Spring Wheat Best Management Practices

• Generally spring wheat should be seeded from late March to April depending on soil temperature, soil conditions, and geographic location.
• Spring wheat removes more nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium per bushel and is seeded at a higher rate than winter wheat.

Product Selection

Generally, the first selection criteria for evaluating wheat seed products is yield potential, followed by agronomic characteristics such as high test weight, desirable grain quality, and resistance or tolerance to local insects and diseases. Each product may have specific strengths and weaknesses; therefore, more than one product should be considered. Choosing multiple seed products of varying maturities may also help in managing risk associated with diseases such as Fusarium head blight and can aid in harvest scheduling.

Evaluating seed product yield test data from two or more years and multiple locations can provide a more accurate indication of the potential performance of each product. Purchasing certified seed can help ensure the wheat product is free of weed seed and certain diseases and offers the desired germination percentage. Consult your seed brand representative for more information on products best adapted to your geography and the specific agronomic needs of your farm.

Also, consider contacting your local university extension office for a copy of your state or province’s spring wheat seed product yield trials, or visit the links listed below:

• South Dakota State University Spring Wheat Variety Trial Results (sdstate.edu)
• North Dakota State University NDSU Variety Trials | Browse Trials
• Montana State University Crops - Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology | Montana State University
• University of Minnesota Spring Wheat Field Crop Variety Trials | Variety Trials (umn.edu)
• Saskatchewan https://saskseed.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2024-Varieties-of-Grain-Crops.pdf
• Alberta rvt_tables.pdf (albertagrains.com)

Soil Temperature

Spring wheat should be planted when the average soil temperature at a 2-inch depth exceeds 40 °F.¹ Once the germination process begins, emergence should be as quick as possible in order to establish healthy, vigorous seedlings. Slow emergence due to cold soil and/or cool weather increases the potential for infection from seedling diseases, which may reduce stands. If a pre-plant herbicide was applied, slow emergence may also increase the risk of seedling injury. Soil temperatures can be affected by several factors including air temperature and residue cover. Tillage that incorporates residue will likely result in soil warming more quickly in the spring. The amount of residue left by the previous crop can also have a direct impact on soil temperature.

The growing point is located at about 1 to 1.5 inches below the soil surface from emergence until the 5-leaf growth stage and therefore it can be protected from cold temperatures.² The crown can sustain temperatures as low as 28 °F, and will probably survive brief periods down to 22 °F.² If above ground leaves freeze, the seedling will survive as long as the crown does not suffer any freezing injury.

Seeding Dates

In general, seeding should begin from late March to early April (depending on location) if soil conditions are favorable. Delayed planting of spring wheat typically results in reduced yield potential.¹

The following are seeding date recommendations from various universities in spring wheat production areas.

• North Dakota State University. Planting delays from the optimum dates reduce tiller development and yield potential. Average yield loss of 1.0% per day occurs after the optimal planting dates.⁴ Table 1 lists optimum planting dates recommended for North Dakota.

Table 1. Optimum seeding dates and last seeding dates for small grains in North Dakota.

• Montana State University. Spring wheat should be planted when average soil temperature at a 2-inch depth exceeds 40 °F.¹
• South Dakota State University. Spring wheat should be seeded during the first three weeks of April. Consider planting earlier if soil temperatures permit (34 to 36 °F) and if the 30-day forecast is favorable (temperatures greater than freezing).⁵ Table 2 lists optimum planting dates for South Dakota.

Table 2. Suggested spring wheat seeding dates for the nine South Dakota regions.

• University of Minnesota. Suggested planting dates by location are listed in Table 3.

Table 3. Average seeding dates and last recommended seeding dates for small grains in Minnesota.

