Varietal mixtures to discourage wheat pests, manage pest populations, and stabilize yield across environments
Term: 3 years, beginning in 2021
Status: Ongoing
Funding Amount: $79, 350
Lead Researcher(s): Dr. Dean Spaner (University of Alberta)
Funding Partners: Alberta Wheat Commission, Results Driven Agriculture Research
Project Description
Ecological principles can be applied to agricultural practices to replace agrochemicals and increase productivity by implementing either species diversity e.g. mixed cropping or genetic diversity within species e.g. varietal mixture (VM). VM of several cultivars which belongs to the same market class and exhibit a similar quality profile but variable levels of pest resistance, drought tolerance and yield potential can be successfully implemented in large scale mechanized farming systems. This approach makes synergistic use of mixed cultivars against diseases, insects, and weeds. The main advantage of VM is to have a package of many desirable traits from different cultivars which are unlikely to be present in one cultivar due to trade-off (e.g. grain yield and protein content are negatively correlated). VMs have been previously studied in wheat and other crops for their performance, especially in low-input environment and organic system. However, despite the usefulness, very little is known about the performance of wheat VMs in response to various pests in large scale mechanized farming systems in western Canada. Therefore, a study on management of pest and diseases is needed to increase the reliability of wheat VMs. In this proposal, we aim to evaluate the performance of CPSR and CWRS wheat VMs for disease reduction in marginally and conventionally managed lands. The results are expected to help producers decide which wheat VM to use based on characteristics and benefits.