STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH

Duane A. Lienemann,
 UNL Extension Educator,
Webster County
September 21, 2012 Edition

Producers are in the middle of harvest of beans, corn and milo and that means that it won’t be long and our area farmers will be busy preparing and planting for the 2012-13 wheat crop. With the type of year we have experienced and the problems in wheat fields we have seen in the past in our area, I think that like never before it is crucial to follow the recommended guidelines to insure a productive and successful crop. With the ergot, loose smut and Fusarium head blight (scab) in the heads of this year’s wheat as well as the light seed weights that we saw, it behooves us to follow some good production practices for wheat. Let’s this week look at planting wheat and what we can do to insure a good crop next year.
Planting Wheat in Dry Conditions: I remember an old adage “Plant it in the dust and your bins will bust!” That applied to winter wheat and it always scared me. My thought process was more along the line that your “bins will rust”. But wheat is and has been very versatile and adaptive and I would venture to say has as many lives as a cat. Unless we receive significant rainfall, most of the wheat producers intend to plant into soil that will be quite dry. Winter wheat producers have been faced with planting into dry soil before, although this may be one of the most widespread occurrences in recent history. There are three options to consider, each with their advantages and risks. One strategy is to plant wheat in the “dust” at the normal seeding depth of 1 1/2 to 2”, at normal, recommended planting time and hope for rain. A second option is to use a hoe drill to plant into moisture, if possible, during the recommended planting dates. The third strategy, wait for a rain, and then plant. I suggest going to  http://www.kansaswheat.org/news.php?id=652 and read what Dr. Jim Shroyer has to say. Through it all, please remember that crop insurance considerations and deadlines will play an important role in these decisions. Contact your local FSA office or crop insurer about those considerations.
Wheat Variety Selection: First, let’s look at the potential for disease and what we can do about it. Believe it or not, Fall is the best time to prevent wheat disease problems from robbing yields next spring. How can that be? Well, variety selection is the single most important factor in disease management and many producers are looking at what seed wheat they will be planting in the next few weeks. Although no variety is resistant to everything, modern varieties have much better resistance to diseases and insects than those from a decade ago. The 2012 Nebraska Fall Seed Guide is available in your local Extension Office at a minimal cost, or if you have access to the internet you can find the same book in digital form at: http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/live/ec103/build/ec103.pdf.  There are some other very good places you can go for wheat. You can go for a “Virtual Tour of Nebraska Wheat Varieties” by going to: http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/wheat/virtual  or additional on-line information on wheat varieties can be found at  http://cropwatch.unl.edu/web/varietytest/wheat .
A fairly new tool for wheat variety selection for the area, UNL Extension Winter Wheat Variety Selection Tool, can be found at: http://citnews.unl.edu/winter_wheat_tool/index.shtml . You can also get a lot of good information at: http://wheatbook.unl.edu/  Since we in SC Nebraska have a lot in common with North Central Kansas I might also suggest utilizing the Kansas State wheat varieties and test results web site at: http://www.agronomy.ksu.edu/extension  .
No matter which variety of seed wheat you select, I absolutely suggest using cleaned and conditioned Certified and treated seed that has a high test weight (56+). All of these qualities increase the success with winter wheat. The seed treatments need to thoroughly coat the seeds to give good results and should be applied with seed treating equipment. If you treat it with a fungicidal seed treatment (e.g. Dividend Extreme, Raxil-Thiram, or RaxilXT, Vitavax, Rancona, etc.) it can reduce the risk of problems later on. I have a list of treatments that you can use. Please contact me if you are interested, or you can go to http://cropwatch.unl.edu/  and you will find plenty of help there. Dr. Steven Wegulo has some great ideas. Whatever wheat variety that you settle on, don’t forget also that wheat producers must follow the rules and regulations as set by the Plant Variety Protection Act (PVP). Be sure that you are in compliance.
Planting Considerations: It isn’t only seed varieties that can have an effect on disease and insects, there is no doubt that planting date has a strong impact on several diseases and insects. Early planting is a risk factor for wheat streak mosaic, barley yellow dwarf, take-all root rot, and of course Hessian Fly. To minimize risks, I suggest that you plant after the Hessian fly free date which is September 27-28 for Webster County. So from then up to two weeks after that date would be the optimum planting dates. More information and specific county dates for Hessian Fly Free planting go to NebGuide G1923 at your local Extension Office or on the web at  http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live/g1923/build/g1923.pdf  .  This publication also gives you some ideas for wheat varieties that are resistant to Hessian Fly and especially those that are not. You may want to note that if you get late in planting, the seed rate should be increased to compensate for the lack of tillering associated with that delayed planting. Use a seeding rate of 90 lbs/- 120 lbs/acre in rain fed row crop fields.
Wheat can emerge from various depths, but a planting depth of 1 to 2 inches is optimal. If deeper planting is necessary, producers should be aware of the coleoptile length of the variety to be planted. They should also be aware that soil temperature also has a big effect on coleoptile length. Soil fertility is always a big concern with any crop. Soil tests can go a long way in insuring a healthy plant and a great yield. Here’s hoping for good fertility, clean seed wheat and some rain!

The preceding information comes from the research and personal observations of the writer which may or may not reflect the views of UNL or UNL Extension. For more further information on these or other topics contact D. A. Lienemann, UNL Extension Educator for Webster County in Red Cloud, (402) 746-3417 or email to: dlienemann2@unl.edu or go to the website at: http://www.webster.unl.edu/home