Spring Wheat Cultivar Performance in Ecological and Conventional Cropping Systems

Performance of nine Scandinavian spring wheat cultivars (released 1949-1989) was evaluated in "ecoloPical" (orpanic) and "conventional" cropping systems in 1989 a d l991.'yields in the ecological cropping system ranged from 44; to 53; of - - - - hose in the convektional cropping system.-In the present study the modem high-yielding cultivars had the best performance both in the ecological and in the conventional cropping system. Compared to the old cultivars, yield advantage in the conventional cropping system was 12% and in the ecological cropping system 6%. Field variation in the ecological cropping system masked most of the genetic variation between the cultivars.