Intensive Cereal Management for Durum Production, Buckeye and Yuma, 1996-97

Abstract

The highest wheat yields in the world are obtained using a growing system called intensive cereal management (ICM). High yielding varieties are planted at high seeding rates, treated with foliar fungicides, plant growth regulators are applied to control lodging, and high nitrogen fertilizer rates are used to obtain high yields. The ICM system adapted to Arizona does not include fungicide treatments due to our lack of leaf diseases. We tested the effect of ICM on yield, grain protein, and other characteristics at three commercial farms in Arizona. ICM resulted in higher protein in one case due to increased nitrogen application and reduced height in another case due to the plant growth regulator. However, in most cases, we were not able to detect an affect of ICM on the crop, and the increased input cost was not paid for by increased crop performance. Intensive cereal management does not appear to hold much promise under our conditions except perhaps in cases where lodging is predictable or yields do not reach their potential.