Growing winter wheat
Winter wheat is an excellent option for many southern prairie farmers, but if they are considering the crop, they should seed soon.
It can out-yield spring wheat by up to 20 percent.
Winter wheat is seeded in the fall and harvested earlier than spring wheat. In the crop rotation, it spreads out the work load and that’s good time management.
Ross McKenzie, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture, said growers should start by selecting the best variety. In southern Alberta, AC Readymade is recommended. In central Alberta, Kestral is the best variety due to its winter hardiness.
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Seeding directly into canola or pea stubble offers crop rotation advantages such as reduced weed, insect and disease problems.
Standing stubble will help trap snow. Ten centimetres of snow will normally provide enough insulation to ensure survival over winter.
McKenzie recommends seeding in the first two weeks of September.
“Later seeding may result in poorly established plants, resulting in lower winter survival. Late seeding may also result in delayed heading, later maturity, increased weed problems and lower yield potential.”
Seed at a minimum rate of 120 pounds per acre. Narrow row spacing of 18 to 23 centimetres is ideal.
It’s important to seed winter wheat 1.25 to 2.5 cm deep. Seeding deeper will reduce emergence. Plants that do emerge are weaker, spindly and more susceptible to winter kill.
“Saskatchewan research has shown that winter wheat will germinate at very low soil moisture levels,” said McKenzie. “It is better to seed early in September than to wait for rain, provided that the seeding operation leaves the seed firmly covered with no more than one inch (2.5 cm) of soil.”
The crop takes only five to seven days to emerge at a soil temperature of 20 C, but takes longer in cooler soil.
Seed only into clean fields. Volunteer grain can harbor an insect called the leaf curl mite, that can transmit wheat streak mosaic. Any growing green vegetation, such as grain or grasses, can serve as a host for the mites. If they move from the host plants into the winter wheat after emergence, the virus spreads, causing severe to complete crop failure. There is no chemical control for the disease.
Alberta research shows that phosphate placed with or near the seed at seeding improves plant growth in the fall and increases winter hardiness. About 20 to 25 pounds per acre of phosphate is usually adequate.
Fall-applied nitrogen fertilizer does not reduce winter hardiness. However, banding before seeding sometimes dries the seedbed, leaving it rough and lumpy. Also, seed-placed nitrogen urea fertilizer applied at rates greater than 50 pounds per acre with low soil moisture hurt germination and emergence. Fields should be soil sampled and tested to determine optimum nitrogen fertilizer requirements.
Winter wheat competes well against weeds. Winter annuals are the greatest problem but can be controlled with inexpensive products such as 2,4-D or MCPA, preferably in late fall or early spring.
– Alberta Agriculture
