Ultra-early seeding enhances the yield stability of early- and late-maturing spring wheat in Western Canada

Climate change threatens wheat yields on the Canadian Prairies; rising temperatures can shorten the critical growth period, leading to substantial yield losses. Ultra-early seeding is an emerging strategy to mitigate yield losses and increase yield stability under environmental variability. However, there is a paucity of research on the effects of ultra-early seeding on early- and late-maturing spring wheat cultivars. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of ultra-early seeding on the yield and yield stability of early- and late-maturing Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) cultivars in Western Canada. Five early- and five late-maturing CWRS wheat cultivars were seeded at 2 °C (ultra-early) and 8 °C (conventional) soil temperatures at four Alberta, Canada locations from 2021 to 2023 and agronomic data were collected. Results indicate that ultra-early seeded late-maturing CWRS cultivars were generally higher yielding and more stable than either early-maturing cultivars or conventional seeding. Ultra-early seeding did not significantly affect yield. On the other hand, yield stability increased for nine of ten cultivars irrespective of maturity, under ultra-early seeding, indicating that this practice can reduce environmental effects on yield. Moving forward, producers should consider implementing ultra-early seeding during wet but accessible springs to increase yield stability.