EFFECTS OF SEEDING RATE AND ROW SPACING ON AGRONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GLENLEA, PITIC 62 AND NEEPAWA WHEATS

Abstract

Three cultivars of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell.), Glenlea, Pitic 62 and Neepawa, were grown in a seeding rate and row spacing experiment at two locations in 1972 and 1973. In a split-plot design, row spacings of 15, 23 and 30 cm were used as main plots, and subplot seeding rates of 33.6, 67.3 and 100.9 kg/ha were applied for each cultivar. Data were collected on yield, days to maturity, plant height, lodging, kernel weight and test weight. The few significant effects of row spacing indicated that narrow row spacings tend to increase yield and decrease days to maturity. Higher seeding rates per unit area generally resulted in higher yields for all cultivars and, to some extent, earlier maturity. Glenlea wheat seeded at 100.9 kg/ha gave the highest yield in all tests, and at this seeding rate took an average 125 days to reach maturity, compared to 120 days for Neepawa and 129 days for Pitic 62. Seeding rate had virtually no effect on height, kernel weight or test weight of any of the wheats.