Feasibility of hill plots for use in winter small grains research

Four plot types were evaluated for use with winter small grains research. The plot types evaluated were hill plot, hill row, rod row equivalent and drill strip. The objectives of this research were to study the feasibility of the two hill plot designs for use in winter small grains research and to compare these designs to standard rod rows and drill strips in the same experiment. The plot types were evaluated with Cumberland oats (Avena sativa L.), Volbar barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and Arthur wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The plot types were compared for measurment of spring stand, date headed, date ripe, plant height, percent lodging, yield, and 100 kernel weight. Ranges, coefficients of variation, correlations, analysis of variance, Duncan's New Multiple Range Test, and Relative Efficiencies were used to evaluate the plot types. All correlations between plot types were positive and significant at the 0.05 probability level. Hill plots were much more variable with oats than rod rows and drill strips for measurement of spring stand by all by all measures of variability. Five replications of hill plots of oats were needed to equal one replication of rod equivalent. Yield evaluation in hill plots of oats was affected to a large extent by the erratic nature of winterkilling in the hill plots. For yield 3.5 replications of hill plots were needed to equal one replication of rod row equivalent. Date headed and date ripe evaluation in hill plots of oats was affected to a lesser extent than yield. Hill plots of barley and wheat where winter killing did not occur reacted more favorably than oats for yield, date headed, and date ripe evaluation. For yield 2.5 replications of hill plots would have been as or more efficient than one replication of rod row equivalent. Two replications of hill plots would have been as or more efficient as one replication of rod row equivalent for all the other characters. The hill row did not have enough advantage over the hill plot in reducing variability to justify its use. Although conducted at only one location for one year this study raises serious doubt on the feasibility of hill plots for use in winter small grains research when winterkilling occurs and is a factor to be evaluated.