With harvest on hold for yet another day, the break in field work is giving producers the opportunity to look ahead to next years growing season.
Field Agronomist Jason Riopel says a with many prevent plant acres sitting idle, yet one good option would be planting winter wheat this fall.
(Jason Riopel, NCREC -Field Agronomist-DU) "It's a great option because it can help dry out that water in the profile especially in the springtime if the crop is already established. It can help dry it out for these producers and hopefully allow them in the field the next year.
Riopel says producers will have to evaluate how must standing cover is in a field and whether it's suitable for winter wheat
NDSU's recommended date for winter wheat planting starts on September 15th and if a producer is looking at rolling out the planter this fall Riopel says now would be a good time to look for seed and prep fields.
(Jason Riopel, NCREC -Field Agronomist-DU) One thing you need to make sure happens is you need to break you green bridge which is to get out and spray and kill your volunteer grains and grassy weeds because that can, that stops the passage of wheat streak mosaic virus."
The wheat Streak Mosaic virus was somewhat problematic this season, and fall burn down helps prevent the virus from infecting newly emerging winter wheat fields
Soil testing will also give a producer a solid soil profile to plan for nitrogen needs next spring for the crop.
Aside from the work now, even as harvest is stuck in neutral, winter wheat also helps spread out the work load for next season both in the spring and in the fall.
(Jason Riopel, NCREC -Field Agronomist-DU) "And it gets to be a lot of work when everything's coming to harvest at the same time in the fall and in the spring when you've got to plant everything
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