This blog is submitted for Ryan Blair, CST specialist, University of TN.  The results from the 2015-2016 County Standardized Wheat Trials are posted at utcrops.com.

Variety selection should be one of our biggest decisions when planning for the upcoming crop year.  UT’s CST program focuses on unbiased, large plot on-farm variety trials, testing commercially available varieties that are best suited for Tennessee growers.  Each location is chosen to be a representative of the area farms to demonstrate variety performance and adaptability to the area.  When selecting varieties to plant, we should look at consistency from a variety that performs well in different soil types and different weather patterns within a growing season.  Each location is considered to be a replication when calculating statistical averages.  This method allows us to reduce the error associated within each individual location.  When selecting varieties, I encourage growers to select from the list of “A” varieties that have statistically performed at the high end of the test.  Planting multiple varieties will spread your risk and also give you a better understanding of what performs best on your farm.  

·   Choose varieties that have the same “A” letter in the “MS” column, in other words those that yield statistically the same for this data set.

·   Remember that varieties with an * or multiple *’s have been in the “A” group for consecutive years.   

·  N denotes a variety that was entered into the CST test for the first time in 2015-2016 season.     

This year we tested 22 varieties from 7 companies at 12 locations representing much of West TN and into Middle TN. Across the board, our wheat yields were very strong with an average of 85 bu/ac across all locations. 

If you have a history of deer damage or have a large deer population, pay attention to head type.  The last two years at the Fayette Co. location, the deer have fed heavily on the awnless (beardless/smooth) varieties.  Awnless varieties are more susceptible to grazing because animals can feed on the mature seed heads without the hindrance of the awns irritation.  To read more on this, follow this link to an article published in Whitetails Magazine and in QDMA by Dr. Craig Harper and myself:   https://www.qdma.com/articles/deer-prefer-awnless-wheat

 Please contact Ryan Blair with any questions about this data at 731-695-4604 or rblair2@utk.edu