By Victor Gomes
Despite making up a small share of North Dakota’s wheat crop, farmers planted about 120,000 acres of winter wheat in 2025, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released in March. This represents a 4% decrease from the previous year.
Even so, fall is a good time to consider the role winter wheat can play on your farm, whether as a cover crop or as a cash crop, says Victor Gomes, NDSU Extension cropping systems specialist at the Dickinson Research Extension Center.
Moisture conditions this season have been favorable, shares Gomes. Since May 1, much of western North Dakota has received close to 15 inches of precipitation. This contrasts sharply with fall 2024, when dry soils delayed germination and much of the crop did not emerge until spring 2025.
Given this year’s soil moisture, conditions look much better for establishing a strong winter wheat stand, says Gomes.
Source : ndsu.edu