Organic Hard Red Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Once thought of as a crop confined to western dryland farming, Hard Red Spring (HRS) Wheat can be a legitimate rotational crop for farmers throughout the upper Midwest. With the development of newer, more disease-resistant varieties, and with the option of very effective fungicides for conventional farmers, HRS Wheat is being produced successfully over a wider area than in the past. The lower production costs of wheat have made it attractive to corn & soybean farmers, especially in recent years when the wheat price has gotten high relative to its long-term averages.

HRS Wheat is planted very early in the spring and is usually harvested from mid-July to early August. It can produce high test weight, high protein grain that is preferred by bread makers.

We carry varieties developed by the Universities of Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota. We sometimes carry wheat varieties developed by Agri-Pro, which has a large private wheat-breeding program. Because we primarily sell wheat in MN/IA/WI and further east, we tend to select high-yielding varieties with better lodging resistance (so they can handle our heavier soils) and better disease resistance (because there is often more disease pressure as HRS wheat is planted further east and south of its traditional area of production).

If you are producing HRS wheat on highly productive black ground, make sure you are planting a variety that has very good to excellent lodging resistance. That characteristic will allow you to fertilize it and plant it at the higher populations you will need in order to maximize production.

Hard Red Spring Wheat: Basic Agronomics (click for more information)

Description:

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is an annual cereal grain.
11,000 to 18,000 seeds per pound
60 pounds per bushel

Management considerations:

Avoid planting wheat on fields that were planted in corn the previous year. Corn trash can harbor the Fusarium fungus which can cause Scab. If you must plant wheat on corn ground, work the soil as black as possible and plan on spraying a fungicide.

Optimum Planting Dates:

Plant as soon as you can prepare a good seedbed (last week of March is fine).
After April 21 in southern MN, you give up 1% of yield for each day of delay.

Seeding Recommendations:

In order to achieve a recommended plant population of about 1.2 million to 1.3 million plants per acre, plant about 120 to 140 lbs. per acre.
Good seed-soil contact and adequate moisture is essential when the grain is seeded. Prepare a firm seedbed for good germination and seedling development. Dry, loose soil makes for an unsatisfactory seedbed.
Drill about 1 to 2 inches deep, depending on soil moisture and soil texture. A grain drill with press wheels is the best because it places the seed at a uniform depth and gives good soil-seed contact.
Broadcasting wastes seed and often results in uneven stands.

Fertilization

(Please contact your fertilizer professional for your specific needs):

Make sure there is 75 pounds of available Nitrogen as well as good levels of phosphorus and potassium. Both liquid and granular fertilizers work well.
Better standing varieties (i.e., Glenn) can handle more N.
For best yields broadcast 60-20-20 at seeding.
Using an air drill you can put on 20-10-10 with the seed then spray on 15 – 18 gallons of 28% before emergence. (Don’t spray 28% on growing wheat or it will burn it badly. Using a drip or other system allows you to apply 28% post-emergence.)

Weed and Disease Control

(This is not intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any specific product but as a list of possible controls. Please contact your chemical professional for your specific needs and always read and follow label directions):

Seeding as early as possible in the growing season enables the cool season small grain crop to compete effectively with weeds, especially with warm season annual grasses. Research has shown that herbicides generally are not needed for green and yellow foxtail control in small grains if the small grain is well established before the foxtail emerges.
Grass Control (foxtail): Puma
Broadleaf Control: Bromite Plus works well, 2,4-D or MCPA can also be used.
It may be possible to spot treat areas in the field rather than the entire field.
Fungicides: Consider applying 4 oz. of Headline (or another fungicide) when the wheat is at the 3 to four leaf stage. Check with your chemical advisor for rates and timing. A second application may be needed in wet years. T-22 is a seed-applied bio-fungicide approved for wheat that provides season long protection from Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium fungi (OMRI listed).

Tips for Profitable Small Grain Production

Tillage Best Mgt. Practices for Small Grain Production in the Upper MN River Basin

Wheat and Barley Production Tips

Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Trials and Resources

Late Planting of Small Grains