• The Manitoba Crop Alliance reports that spring wheat growers can expect about 100% of yield potential if wheat is seeded by the second week of May. Yield may decline to about 85 to 90% of full yield potential if the crop is planted during the third week of May.⁷

Seeding Rate

Spring wheat is seeded at a higher seeding rate compared to winter wheat. In general, an initial stand of 30 to 32 plants/sq ft, which is about 1.3 to 1.4 million plants/acre, maximizes yield potential. Since wheat seed varies in seed size (seeds/lb) and germination rates, the following equation can be used to determine seeding rate in pounds per acre.⁸

Example: A grower desires a final stand of 1,100,000 plants per acre (plants/acre) with an expected stand loss of 15% (1 – 0.15 = 0.85). The seed size is 12,500 seeds/lb and was germination tested at 95%. Note: The expected stand loss is considered to be about 10 to 20% even with good seedbed conditions.

If planting is delayed past the optimum time period, the initial stand should be increased by one plant per square foot (plant/sq ft) or 43,560 plants/acre for each week of planting delay.

Seeding rates can be reduced for products that tiller well and are timely planted in good soil conditions. Conversely, it may be beneficial to increase seeding rates for products that tiller less and are planted in rough seedbed conditions.

Seeding Depth

Seed should be planted at a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Planting at a depth less than 1 inch increases the risk of poor seed to soil contact, which may reduce overall emergence. Spring wheat generally does not exhibit as much hypocotyl elongation as winter wheat, if any, increasing the risk of planting too deep. In summary, spring wheat should not be planted less than 1 inch or more than 3 inches deep.⁵

Nutrient Requirements

A current soil test should be used to determine existing soil nutrient levels, especially pH, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) to avoid future over or under fertilizer applications. Nitrogen (N) is the nutrient needed in the greatest quantity for spring wheat and its application usually provides the largest contribution to maximizing yield potential. Montana State university recommends applying N based on a yield goal using a factor 3.3 lb of total N (applied and residual) per bushel of expected yield.¹ The amount of P and K removed per bushel is estimated to be 0.6 and 0.34, respectively.⁹ It should be noted that spring wheat generally removes more N, P, and K per harvested bushel when compared to winter wheat.

Consult with your local university experts, or a reputable soil testing laboratory, for nutrient recommendations specific to your location.

Sources

¹McVay, K., Burrows, M., Menalled, F., and Wanner, K. 2010. Montana wheat production guide. EB0197. Montana State University. https://agresearch.montana.edu/wtarc/producerinfo/agronomy-nutrient-management/Wheat/MTWheatProdGuide.pdf

²2024.When is early too early (to plant wheat, barley or oats)? University of Minnesota Extension, Minnesota Crop News. https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu/2024/02/when-is-early-too-early-to-plant-wheat.html

³Wiersma, J. 2021. Frost damage to small grains. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/growing-small-grains/frost-damage-small-grains

⁴Optimum and last planting date, minimum stands, crops loss from frost or hail for small grains. North Dakota State University. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/crop-production/crops/barley/optimum-and-last-planting-date-minimum-stands-crops

⁵Hall, R.G. 2020. Chapter 5: Spring wheat planting guide. In, Best management practices for wheat production. South Dakota State University Extension. https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2020-03/S-0005-05-Wheat.pdf

⁶Wiersma, J. 2018. Late planting spring small grains. University of Minnesota Extension. https://extension.umn.edu/planting-small-grains/late-planting-spring-small-grains

⁷Manitoba Crop Alliance. Seeding date and seeding rate considerations for spring cereals. https://mbcropalliance.ca/blog/agronomy-extension-wheat-barley/seeding-date-and-rate-considerations-for-spring-cereals/

⁸Optimal seeding rates for small grains. North Dakota State University. https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/ag-hub/ag-topics/crop-production/crops/barley/optimal-seeding-rates-small-grains

⁹David, C. and Carlson, C.G. 2020. Chapter 12: Estimating nutrient removal in wheat grain and straw. In, Best management practices for wheat production. South Dakota State University Extension. https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2020-03/S-0005-12-Wheat.pdf

Web sources verified 10/16/2024. 1710_457851