Yield is an important aspect of a crop variety’s merit, but not the only one. In tough years it’s less important than you might think.
As you’re choosing this season’s varieties, try thinking and reading outside the (yield) box. Granted, yield is an important aspect of a crop, but choosing the best variety for your farm has more to do with the overall merits of a variety than simply how many bushels per acre it yields.
When evaluating new varieties for recommendation, crop industry experts look at three categories:
The same principles apply when choosing a variety for your farm. Bryan Harvey, Advisor to the Vice-President of Agricultural Research and Malting Barley Breeder at the University of Saskatchewan, says that all three categories are evaluated independently and as a total package before being recommended. “Farmers need to do the same. If variety A yields 10% more than variety B, but is susceptible to lodging or a major pest in the area, which would you choose?”
After a year like 2004, when early frosts and snow made harvesting a real nightmare, Phil Thomas wants to drive home the importance of agronomic traits – beyond yield. As Senior AgriCoach with Agri-Trend Agrology Ltd., Thomas stresses looking at maturity, straw strength, and the genetic pest resistance when choosing a variety. “I always suggest looking at days to maturity in an average year, and sticking with only those varieties that are going to ripen in that time frame. Some learned a hard lesson last year when late crops got caught by frost,” he says. Thomas also says that knowledge of what pests were a problem last year, or could be this year in your area, should dictate which varieties to grow. “Whenever genetic resistance to insects or diseases common to your area is available, take advantage. A small increase in yield potential isn’t worth downgrading disease resistance,” he cautions.
Moving beyond agronomic traits, Harvey highlights the importance of quality in the final crop. Whether for malting, canola oil, or the feedlot, end-users have specific criteria for what they want and if a high-yielding variety can’t deliver on quality, the extra bushels aren’t going to help you market your crop. Harvey explains that malting varieties like Harrington, or the first canola varieties, had lower yields to begin with, but the industry could see the potential in the quality gains. “Could you imagine what Western Canada would look like if we hadn’t recommended the first canola varieties because of low yield potential?” he asks.
Harvey highlights two points that drive home the message that merit is more than yield. “It’s no good to have high yield if you can’t harvest the crop. For example, a high yielding variety that lodges because of weak straw, sprouts in the swath, matures too late and is at risk to frost damage, or is covered in disease is going to lose any yield advantage it started out with. Also, if no one wants to buy your crop, all the yield in the world isn’t going to help you sell it. A maltster won’t want our high-yielding, low-quality barley. They, or any end-user, demand quality.”
A variety’s merits are found in the total package, not just in the promise of greater yields.
This article is reprinted with permission from Seed.ab.ca, Alberta’s Seed Guide – Winter 2005 Issue. To view the entire seed guide online or to order a hard copy, please visit www.seed.ab.ca.
