Bob Kratochvil, Extension Agronomist, University of Maryland
- Variety Selection.
Buy certified seed of proven wheat varieties. Certified seed is your guarantee that the variety is true, that it will have good germination, and that it is free of weeds and other unwanted seeds. Certified seed will be treated providing you protection against seedling diseases. When selecting varieties use as much information as you can gather to ensure that you are selecting varieties with high yield potential. In addition, you can use the information to identify the other agronomic (i.e., disease resistance and heading date) and quality (e.g., test weight) characteristics you desire. I strongly recommend choosing varieties that have above average test weight. You can find this information for Maryland by visiting http://psla.umd.edu/extension/extension-project-pages/small-grains-maryland or by googling mdcrops. Other universities in the region also have websites with wheat performance information for their respective states.
Plant more than one variety. Even though maturity of wheat varieties does not vary by much more than a week, having a variety that will be ready to harvest early allows you to start harvesting sooner. By planting varieties that represent the range of maturity, you are spreading your risk regarding unfavorable harvest weather that may result in pre-harvest sprouting and reduced falling number. Selecting varieties with a range of heading dates will also spread your risk for infection potential by Fusarium head blight (scab).
- Timely Planting
In Maryland, plant wheat following the Hessian fly-free date for your area. This date is approximately September 30 for the Hagerstown area and becomes progressively later as you move from the south and east in the state. The fly-free date is October 13 on the Lower Eastern Shore. To attain optimum fall growth and development as well as overall best performance for the crop, plant your wheat within the 10 days to 2 weeks window following your fly-free date.
- Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is likely the single best management practice to follow for any crop. Continuous wheat promotes increased susceptibility to wheat diseases, an example is take-all. I know that many acres of wheat are no-till planted after corn is shelled. Planting no-till into corn stalks is a practice that is uniformly discouraged by agronomists but I am also a realist and know that this practice will continue given the amount of corn produced in the state. If you plant wheat behind corn, I recommend choosing varieties that have good tolerance to Fusarium Head Blight. This will help minimize DON incidence if conditions are suitable for infection at wheat heading.
- Use Good Planting Techniques.
It is always best to use a well-maintained grain drill that is properly set up to plant wheat. This will ensure good seed-soil contact; an outcome that is imperative for optimum germination and stand establishment. And, remember to monitor the performance of your planting equipment as you change fields throughout the planting season. Soil and moisture conditions can vary from field to field and can influence the performance of your drill.
- Seeding Rate is Important.
For optimum production, you want to establish a stand with no less than 1.5 million seedlings to the acre. If the germination percentage for your wheat seed lot is 90%, you must plant nearly 1.7 million seed per acre in order to have 1.5 million seedlings. Since seed size can vary considerably for wheat (I have seen 10,000-15,000 seeds/pound), it is important to calibrate your drill for each seed lot you use in order to ensure you are always meeting your seed rate goal. And, once you start planting, periodically look behind your drill to make sure it is delivering the number of seeds per foot of row that you want.
- Nutrient Management.
Soil test so that you know what nutrients are in short supply and which ones are adequate. Address those nutrient issues with either fertilizer or manure. In Maryland, you cannot use fall fertilizer nitrogen without first doing a Fall Soil Nitrate Test to determine that you need it. This can often be a money-saving practice because you may have enough nitrogen in the soil to carry the crop until spring. All that is needed is 10 ppm (equal to ~20 lb N/acre) in the surface 6-inches of soil. If you had a good corn crop and you followed the nitrogen rate per your nutrient management plan, you likely will discover that your fall soil nitrate test will be below 10 ppm and that supplying 30 lb fall N/acre will be beneficial. In the spring, split apply your nitrogen with the first application as the crop starts to green up. Per the state’s nutrient management regulations, the first application cannot be done prior to March 1 unless there has been a determination by Maryland Department of Agriculture to allow it earlier. There have been years when a February 15 application date has been allowed so keep informed and be ready.
- Weed Management.
Know what weed problems you will likely face and be prepared to address them. Choose the correct herbicide for the problem/s and make sure you apply it at the optimum time to get maximum protection from yield-robbing weeds. Be a good steward in your herbicide program by making sure you are rotating herbicide families so that you can avoid establishment of weeds with herbicide resistance. There is a great deal of information that is available about weed management…..use it.
- Disease Management
Know what diseases may be a problem for you. The best disease management practice occurs when you select your variety/varieties. Choose those that have been rated resistant to moderately resistant for the wheat diseases you may experience during the season. Scout your crop periodically during the season to know what is happening. Be prepared to use a fungicide if needed. Timing of fungicide applications is often critical. To provide protection against the various fungal leaf diseases, it is very important to protect the flag leaf. For protection against Fusarium head blight, timing is critical. Monitor the Penn State risk assessment site (http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/) to keep aware of the potential of infection. Application of a fungicide for Fusarium provides best protection if it is made during a window between flowering and 4-5 days after flowering.
- Harvest Management
Timely harvest is your best insurance that your attention to management during the past year will give optimum return. You may even want to start harvesting early (~20% moisture content) and then dry the grain. Region wide research for this practice has shown that it provides optimum yield and test weight. Harvest delayed by as little as 2 weeks generally results in lower yield and nearly always has much lower test weight. The other advantage to early harvest is earlier planting of double crop soybeans. Make sure your combine is set properly so that you thresh and clean the crop well. Avoid leaving excess amount of the crop in the field by having fan speed and sieves set appropriately. Minimize loss from the header. Remember, 20 kernels/ft2 behind the combine is one bushel of wheat left in the field.
- Have a Market Plan that Includes an Economic Assessment
This should probably be the first step you take toward producing profitable wheat because it causes you to consider not only the selling price but also your inputs cost. If you have a straw market or grow double crop soybeans, be sure to include them in your assessment. Develop a marketing strategy that will allow you to take advantage of upswings in price if they occur.
