Evaluating an Advanced Intensive Management Strategy for Virginia Wheat

Current Virginia soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) management strategies have been in place for over 20 years. A new advanced intensive management (AIM) system has been evaluated in order to improve Virginia wheat yields and attempt to bring state average wheat yields of 4288 kg ha⁻¹ more closely in-line with the maximum yield achieved in the Virginia Tech Official Soft Red Winter Wheat Trials of 7400 kg ha⁻¹. Increases in nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rates and splits, a chelated micronutrient blend, increased seeding rates, and a "no tolerance" pest control methodology were compared to current intensive management practices in this study. Additional fall N application and an increased seeding rate resulted in an increased number of tillers m-2 at growth stage (GS) 25 and biomass at GS 30. This increased number of tillers may lead to a greater amount of viable grain head production and increased wheat yields. Higher seeding and N application rate resulted in dramatically increased lodging in 2009 with resultant yield loss. Grain yield was significantly affected by management type in three of six instances. The number of heads m-2 was the yield component factor most influenced by factors tested in these studies.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences

Department dc:contributor.department

Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2011

Author dc:creator

• Childress, Michael Blanton

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Thomason, Wade E.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Alley, Marcus M.
• Griffey, Carl A.
• Parrish, David J.

• Winter wheat
• Management
• Nitrogen
• Seeding rate

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-05162011-215940

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/32878