Project Abstract

Spring Wheat is the most common crop grown on irrigated acres in Alberta. Water reservoirs consistently remaining below normal levels for years has built an increasing pressure on irrigated farming systems. This project explores the response of Spring Wheat when grown under reduced allocation rates of irrigation, to provide farmers with knowledge before these reductions are enforced.

Crops can be sensitive to reduced soil moisture at critical growing stages; the Alberta Irrigation Management Manual (AIMM) recommends 60% of Plant Available Water (PAW) to ensure proper development through Spring Wheat's growth stages. However, water use efficiency (WUE) in Alberta has witnessed multiple improvements to where ≥80% WUE is efficiently achievable.

We will trigger irrigation at 65% PAW, to minimize crop water stress until the seasonal allocation of irrigation water is fully depleted. We aim to investigate how these reduced allocation irrigation practices influence crop yield, to allow producers to make informed decisions on how best to allocate their water when allocations are reduced.

Methods

Each research plot will receive recommended fertilizer rates for the specific location and soil that targets optimal crop growth, tested by pre-seeding soil nutrient analysis. Fertilizer is banded to minimize the opening of soil. Pesticides will be crop specific and applied as necessary to ensure viable competitive crops before economic thresholds are reached.