The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Crop Performance Testing Program kicked off its wheat variety tour in Jefferson County on Thursday, June 6. The tour will continue across Nebraska from June 11 to 14. Tours will be led by Drs. Cody Creech and Amanda Easterly, with assistance from Dr. Katherine Frels, UNL Small Grains Breeder, and Dr. Stephen Wegulo, UNL Small Grains Plant Pathologist, and other UNL researchers at various stops.
These tours are hosted by farmer-cooperators and UNL Farm Managers each year in conjunction with the CPT team. Seed industry partners will share insight on their varieties and answer questions. Seventy-eight different varieties are being tested across the state, and wheat team members will answer questions about variety selection, production, and pest/disease concerns. Events at Banner, Deuel, and Furnas Counties will be grower-led, and attendees will have the chance to engage one-on-one with wheat team members.
The High Plains Ag Lab near Sidney agenda is as follows:
8:40 – 9 a.m. – Pea Variety Trial and Alternative Crops Breeding Update
9 – 9:20 a.m. – Travel to main wheat field
9:20 – 9:50 a.m. – Dryland Cropping Systems Update:
- Wheat TAPS
- Sawfly Research Team
- Barley Agronomics and Varieties
- Wheat Fertility
9:50 – 9:55 a.m. – Travel to variety trial field
10 – 11:30 a.m. – Wheat Variety Tour
- Walk through of this year’s tests
- Q&A with a Wheat Pathologist
- Up and coming in wheat and small grains breeding
11:30 – 11:35 a.m. – Return to HPAL Shop
11:35 – 12:30 p.m. – Catered lunch from Outlaws Café
- Stocker Update
- Remarks from Sponsors
- Comments from attendees
Following are all the stops:
Tuesday, June 11
- Jim Wyatt Farm, Banner County, 9 a.m. MDT Grower-led.
- V&F Seeds, Deuel County, 5 p.m. MDT Grower-led.
Wednesday, June 12
- Stumpf International Wheat Research Center, Perkins County, 10 a.m. MDT
Thursday, June 13
- High Plains Agricultural Lab, Cheyenne County, 8 a.m. MDT
- Cullan Farm Seed, Box Butte County 3:30 p.m. MDT for Irrigated Trial
Friday, June 14
- tenBensel Farm, Furnas County, 11 a.m. CDT Grower-led.
For more information and directions to each site, visit https://preec.unl.edu/2024-university-nebraska-lincoln-wheat-variety-tours
