The Rural Voice, 1981-04, Page 21UEST COLUMN
New cereal varieties increase yields
BY: E. REINBERGS
Crop Science Dept.. O.A.C.
In the last 20 years there has been a
definite shift in spring grain production in
this province. While mixed grain acre-
ages have remained more or Tess un-
changed, barley acreage has increased
about 4 -fold and oat acreage has de-
creased considerably. A similar trent; has
hecn observed in Grey. Bruce. Perth and
Huron counties. A partial explanation for
this may be that oat yields per acre have
not followed the continuous upward trend
as has been the case for barley. For
example. the average yield of barley
since 1960 has increased by 900 lbs per
acre. whereas only 400 lbs increase was
obtained for oats in thc sank time period.
The barley crop seems to respond better
to fertilizer and improved crop production
practices. Consequently. with net%cr
varieties. high production and more
economical yield of this crop has been
obtained.
In 1980 the Ontario barley acreage
increased to 415.000 acres. This is 55.00)
acres more than the last 10 year average.
Due to a record average yield (50 bit/a),
24.600 hu of barley were produced. in
pure stands. Despite excellent yields
quality. test weight and kernel weights
were poor because of weather and
diseases.The main diseases were spot
blotch (Helminthosporium) and mildew.
In the last few years spot blotch has
become a serious threat to barley in
Ontario.
Barley affected by this disease organ-
ism has brown blotches on the leaves and
the stem often breaks at the top node
before maturity resulting in low yield and
very poorly filled kernels. So far no
resistance to spot blotch has been found.
However. the two OAC varieties Perth
and Bruce suffer least from this disease,
and the recently introduced 2 -row variety
Summit is the most susceptible one. In
several areas damage has been so severe
that Summit may be removed from the
recommended list in 1982. Other two -
rowed varictics. including Herta. also
suffered more from spot blotch than the
six -rowed types. Heavy mildew infections
o crc recorded on Laurier. and the too
malting type varieties. Conquest and
Bon;,n'
In terms of general performance. the
best yielding' varieties have been Mingo.
Bruce and Vanier, whereas Perth has the
hest lodging resistance. The old standby.
Herta, is still yielding well in mixtures.
Of the malting varieties Bonanza cont-
inues to outyield Conquest. About 1
million bushels of these arc contracted
each year for malting purposes.
Bruce is the earliest of thc recommend-
ed varieties. Bruce and Perth arc also
recommended if late seeding is unavoid-
able because they do not suffer as great a
yield reduction as other varieties, espe-
cially Herta. it is believed that in areas
where seeding has to be delayed due to
poor soil drainage in the spring. the 1980
released winter triticale, OAC Wintri,
may replace spring cereals as a high
yielding feed grain.
Despite improved varieties with con-
siderably higher yield and disease resi-
stance. Ontario oat• acreages in 1980
continued to decrease following the trend
that has been evident for the last 20
years. However. duc to above-average
yields (60 bu/a) thc same amount of oats
was produced in 1980 as in 1979.
Unfortunately seed quality and test
weight was considerably reduced by
weathering and diseases. particularly
Septoria and leaf rust.
The long-term average simos that the
newer varieties. including the 1978
released Sentinel. yield better than the
old favourite Garry. The new varieties
also feature higher protein and Io%%er hull
percentages. Scott and Oxford were the
highest yielders in 1980, but Scott is taller
and considerably less resistant to lodging
than Oxford. Oxford shooed the best
lodging resistance of all varieties and
suffered least from S.:ptoria Icaf spot and
black stens. This variety also has
tolerance to red leaf disease caused by
harlcy yellow dwarf virus.
Elgin remains the most popular variety
with good seed quality and straw
strength. but its resistance to Septoria is
not as good as Oxford's, therefore it
breaks down more easily when overripe.
An additional feature to both Oxford and
Elgin is that they suffer less from late
seeding than some of the other varieties.
Two new oat introductions from Que-
bec. Lamar and Manic, have been
recently evaluated in Ontario. The high
yielding Lamar has small kernels and low
wt/bus and the large seeded Manic does
not offer any yield improvement. This is
why they are not being recommended for
Ontario. it is expected that of the present
varieties, Garry and Scott may be soon
removed from the recommended list.
Mixed grains occupy a sizeable acreage
(800,000 acres in 1980) that has remained
relatively constant over the years. The
main advantage of mixed grain over oats
and barley in pure stands is greater
reliability and more uniform yields from
year to year, especially in areas where
barley may suffer from adverse climatic
and soil effects. Barley and oat varieties
grown in mixtures have considerably
lower spot blotch and Septoria damage.
respectively, than in pure stands.
Generally thc highest yielding varieties
in pure stands also perform best in
mixutres: however. height and maturity
ratings of the components of a mixture
must be watched. The most popular
mixtures are 50:50 or 65 of oats and 35 of
barley. Barley usually suppresses oats in
a mixture and it is not uncommon from a
50:50 seed mixture to yield 75% barlc�
and only 25°4 oats in harvest. Elgin oats
does well in mixtures with most of the
harlcy varieties. in 1980 tests the highest
yielding 50:51) mixtures were Elgin -
Mingo. Elgin -Herta. Elgin -Massey and
Garry -Herta. At some locations the
Elgin -Perth mixture also yielded well.
Three way mixtures with Glcnlca wheat
did not reach the yield levels of the hest
oat and harlcy mixtures.
Since the release of the famous OAC 21
harlcy in 1910 there has hecn a steady
Flow of new cereal varieties from Guelph
and other breeding stations. These have
continually increased harlcy and oat
yields in this province. Data from
screening and cooperative tests indicate
that superior lines to our present varieties
are in advanced stages in public and
private breeding programs. insuring that
the flow of new cereal varieties %% ill
continue for the benefit of the farmer and
the seed industry.
THE RURAL VOICE/APRIL 1981 PG. 19