Establishing A Residue Crop For Winter Wheat Planting This Fall

Joel Ransom
Extension Agronomist for Cereal Crops

Again this year there were substantial acres that were not planted this spring due to excessive moisture. Planting winter wheat this fall on these acres can be a viable option. However, as many growers learned this past year, winter wheat survival is enhanced when it is planted into fields that catch and retain snow. Snow catch become even more critical when snowfall is limited as it was last year. Fields that were not planted this year but have standing stubble from the previous year should be ideal for direct seeded winter wheat if the residue is not completely broken down. In these fields, however, carefully manage weeds and volunteer crop plants prior to planting. Volunteer wheat plants and other grassy weeds can harbor the wheat curl mite that is the vector of the wheat streak mosaic virus. These plants must be control well in advance of planting winter wheat in order to “break” the green bridge and reduce the risk of wheat streak mosaic virus infections. For fields that were previously tilled or that have little or no stubble, establishing an effective residue crop can significantly improve the probability that there will be adequate snow cover for successful winter wheat production. To be effective, a residue crop must remain erect during the fall and winter. Cereal crops that do not reach the boot stage before being killed by frost or herbicides, for example, will lay flat on the soil and will not capture much snow. The most effective crop that can be planted this late in the season is probably flax. Flax can be established as a lightly seeded solid stand, in wide rows (i.e. 3-4 feet spacing) or as strips. Strips of flax 3 to 5 feet wide and 15 feet apart have been found to effectively trap snow while minimally depleting soil moisture. When seeding flax in strips or in wide row spacings, the drill should be set at a high seeding rate (40-60 pounds per acre) and drill spouts should be taped shut to obtain the desired spacing. Strips of flax more than 20 feet apart can be risky as they do not catch sufficient snow in most years. Flax should be seeded in late July or early August, depending on the region of the state. Though some additional weed management will be needed prior to planting, flax planted in late July or early August followed by winter wheat could be a viable and profitable option for dealing with land that was too wet to plant this spring.

Source : ndsu.edu