LUARS Research 2025 – Take Home Messages
Dr. Tarlok Singh Sahota CCA
Barley Varieties:
• CDC Bow had the highest grain yield (4.77 MT/ha); 0.63 MT/ha higher than Synasolis (4.14 MT/ha). Three other good grain yielding varieties were PSL Kerns (4.40 MT/ha), Boroe (4.33 MT/ha) and AAC Stockton (a new variety this year; 4.32 MT/ha).
• Synasolis (14.7 MT/ha; 14.6 % protein) could be the best choice for forage production!
Malting Barley Varieties:
• AAC Synergy gave the highest grain yield (5.26 MT/ha), followed by CDC Bow (4.68 MT/ha) and UC Capay (4.66 MT/ha).
• CDC Bow (dry matter yield 15.3 MT/ha) and CDC Copper (dry matter yield 13.8 MT/ha) can be recommended for forage production!
Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) Wheat Varieties:
• Three highest grain yielding varieties were Brandon (4.50 MT/ha), AAC Westking (4.44 MT/ha) and AAC Wheatland VB (4.34 MT/ha).
• AAC Hassler (grain yield 4.28 MT/ha) produced the highest straw yield (10.14 MT/ha). AAC Westking had the second highest straw (9.45 MT/ha) yield.
• Area producers could try growing AAC Westking for good grain and straw yield. However, AAC Hassler could be a choice, if more straw is required.
Oat Varieties:
• Oat growers could try growing AAC Kongsore and AAC Reid; the latter one, apart from good grain yield, will give you good straw yield too!
Winter Wheat Varieties:
• Try growing AAC Overdrive that gave the highest grain (6.75 MT/ha) and straw (10.5 MT/ha) yields in 2024-’25.
Winter Rye Varieties:
• If you need higher grain yield, grow KWS Serafino and if you are looking for higher straw yield, then grow Hazlet!
Soybean Varieties:
• S007-C2E3 (grain yield 3.25 MT/ha) and Badger R2X (grain yield 3.07 MT/ha) could be recommended for cultivation on farms! Badger R2X has given consistently high yield over the years!
Liberty Canola Varieties:
• Cultivation of InVigor® L330PC (6.00 MT/ha), InVigor® L343PC (5.78 MT/ha) and DK401 TL (5.73 MT/ha) is recommended.
Roundup Ready Canola Varieties:
• If you decide to grow RR canola, grow DK903TF that gave the highest seed yield (6.25 MT/ha) over 2023-2025.
Clearfield Canola Varieties:
• 5545CL proved to be the best variety for both seed and straw production over the years!
Corn Silage Varieties:
• ENOGEN/E44H12 (27.1 MT/ha), DKC21-36RIB (26.1 MT/ha) and DKC30-07RIB (25.0 MT/ha) could be recommended for cultivation on farms. DKC30-07RIB has consistently given higher yield over the years (2023-2025)!
Sorghum Sudangrass Varieties:
• Framers can grow CSSH 45 (9.08 MT/ha), CFPM 101 (Pearl millet; 8.20 MT/ha) and Pacific Grage Brand Hybrid (8.18 MT/ha) that produced the highest dry matter yields.
Alfalfa Varieties:
• Dry matter yield of alfalfa was in the order of Response WT (5,308 kg/ha) = Revolution MD (5,302 kg/ha) ≥ Elite (5,266 kg/ha) ≥ SW 4107 (5,078 kg/ha).
Evaluation of Combined Cultivation of Sorghum Sudangrass and Alfalfa (Seeded in 2023):
• Maximum dry matter yield from the two cuts (6,183 kg/ha) was obtained with alfalfa @ 100 % seed rate without sorghum Sudangrass, followed by sorghum Sudangrass @ 100 % seeding rates + alfalfa @ 125 % seeding rates (5,942 kg/ha). In both the treatments, one cut was taken in the seeding year. Protein content was higher with alfalfa alone than with its mixture with sorghum Sudangrass.
Forage production from Sorghum Sudangrass (at different seeding rates), corn and barley:
• Forage dry matter yield was in the order of Corn (9.25 MT/ha) > Barley (8.84 MT/ha) > Sorghum Sudangrass @ 90 kg seed/ha (8.43 MT/ha). All other seeding rates of Sorghum Sudangrass produced lower dry matter yield than Sorghum Sudangrass seeded @ 90 kg seed/ha. Corn had to be reseeded; hence its yield in this trial was low.
• Protein content in Barley, Corn and Sorghum Sudangrass was almost the same (17.4-17.8 %).
