Small grain variety trials are conducted annually by scientists of the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Agricultural Experiment Station (LSUAC) to evaluate grain yield, agronomic performance, and disease reaction of varieties and advanced breeding lines. The trials are conducted at seven LSUAC research stations representative of the major soil and climate regions of the state. Entries are included in the trials based upon previous performance or at the request of the originating breeder or company. The inclusion of an entry in the trials does not constitute an endorsement. The north Louisiana wheat trial included 8 released varieties (bold font) and 32 experimental lines (normal font). There were 38 entries in the south Louisiana performance trials.

New entries in the statewide trials are tested in the north Louisiana trial and in a south Louisiana vernalization trial, unless prior testing in other Baton Rouge nurseries indicates an entry is adapted to south Louisiana, in which case it is also tested in the south Louisiana variety trial. South Louisiana consists of the Baton Rouge, Crowley, and Jeanerette locations, whereas North Louisiana consists of locations at Alexandria, Bossier City, St. Joseph, and Winnsboro. The vernalization trial is a two-rep yield trial in Baton Rouge that is intended to determine if a new variety trial entry is early enough and has enough disease resistance for south Louisiana.

When choosing varieties, growers should consult their local extension agents and choose varieties based on two-year data within a region, not based on a single year or location. Fusarium head blight reaction should also weigh heavily in variety choice, as this disease is difficult to control and frequently contributes to loss of yield and economic value.

Growers should also consider specific data from the LSUAC variety trial location that most closely matches the weather and soil conditions of their farm and should avoid growing a single variety on a large acreage. Growing several varieties helps to hedge against losing the entire crop to chance occurrences in weather or shifts in pathogen or pest races or virulence patterns. Yield, test weight, maturity, and disease resistance are important traits to consider when selecting varieties. Growers planting wheat early should avoid varieties that have a very early heading date to reduce the danger of spring freeze damage. Specific management and cultural practices for each location are presented at the bottom of the tables, along with unusual or key observations about that test. All plots were seeded at the recommended rate with treated seed provided by the originating agency or company (Appendix A in PDF).

Characteristics Evaluated and Statistics Reported:

Data are collected on grain yield, test weight, heading and maturity dates, plant height, lodging, and disease reaction, as appropriate at each location. Grain yield was adjusted to 13% moisture. Least significant differences (LSD's) are reported at the 10% probability level. An LSD of 10% probability (α=0.10) is the degree of difference in a trait (like yield) that occurs between two varieties once in every 10 comparisons as a result of random chance due to greater soil fertility, better drainage, slightly greater harvest length, or any other "uncontrollable or unmeasurable factors" in the test, even if the varieties had the same genetic yield potential. If the LSD (0.10) for yield in a trial is 7.0 bu/acre, there is a 10% chance that two varieties with a reported yield difference of 7.0 bu/acre are genetically equal and a 90% probability that they have differences in genetic potential in that particular environment. LSD values are influenced by the degree of precision that soil fertility, stand establishment, plot length, harvest efficiency, and other variables of the trials are controlled, and by the number of replications of each variety or treatment. The letters 'NS' are used in the text and Tables to indicate lack of significance (not significantly different) at the 10% probability level. Correlations are sometimes given to indicate the degree to which two traits, such as rust rating and yield, are related. A correlation between rust rating and yield of r = -1.0 would indicate that for every unit increase in rust there was a completely proportional decrease in yield.

Wheat leaf rust, stripe rust, and oat crown rust are reported as percentage of the upper two leaves affected by the disease. Two replications are evaluated for leaf and stripe rust, between flowering and the early dough stage of kernel development. Wheat and oat stem rust are reported on a scale of 0-9, where a 0 indicates no disease and a 9 indicates that the plant was killed by the disease. Stem rust is normally rated somewhat later than leaf rust as the disease appears later in the growing season.

Bacterial streak, Septoria leaf and glume blotch are rated on a scale of 0 to 9 during the dough stage of development. A rating of 0 indicates that no disease was present, while a 9 indicates very severe disease. The upper few leaves, heads, and stems below the head are the portions rated for these diseases. Since bacterial streak (black chaff) is not controlled by fungicides, it is important that this disease be distinguished from Septoria blotch. Heading day is given as calendar day (day of year). Lodging is rated on a 0-9 scale, where a 0 indicates that all plants were completely upright.

Fusarium head blight is rated on a 0-9 scale in yield plots and in inoculated, misted nurseries. A seed sample is rated as a percentage Fusarium Damaged Kernels (FDK) and then submitted to the USDA Wheat DON Lab at the University of Minnesota to determine Deoxynivalenol toxin (DON) concentration. The same procedure is followed for the misted nurseries except that samples are hand harvested and processed to avoid blowing out small, scabby seeds.