Early Nitrogen Application Critical For Winter Wheat

Most of this year's winter wheat crop in Manitoba survived in very good condition.

 

Ken Gross is an agrologist with Ducks Unlimited Canada.

 

"We've seen a number of fields across the province and we haven't seen one yet that hasn't looked really good coming out of the winter," he said. "We've done a few assessments in the field, done a few bag tests to see if there's been new root growth initiated. Everything looks really good. The stands look good and the root growth is good."

 

Gross says it's important to apply nitrogen as soon as possible, noting early application is shown to increase yields by 15 to 30 per cent.

 

"That is such a critical step to optimizing your winter wheat yield. I don't know if a lot of producers understand that the seed head isn't developed until first thing in the spring. Starting as soon as it starts growing to about the fifth-leaf stage is when is seed head develops. It's really critical that you have your fertility present at that time so that you can develop a really healthy big seed head and optimize your yields."

 

He adds there's still lots of good moisture in the ground for the plants to draw from.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.