Plant Growth Regulators:
• Prefer Moddus to Manipulator to minimize lodging in the cereals!
Fertilizers including New Fertilizers:
• Combined application of MAP + MST and ammonium sulphate applied to canola had a better residual effect on the grain yield of the following wheat or canola after canola-wheat than either of the two fertilizers applied alone.
• TAPP, a new P fertilizer, was not better than MAP for wheat and canola production.
• Application of Phosphorus at 2 times rate based on the soil test produced the highest grain yield (6.15 MT/ha) in barley and lowered the plant height by 5 cm. Doubling the rate of P application could minimize lodging in barley!
Nitrogen (N) Fertilizers Blends:
• Averaged over 2023 to 2025, application of urea @ 60 kg N/ha + ESN @ 60 kg N/ha at seeding gave the highest grain (5.49 MT/ha) and straw (11.0 MT/ha) yields of winter wheat. Grain yield from urea alone @ 120 kg N/ha was 4.90 MT/ha.
• Averaged over 2024 and 2025, grain yield of winter wheat was the highest (5.01 MT/ha) with urea @ 60 kg N/ha + PurYield @ 60 kg N/ha. Grain yield from urea alone @ 120 kg N/ha was 4.83 MT/ha. Farmers may try combined application of urea and ESN/or PurYield in winter wheat!
Nitrogen Requirements of Canola Seeded at Different Times:
• Maximum seed yield (7.30 MT/ha) was recorded with earliest seeding on May 12 and application of 270 kg N/ha (urea + ESN; 2:1 ratio on N basis). Interaction between seeding dates and N rates was significant. N could be applied @ 270 kg N/ha with seeding on May 12, @ 180 kg N/ha with seeding on May 19, June 9 and June 23, and @ 90 kg N/ha on May 26 and June 16.
• Averaged over N rates, delay in seeding by one week, two weeks, three weeks, four weeks, five weeks and six weeks lowered the canola seed yield by 0.36 MT/ha, 1.03 MT/ha, 2.34 MT/ha, 3.19 MT/ha, 3.66 MT/ha and 4.33 MT/ha, respectively.
Comparative Effects of N Fertilizers on Canola:
• A comparison of N fertilizers (Urea, ESN, PurYield, Urea SuperU and Anvol treated Urea @ 180 kg N/ha) revealed that the highest seed yield was obtained with PurYield (5.32 MT/ha) and ESN (5.29 MT/ha), whereas highest straw (9.24 MT/ha) and biomass (14.5 MT/ha) yields were recorded with ESN.
Residual Effect of SymTRX S10 and ammonium sulphate as a Source of S on Canola after Canola-Wheat:
• SymTRX S10 wasn’t better than ammonium sulphate!
Effect of High Rates of Boron on Canola:
• Averaged over 2024-2025, highest seed (5.53 MT/ha) and straw (10.60 MT/ha) yields were recorded with 3 kg B/ha.
Effect of Holganix 800+ on Canola, Winter Wheat and Winter Rye:
• Soil application of Holganix 800+ @ 4.7 l/ha at seeding didn’t significantly improve the seed yield of canola, winter wheat and winter rye.
Effect of Different Rates of Potassium on Wheat, Barley, and Canola:
• Wheat gave the maximum grain yield with 1.5 times application rate of K based on soil test, whereas barley and canola had the highest grain/seed yield with double the rate of K.
Effect of time of application of P and K on alfalfa:
• Highest dry matter yields of alfalfa from the two cuts were obtained with application of P as per soil test every year (5,077 kg/ha). Effect of K on alfalfa yield wasn’t discernible.
Cutting Management and Fertilizers Requirements of Alfalfa:
• Dry matter yield of alfalfa was in the order of 3 cuts with normal fertilizers (5,841 kg/ha) ≥ 3 cuts with 1.5 times normal fertilizers (5,713 kg/ha) > two cuts with normal fertilizers (4,162 kg/ha).
Effect of Seeding Dates on Winter Wheat Yield:
• Averaged over 2023-2025, dates of seedings had no significant effect on grain yield, which ranged from (5.21 MT/ha) with seeding on September 5 to (5.86 MT/ha) with seeding on August 25. Straw yield was highest with seeding on August 25 (10.9 MT/ha).
Effect of Seeding Dates in Winter Camelina:
• Seed yields from the two dates of seedings (September 5 and 15), in which the crop survived over winter, was about the same (1.73/1.71 MT/ha).
This project is funded under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial-initiative.
