/S2.

PROJECT

TITLE:

Dwarf

Bunt

Tillage

Study

YEAR/PROJECT:

19BB/756

Small

Grain

Production

PROJECT

PERSONNEL!

Leader

-

Vern

R.

Stewart,

Todd

K.

Keener,

Northwestern

Agricultural

Research

Center,

Kalispell,

MT.

SUMMARY:

Dwarf

bunt

(

Tilletia

controversa

Kuhn

)

infection

levels

were

low

this

year

as

well

as

weed

populations

being

very

high.

The

pressure

from

both

downy

brome

and

jointed

goatgrass

was

so

severe

that

harvest

was

not

practical

nor

possible

in

some

plots.

The

No-Till

plots

were

chemical

fallowed

this

year

due

to

poor

stands

and

severe

weeds.

The

minimum

till

plots

were

about

50'/.

cheat

grass.

RESEARCH

METHODS:

Five

tillage

techniques

are

evaluated

in

the

dwarf

bunt

tillage

study.

They

are

two

conventional

tillage

practices

involving

fall

versus

spring

plowing,

a

minimum

tillage

technique,

a

local

technique

using

shallow

discing

tools,

and

a

no-till

procedure.

The

plots

were

planted

after

fall

seedbed

preparation

was

completed.

The

variety

Hawk

was

used

in

19B7

be

cause

of

it's

susceptibility

to

TCK

smut.

The

first

year's

yields

from

this

test

were

obtained

in

August

of

19B4.

The

second,

third,

and

fourth

year

measurements

were

made

in

August

also

of

19BS,

19B6,

and

19B7

respectively.

„

RESULTS:

With

dwarf

bunt

infection

levels

down

again

this

year

and

weed

pressure

so

high

yields

and

other

agronomic

data

were

not

taken.

The

project

has

been

discontinued

due

to

lack

of

funds.

f-t

FUTURE

PLANS:

This

study

has

been

discontinued.

(*1

(*i