“Increasing wheat production with a lower environmental footprint” by Dr. Romulo Lollato at the 2023 Water for Food Global Conference. A recording of the presentation can be found on the conference playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSBeKOIXsg3JNyPowwJj6NDSpx4vlnCYj.

1. Increasing wheat production with
a lower environmental footprint
Intensification of US wheat systems
@KSUWheat
KSU Wheat
Dr. Romulo Lollato
Associate Professor, Extension Wheat and
Forage Specialist, Kansas State University

2. US within the global wheat supply
Source: FAO, 2023

3. Source: US Wheat Associates

4. Source: US Wheat Associates
US wheat production dynamics

5. Wheat yield gaps in the US
:location of RWS
35 RWS for rainfed wheat: 40%
area coverage
Green raster indicates rainfed
harvested wheat area distribution
(total 18.1 million ha). Source:
SPAM 2010.
www.yieldgap.org

6. Wheat yield gaps in the US
: location of RWS
Within each buffer:
- Crop simulations using SSM-Wheat
crop simulation model
- Major cropping systems
- 2-3 predominant soil series
- Actual sowing dates and cultivars
www.yieldgap.org

7. WATER-LIMITED
YIELD
POTENTIAL
RWS CLIMATE ZONES COUNTRY
www.yieldgap.org
ACTUAL
YIELD
(%
OF
POTENTIAL)
Average yield potential: 5.4 t/ha
Actual yield: 48% of potential

8. US southern Great Plains
KS, OK, TX, CO, NE and NM
~6 million hectares of winter wheat harvested yearly
Largest contiguous winter wheat area in the world
(Fischer et al., 2014)
9 climate zones represent ~75% of wheat area
~15 million metric tons (~35% of US’ production)
Kansas
~ 2.6 millions hectares harvested
~8.8 million metric tons (~20% of US’ production)
7 climate zones represent ~70% of the wheat area

9. Leoti, KS
(30 miles from CO border)
8.1 ton/ha
National Wheat Yield
Contest winner

10. Jaenisch et al., 2021

11. Jaenisch et al., 2021

12. Jaenisch et al., 2021
Soil and weather data from
each field
Crop simulation model for
Yw estimate

13. 656 commercial
wheat fields
Yield gap = 44%
Jaenisch et al., 2021
Min:
0.3 t/ha
Ave:
3.8 t/ha
Jjj
Jjj Max:
7.1 t/ha
1.3 2.6 3.9 5.2 6.5
Grain yield (t/ha)

14. -230 kg ha-1 d-1
Jaenisch et al., 2021
2.6
3.9
5.2
6.5
7.8
1.3
Grain
yield
(t/ha)

15. -74 kg ha-1 d-1
180 kg ha-1 d-1
Jaenisch et al., 2021
2.6
3.9
5.2
6.5
7.8
1.3
Grain
yield
(t/ha)

16. Jaenisch et al., 2021
Low vs. high yielding fields: Nitrogen rate
LY HY

17. Jaenisch et al., 2021
Low vs. high yielding fields: foliar fungicides

18. Life Cycle Assessment
Global warming potential (GWP) and energy input for:
- Tillage operation diesel + MTR (machinery manuf., transp., and repair)
- Moldboard plow, disk, and cultivation for Conventional Till
- Lime and manure production, transport, application diesel + MTR
- Production and transport of seed used and seed treatment (when used)
- Planting operation diesel + MTR
- N fertilizer production, transport, application diesel + MTR
- P2O5 fertilizer production and transport (+ application when not in furrow)
- Herbicide production, transport, application diesel + MTR
- Fungicide production, transport, application diesel + MTR
- Insecticide production, transport, application diesel + MTR
- Harvest diesel + MTR
- Labor for all of the above

19. Energy input

20. Global warming potential

21. Yield-scaled GWP

22. Photo courtesy of Brian Arnall, OSU Soil Fertility Extension Specialist
Standard Management
+ N + Fungicide
Replicated field experiments
- Grower practice vs. (+ N + Fungicide)
- 20 to 50 varieties per experiment
- 21 experiments across three states
- n = 2,873 comparisons

23. Photo courtesy of Brian Arnall, OSU Soil Fertility Extension Specialist
3.8 t/ha
4.7 t/ha
1.3 2.6 3.9 5.2 6.5
Grain yield (t/ha)
7.8 9.1
Reduction in the
yield gap in 20%

24. Global warming potential

25. Summary and potential impacts
• Large wheat yield gap: 52% of potential
• Increase in wheat supply:
• 2.7 million metric tons (Kansas alone)
• 16.3 million metric tons (US**)
• 75% of Canada’s or Germany’s production (top 10 countries)
• Crucial with current socio-economic conflicts
• Environment
• Lower footprint per unit grain produced
• Economic and human (not shown)
• Changes in the supply chain (e.g. sustainable sourcing programs)

26. GROWER
EDUCATION
• ~90 presentations for ~4,000 producers per year
• ~60 interviews (radio, TV, press release) per year
• Over 10,500 followers on social media (Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Weekly electronic newsletters (K-State Ag eUpdates)

27. Collaborators and acknowledgments

28. Thank you!
Romulo Lollato
lollato@ksu.edu
@KSUWheat
KSU Wheat
@Romulo Lollato
@Romulo Lollato