ProCrop

Planting Dates and rates Influence on Buckwheat Yields

Proper planting dates are crucial for reaching optimum yields and test weight for buckwheat.

Planting buckwheat 13 to 15 weeks before the first killing frost results in optimum test weight and yield. Manor and Mancan had no yield differences between the May 25 and June 8 planting dates at Langdon.

But a large reduction in yield, 35 percent for Manor and 29 percent for Mancan, occurred at the June 2 planting date. Tokyo had the highest yields at the May 25 planting date.

Test weight was also affected at the June 22 planting date, dropping to 35 pounds; 48 pounds is considered as standard. Delaying planting can be detrimental to buckwheat.

Buckwheat needs 10 to 12 weeks to mature, and a later planting date doesn't give the plant enough time to mature before the first frost usually takes place. Once buckwheat is hit by frost, the seeds do not fill out normally. It's particularly vulnerable in the flowering stage.

Planting rate at Langdon has shown to have no significant influence on yield, staying about the same when planted as low as eight plants per square foot, compared to 24 plants per foot. Planting buckwheat 14 to 16 plants per square foot, or 600,000 to 700,000 plants per acre, would result in optimum yields.

Buckwheat planting rates of three varieties at three plant populations during the 1984, 1985, and 1986 growing seasons at Langdon North Dakota.

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