Wheat Wise On-Farm Trials

Interested in participating in the 2025 program?

Contact our Agronomy Extension Specialist Carmen Prang for more information.

Carmen Prang
Agronomy Extension Specialist
Office line: 1-306-653-7966
Cell: 1-306-550-3595
carmen.prang@saskwheat.ca

Or contact WARC’s Lead Research Associate, Kayla Slind.

Kayla Slind
Lead Research Associate
Office line: 1-306-247-2001
Cell: 1-306-843-7984
kayla.slind@warc.ca

During the 2022 growing season, Sask Wheat launched the “On-Farm Trial” program. There were four trials, one each at Indian Head, Davidson, Cut Knife and Tisdale. Each producer tested low, medium, and high seeding rates, which were based on the desired plant population of 20, 25, and 30 plants per sq ft. In 2023, we re-branded this program to “Wheat Wise – Plotting the Future”.

Wheat Wise trials are unique. They feature treatments replicated several times within a field with the goal of seeing if there is a statistically significant or different result. Through this program, producers have the opportunity to work alongside Sask Wheat’s agronomists and research experts while implementing field-scale trials under the producers’ farm conditions and management practices allowing them to be within their own comfort zone.

Although the work is collaborative, the goal remains: Maximize yield, quality and economic return.

2024 Protocols

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer: The objective of this field scale trial is to examine different ratios or proportions of treated and untreated N fertilizer using an EENF product of choice, compared to 100% untreated N fertilizer, on canola or wheat establishment, yield, and quality under various management, soil, and weather conditions in Saskatchewan.

Foliar-applied Nitrogen-fixing biological products: The objective of this field-scale trial is to determine if there are agronomic and economic benefits of applying a commercially available, foliar-applied N-fixing bacteria product in wheat or canola under various management, soil and weather conditions in Saskatchewan. Producers will determine the value of utilizing the product of their choice under the typical management practices and environmental conditions of their operation.

Split N or Top-Up N: The objective of this field scale trial is to determine if there is an agronomic and economic advantage to using a split N application or top-dressing N compared to applying all nitrogen at seeding on canola/wheat yield, quality and economic return under various soil and weather conditions in Saskatchewan.

Wheat Variety Trial Protocol: The objective of this field-scale trial is to compare the yield and quality of different spring wheat or durum varieties under various management and environmental conditions throughout Saskatchewan.

Why participate in on-farm research?

Join a network of growers conducting field-scale research and sharing on-farm results
Results are established with your equipment under your farm conditions and management practices to help you make decisions on your farm
A research specialist or agronomist will help support you through every step of the research process and collects data throughout the season
Statistically valid results

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do an on-farm trial?

Trial a practice on your farm to see if it will increase wheat yield, quality and economic return. The trials happen using your equipment and management practices under your typical environmental conditions to get results that matter to you.
You aren’t in it alone! You will have access to a team of agronomists, research experts and Sask Wheat staff. If you already have an agronomist we can easily involve them. Working with this team means you are getting statistically significant results with trial support from start to finish.
Join a network of like-minded farmers who are interested in on farm, field scale research. We partner with the other crop commissions to host a field tour during the summer, and a winter wrap up banquet. At this banquet, you will get first access to trial results from all of the crops involved. These results will also be packaged in a booklet for you to take home.

What makes these trials different that other trials?

These trials differ from regular strip trials as they are both replicated and randomized to account for any field variability. This makes the trials quite large, however having adequate data to properly analyze after harvest is crucial to provide the cooperator and other farmers with results they can be confident in.

Who is eligible to participate?

All farmers who are in good standing with Sask Wheat are eligible to participate.

I’m a farmer and want to be involved, what’s the process?

Signing up is easy! Contact our Agronomy Extension Specialist or the Sask Wheat office to express interest and find out more about the program and find a protocol that works for you.

I’m an agronomist and want to be involved, what’s the process?

Contact us! Contact our Agronomy Extension Specialist or the Sask Wheat office to express interest and find out more about the program and find a protocol that works for you.

What kinds of protocols are offered?

Protocols are based off timely topics that matter to Saskatchewan wheat producers. Have an idea for a protocol? Let us know!

How do I suggest a protocol for a trial?

Email or call us and we will bring the idea forward for approval. If we have enough interest from other producers, we will write a protocol. We also collaborate with other crop commissions in Saskatchewan to write joint protocols as some farmers may want to trial a practice on multiple crops.

How much time does a trial take?

We’ll be honest, it takes a bit of time to properly set up, collect data and a harvest trial. During harvest each treatment strip needs to be harvested separately and weighed. Feedback we’ve received from past and current cooperators is that seeding and spraying are less time consuming. We will discuss before trial sign up the time and care needed to adequately complete a trial. This is also where the team of research experts and agronomists available to you come in to tackle some of the workload. We want to ensure that all your hard work and effort during the growing season are worth it when the results are communicated.

Interested in participating or have an idea for a future protocol?