In the prairies, seeding into dry soils is inevitable in some years. These dry seeding conditions require careful seeding best management practices to help reduce risk. However, much of these considerations rely on eventual rainfall, so not all risks can be mitigated. Additionally, not all considerations fit on each farm. Assessing the practicality of each potential management practice, on your farm, will help you make the best decision.
In general, the main concern with seeding into dry soils is emergence. Lack of, or variable moisture, can lead to uneven emergence. Uneven emergence leads to variable crop development throughout the field, lower yield potential, more weed issues, less than ideal timed in-crop management, and harvest challenges leading to lower quality grain. This article will address minimizing the potential of variable crop germination and emergence.
It should be noted that bumper crops are no less likely when seeding into dry soils as compared to seeding into moist soils (assuming even emergence). After consistent germination and emergence, it is the rainfall and available soil moisture during the rest of the plant’s growth that will impact the final yield. Therefore, the main goal of seeding into dry soils is to provide the best opportunity for even germination.
There are three scenarios to approach seeding wheat and barley into dry soils.
● Scenario 1: Seed at normal depth (1-2”) into dry soils and wait for rain
● Scenario 2: Seed deep (>2”) to reach soil moisture
● Scenario 3: Wait for the rain, then seed at normal depth
Scenario 3 is typically the least desirable. Although waiting for rain can help ensure that you have a greater chance of seeding into moisture, there are risks involved with waiting. First, when rain does arrive, it may continue to rain and delay seeding or limit field access and passability. The next risk is yield reduction due to delayed seeding. Research by Mckenzie et al. ( 2011) compared seeding dates of various crops including CWRS wheat, durum, SWS wheat, CPS wheat, feed barley, triticale, malt barley, barley silage, canola, and flax. Research indicated a downward trend of 0.6 to 1.7 percent yield loss per day after April 30th. This yield loss is due to less solar radiation being received by the crop, increased soil moisture availability, increased tillering, decreased disease pressure, and reduced maximum temperatures. Additionally, O’Donovan et al. (2012) indicated that delayed seeding of malt barley can reduce kernel plump while increasing protein. Finally, Collier et al. (2021) indicated that seeding CWRS wheat at 2-6°C provided the greatest yield and yield stability when combined with high seeding rates and dual seed treatments. Therefore, having the seed already in the soil when rain does occur allows the crop to emerge earlier than if seeding is delayed until after rain has already occurred.
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