.18 Mg ha⁻¹). In the conventional till which had high disease pressure, wheat yield was increased by 1.18 Mg ha⁻¹ from the Y[subscript]w and by 1.44 Mg ha⁻¹ from the fungicide. The Y[subscript]w and split-N increased grain protein concentration in no-till and conventional-till on average by 9 g kg-1 and 12 g kg-1, respectively. Across all inputs, orthogonal contrasts indicated that the FP yield gap was 8% in no-till which had low disease pressure. Likewise, the orthogonal contrasts indicated that across individual treatments the YG was reduced by split-N (6%), S (5%), Cl (3%), increased plant population (8%), and fungicide (4%). Meanwhile, orthogonal contrasts indicated that the FP yield gap was 20% across all inputs and across individual inputs reduced to 5% from fungicide under conventional-till which had high disease pressure. Fungicide increased net return (+$106.57 ha⁻¹) under conventional-till which had high disease pressure, and increased plant population under no-till which had low disease pressure (+$36.65 ha⁻¹). While a high-cost input (i.e. fungicide) only economically reduced YG greater than 20%; however, a low-cost input (i.e. increased plant population) economically reduced YG less than 20%.

Wheat production in the Pacific Northwest consists mainly of the soft white wheat market class. Over 80% of this wheat is exported. In recent years there has been an increase in soft white wheat production (due in a large part to improvements in the yielding capabilities of the genotypes grown in the Pacific Northwest). To expand into different commodity markets, it would be desirable to diversify and produce wheat cultivars representing more market classes and product uses. One opportunity would be to develop cultivars representing the Hard Red Winter market class. An effort to breed high yielding, high protein Hard Red Winter wheats is now underway at Oregon State University. This research was conducted to gain a better understanding of the components (genetic and/or environmental) that determine yield and grain protein content of hard red wheat genotypes. There were two general objectives of the research. One was to study the differences in nitrogen assimilation and remobilization in a diverse group of winter wheat genotypes grown in the different agricultural environments of Oregon. The second objective was to determine the efficacy of using "hill plots" (micro-plots) as a planting method to screen for agronomic and nitrogen assimilation traits in geneticly distinct genotypes which may be used as parents in breeding efforts. Results of this study indicate that genetic differences for nitrogen assimilation and remobilization do exist, and improvements in Pacific Northwest hard red wheat genotypes can be made with appropriate selection techniques. Data also indicate that the traditional high protein wheat genotypes (from the U.S. Great Plains) do not show an advantage from a grain protein concentration standpoint when produced in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, the environment played a critical role in determining expression of harvest index, grain protein concentration, and nitrogen harvest index. Genotype by environment interactions were high, suggesting that zone-specific varieties may need to be developed in order to attain both high grain yields and high grain protein yields. / Graduation date: 1992

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No description available.

Winter wheat fields provide upland nesting habitat for migrating birds. Duck nests built in winter wheat croplands experience lower probabilities of nest mortality due to farming practices compared to nests built in spring wheat croplands. Two dynamic optimization models are specified in order to measure economic (producer’s profit) and environmental benefits (mallard population) derived from increases in winter wheat acreage in the Prairies. The first model, maximizes the farmer’s revenue due to spring and winter wheat production, subject to mallard population dynamics. The second model uses a social planner point of view to maximize both the farmer’s revenue obtained from wheat production, and social benefit associated with mallard population. The connection between duck population and winter wheat is specified using a logistic growth function where the intrinsic growth rate is a function of winter wheat acreage, and carrying capacity sets the maximum numbers of ducks in a specific area. / Agricultural and Resource Economics

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No description available.