Irrigated soft white spring wheat is largely unresponsive to conservation management in rotations with dry bean, potato and sugar beet

Abstract

Historically, soft white spring (SWS) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has been a crop choice in southern Alberta’s irrigation districts. A 12-yr (2000–2011) study compared conservation (CONS) and conventional (CONV) management for SWS wheat in 3–5-yr rotations with dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Conservation management incorporated reduced tillage, compost, cover crops, and narrow-row dry bean. Wheat was largely unresponsive to CONS management, with only 2 of 13 parameters showing significant positive effects: greater grain Ca (605 vs. 576 μg g−1 on CONV) and S concentrations (1137 vs. 1105 μg g−1 on CONV). Two parameters showed significant negative responses to CONS management: shorter plant height (82.8 vs. 84.8 cm on CONV) and higher take-all [Gaeumannomyces graminis (Sacc.) Arx & Olivier var. tritici Walker] severity (1.34 vs. 1.27 rating on CONV). The remaining nine parameters were unresponsive: plant density, days to maturity, grain y...