Just in time to assist with decisions to plant winter cereals, the MCVET (Manitoba Crop Variety Evaluation Team) yield results are in for 2019 fall rye and winter wheat varieties testing locations from across Manitoba (see tables below). In addition to yield, the agronomic and disease-resistance information for winter wheat and fall rye varieties tested in 2019 and in previous years is provided in the Variety Description tables (see tables below). For information on where to buy seed, see the online Pedigreed Seed Locator. Only seed produced in the current year of varieties eligible for sale and certified by the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association are listed.
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Search by province, crop kind and variety to find the seed you are looking for at seedlocator.net.
Things to keep in mind when looking through the data:
Comparing yields — Yield provided in the yield comparison tables below helps to make comparisons between varieties at each site. Use the statistical information provided in the grey-shaded area located at the bottom of the table to see if the differences are significant. To know if yield differences mean something, look at significant difference (Sig Diff) for each site, indicated as yes/no. If ‘yes’ then yield differences between varieties indicate real differences. When a site has shown significant difference, then the least significant difference (LSD) value is also shown, indicating the number of bushels per acre (bu./acre) that varieties must differ by to be considered significantly different. For example, winter wheat varieties at the Carman site must differ by more than seven bu./acre to be considered significantly different.
Compare long-term yields —Yields at a single site, in a single year can be a poor indicator of how the variety may perform in your field in 2020. Looking at long-term yield data or yields collected over many years and locations, gives a better indication of potential performance over a variety of environmental conditions. When choosing a new variety it is best to look at past Seed Manitoba guides, available at seedmb.ca, to see how consistent a variety performs across years and locations.
Agronomic and disease resistance — Yield is important, but other characteristics like maturity, height, standability, winter hardiness and disease resistance are critical to maximizing yield potential and quality. Disease levels were again low in winter cereals in 2019, but diseases such as fusarium head blight have been shown to have a large impact on yield and quality. Choosing a variety with increased resistance rating helps to reduce impact of fusarium infection in high-risk years.
Seed Manitoba 2020
Seed Manitoba 2020 will be available November 28, 2019. The guide will provide the 2019 small-plot, replicated and unbiased information on post-registration variety performance of many crop types in Manitoba. Seed Manitoba is a collaborative effort between the Manitoba Seed Growers’ Association, Manitoba Agriculture, and the Manitoba Co-operator.
