The Bozeman courier., 1927-12-30
Experiment Station Reports
On Cultural Methods for
Winter and Spring Wheat

May 18 and September 10. The mean
temperature for the months Of April, |
May, June, July, August and September
is 55 degrees, ranging from 81 to 81. The |
highest temperatures are in July, the
average for this month for the period
being "a; ranging between 81 and SO.
In his conclusions on the results Of
cultural experiments Mr.. Osenbrug
states: The yield of winter wheat has
been slightly greater and the extent OF
winter injury much less on shallow fall
plowing than on deep fall plowing.
Subsoiling has not increased the yield
Of winter wheat and has no advantage
over fall plowing.
Fall listing has not been so productive
as blowing for either winter or spring
wheat; furthermore, listing is not adapt
ed to the soils Of the Judith Basin.
The yield Of winter wheat on fallow
has been sufficient to justify summer
fallowing in preference to fall plowtng
of land continuously cropped to winter
wheat. The chief objection to growing
winter wheat on summer fallow is the
danger Of damage to the crop and LAND
caused by soil blowing.
The yield of winter wheat on disked
corn ground has been only slightly less
than on summer fallow, the highest pro-
ducing tillage method for winter wheat.
Corn is the only crop which has def
nitely shown a more favorable influence
than winter wheat upon succeeding
crops.
Spring plowing seven inches deep has
been slightly more effective in controlling
weed growth than spring plowing three
inches deep for spring wheat, but there
has been practically no difference in the
yields of spring wheat from the two
depths Of plowing. Shallow plowing may
be considered preferable as it is less ex-
pensive.
There has been no difference between
the average yields Of spring wheat on
spring plowing and on fall plowing, but
| in recent years the yields have been no
ticeably greater on the spring plowing.
Fall plowing has been more effective
than spring plowing in controlling wild
oats.
Subsoiling does not increase the yield
of spring wheat.
| The average yield of spring wheat on
fallow has only been from three to four
bushels to the acre greater than on
plowed continuously cropped land, but
after a period of Is years the great in
| crease Of weed growth on the continu-
ously cropped land made summer fallow
every alternate year much more produc-
tive and profitable than continuous
cropping.
The yield of spring wheat on clean,
plowed land has been nearly equal to
that on fallow, and fallow in the Judith
Basin is Of value primarily as method
Of weed control.
Disked corn ground has been the most
profitable of all cultural methods fol-
spring wheat, the yields having been al
mostequal to those obtained on fallOw.
| Summer following or growing cult1-
waited crop every third year has resulted
in slightly larger yields Of the following
crop of spring wheat than following ol
growing a cultivated crop every second
year.
Spring wheat has yielded a little more
on disked corn ground than on plowec
corn ground.
Flowing under crops of peas and winter
rye for green manure has shown no ap
parent beneficial effect upon the yielC
Of spring wheat.
The yield Of spring wheat on diskeC
corn ground has been increased an aver
age Of 3.3 bushels per acre when barn
yard manure was applied the previous
year before plowing for corn. The bene
fetal effect of manure upon wheat il
equally apparent two years after manurt
was applied to a crop Of corn. Manurt
applied directly to a small grain crop ha
no effect upon wheat following it TIVE
years later.
In rotations including bronze grass o
alfalfa, the yields of spring wheat hav
been reduced by volunteer bronze gras
or alfalfa. Glover in rotation has in
creased the yield Of spring wheat onl
SllgnCly.
Corn has had the most favorable eff
feet as a previous crop for spring wheat
Winter wheat and corn have each hal
q more beneficial effect upon followin
crops than spring wheat; but there ha
been very little difference between tn
effect of oats, spring wheat and barle
on succeeding crops.
Dynamiting has increased the yield G
spring wheat slightly but the advantag
in this respect has not been sufficient t
cover the cost of dynamiting.
Phosphorus fertilizer applied to th
soil has had no beneficial effect upo
the yield of spring wheat.
Spring wheat has proved to be superic
to winter wheat for seeding on ia
plowed land.
Winter wheat has outyielded sprin
wheat by a distinct margin on summe
fallowed land, and is the more desirabl
Of the two crops to seed on fallow, pro
vided satisfactory means are employed I
prevent soil blowing. Unless reasonabl
effective methods of controlling so
blowing are adopted, seeding Of wintl
wheat on fallow is not advisable.
In general, spring wheat is better tha
winter wheat for seeding on disked COZ
= ground. The advantages in favor of wiz
p ter wheat are not sufficient to warral
- seeding winter wheat on corn stubb
Land, except in years when there is
large amount Of precipitation in the fa
and seeding may be done before SCI
tember Is.