Sorghum Hybrid and Wheat Variety Traits for Planting Winter Wheat after Grain Sorghum in No-till.

No-till managed systems have improved soil-water conservation, allowing growers to intensify their crop rotations.  Planting winter wheat (Triticum aestirum) following harvest of summer row crops is a common way to intensify crop rotations.  Grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and winter wheat are two primary crops that are grown in Kansas.  Winter wheat yields following grain sorghum are often reduced compared to wheat yields after other summer row crops.  The objectives of this study were to identify sorghum hybrid characteristics that facilitate planting wheat following grain sorghum, and to classify traits of winter wheat varieties that are suitable for planting after grain sorghum.  Treatments included five sorghum hybrids and one corn hybrid planted in the spring, and six wheat varieties planted in the fall following the summer row crops. Grain sorghum hybrids consisted of three maturities (early, medium, medium-late) and two plant types (red, tan).  Wheat varieties were selected based on planted acreage and performance.  A two-way, strip-plot treatment structure was used with experiments set up in a randomized complete block design consisting of four blocks.  This study was conducted at two sites in Kansas that has environments suitable for planting wheat following a summer row crop.  There was no interaction between treatment factors at either site.  One site showed no influence of summer row crops on wheat yield, but wheat yields were different among wheat varieties.  At the second site both sorghum hybrid and wheat variety influenced wheat yields.  Wheat yields were reduced following tan sorghum plants by 7.3% compared to wheat following red sorghum plants.  Wheat yields following medium-late sorghum hybrids were reduced by 6.9% and 8.3% compared to yields behind early and medium-early maturities, respectively.  This is the first year of a two year study.