Growing CPS Wheat

[rook]

In our area, common wisdom says grow CPS wheat due to agronomics, economics, and quality concerns. Common wisdom says you can get 25-33% yield advantage over HRS to compensate for price. Many people get barley yields with CPS.

We've tried CPS for 3 years and can't make it work (don't get much of a yield boost), but I look at prices for feed wheat and think maybe we need to give it another shot.

We direct seed it heavy (3 bu/ac), lots of N, clean fields with good weed control, and still don't get much of a yield boost. Farm in northwest Alberta on dark grey soil. Generally productive land and good moisture.

Any comments or suggestions or areas for improvement? I'm starting to think that for whatever reason it just doesn't work for us or our land.

[Ron]

Are you on cereal stubble? fungicide? copper? disease pressure really hurts cps. But what are you comparing it to? Superb will yield right up with CPS in central ab. 5 years ago 65-70 bu was great for HRS but now superb will go 70-90 bu (I have heard of 100 on potatoe ground from a reliable spud grower). My HRS outyielded CPS this year (I heard crystal got hurt bad by the heat)

[rook]

Thanks for the reply. No fungicide on any crops lately - do you use any and do they pay on your place?

I have heard that CPS likes moist, high fertility areas and maybe our area has been on the dry side compared to normal, although I think 'normal' has changed over the last 5-10 years. Our soil isn't as good as the thick black soil along the Highway2 corridor and dries up and hardens come July and August, and I think HRS can tolerate it better than CPS. Like you say, maybe HRS varieties are improving more than CPS as well.

[northfarmer]

we are in NW as well....have grown both cps and hrs for some time....new higher yielding CWRS varieties like Superb are now in the crop plans and yields are similar to CPS....under optimal conditions I still beleive that CPS varieties yield better, but under stress they gravitaite toward hard red yields without the marketing and protein options for milling that HRS can provide

[SASKFARMER3]

Grew CPS years ago it likes N and lots of N can yield 65 -70 in eastern Sask with this blend. Disease control is necessary seed on Pea stubble or Canola stubble.

[craig]

I would agree with others that CPS doesn't handle stress as well as HRS. We grow 5700 and really like it's ability to hold it's color in the fall.We have gone away from Superb because in our area it is later and maturity is important. Under good growing conditions we have had 5700 in that 80-90 bushel range. Still haven't got HRS there.