Hard Red Spring Wheat and Durum Wheat Production Guide

A-1050, May 1998

INDEX

Profitable Wheat Production

Modern technology, fluctuating export markets, farm policies, and environmental regulations all contribute to wheat producers' need for careful planning and management to ensure good production and profitability. Fluctuating weather and stored soil moisture levels also make it important for wheat producers to make careful decisions about the type of tillage, seedbed preparation, rotations, and pest management practices.

Spring Wheat and Durum Calendar

This guide will help you make timely management decisions. However, extensive details on any one production area are not given. More detailed and complete discussions of soil fertility, weed, disease and insect control and control of stored grain insects are available in sources such as Extension circulars and bulletins and the Crop Production Guide.

The pesticide use suggestions in this guide are based on federal label clearances and on research information from the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station. All pesticides listed had a federal or state label at the time of publication.

The publishers do not assume any responsibility, make any guarantees, or offer any warranties in regard to the results obtained from use of the data appearing in this guide.

Wheat Extension Staff

Fargo

Dwight Aakre – Farm Management .......... (701) 231-7378
Andrew Thostenson – Pesticide Programs .......... 231-7180
David Franzen – Soil Fertility .............................. 231-8884
Michael Peel – Production Practices ................... 231-7574
Ken Hellevang – Grain Storage ............................ 231-7243
Vern Hofman – Equipment, Harvest Losses ........ 231-7240
Phil Glogoza – Insects ......................................... 231-7581
Marcia McMullen – Diseases .............................. 231-7627
Richard Zollinger – Weeds .................................. 231-8157
NDSU Soil Testing Lab ...................................... 231-8942
NDSU Plant Pest Diagnostic Laboratory ............. 231-7854

Area Extension Specialists

Greg Endres – Carrington ................................... 652-2951
Jim Harbour – Carrington ................................... 652-2951
Roger Ashley – Dickinson ................................... 227-2349
Terry Gregoire – Devils Lake .............................. 662-7080
Kent McKay – Minot ......................................... 857-7682
Jan Knodel – Minot ............................................ 857-7682

County Extension Agents

Adams .... (701) 567-2735 Barnes .............. 845-8528 Benson ............. 473-5363 Billings .............. 264-7665 Bottineau .......... 228-2253 Bowman ........... 523-5271 Burke ............... 377-2927 Burleigh ............ 221-6865 Cass ................. 241-5700 Cavalier ............ 256-2955 Dickey .............. 349-3211 Divide ............... 965-6501 Dunn ................. 764-5593 Eddy ................. 947-2454 Emmons ............ 254-4811 Fort Berthold .... 627-3446 Foster ............... 652-2581 Golden Valley ... 872-4332 Grand Forks ..... 780-8229 Grant ................ 622-3470 Griggs ............... 797-3312 Hettinger ........... 824-2095 Kidder .............. 475-2672 LaMoure ........... 883-5389 Logan ................ 754-2504 McHenry ........... 537-5405 McIntosh ........... 288-3465

McKenzie ........ 842-3451 McLean ........... 462-8541 Mercer ............ 873-5195 Morton ............ 667-3340 Mountrail ......... 628-2835 Nelson ............. 247-2521 Oliver .............. 794-8748 Pembina ........... 265-8411 Pierce ............... 776-6234 Ramsey ............ 662-7027 Ransom ............ 683-5823 Renville ............ 756-6392 Richland ........... 642-7793 Rolette ............. 477-5671 Sargent ............ 724-3355 Sheridan .......... 363-2242 Sioux ............... 854-3412 Slope ............... 879-6270 Stark ................ 264-7665 Steele ............... 524-2253 Stutsman .......... 252-9030 Towner ............ 968-4362 Traill ................ 436-5665 Walsh .............. 284-6248 Ward ............... 857-6444 Wells ............... 547-3341 Williams ........... 572-1717

NDSU Research/Extension Centers

Carrington ...... 652-2951
Casselton ....... 347-4743
Dickinson ....... 227-2348
Hettinger ........ 567-4323
Langdon ......... 256-2582
Mandan .......... 663-6445
Minot .............. 838-1434
Streeter ........... 424-3606
Williston .......... 774-4315

Fertilizing Hard Red Spring and Durum Wheat

Fertilizer recommendations for hard red spring and durum wheat are given in the following table. These recommendations are based on soil test results from soil samples collected from the field during the fall or spring before seeding. Samples for nitrates should be taken to a depth of 24 inches. Broadcast applications of fertilizer can be made prior to seeding. Many producers with fertilizer banding or air-seeding equipment can economize on phosphorus and potassium costs with band applications. Rates of P and K can be reduced by 1/3 from the chart recommendations for low and very low P and K levels with banding. Recommendations for P and K at medium or higher soil test levels should not be decreased with banding or soil test levels may decrease over time. No reduction in nitrogen is recommended, whether the N is banded or not.

Set Realistic Yield Goals

Fertilizer recommendations are based on soil test levels of plant nutrients and the probability of an economic response to nutrients at a given soil test level and yield goal. Once soil test levels are known, yield goals should be thoughtfully estimated to increase the efficiency of the fertilizers used. Unrealistic yield goals can either limit yield potential or waste valuable nutrients and farm operating capital. Information which helps define yield goals include:

• Yield history (disregarding unusual years).
• Knowledge of general soil productivity of the farm.
• Knowledge of soil water status prior to planting.
• Management intensity of the producer.
• Ability of the producer to understand and assume risks.

Fertilizer recommendations–hard red spring and durum wheat.

Soil Sampling

Phosphorus (P), potassium (K), zinc, copper, soil pH and organic matter is analyzed on a 0-6 inch soil core. Nitrate, sulfur and chloride recommendations are based on analytical results from the 0-24 inch soil depth. When other depth increments are submitted for analysis the depth collected should be indicated on the sample information sheet. For example, a no-till producer with a history of broadcast P application might want to submit a 0-2 inch core depth separately to determine the degree of surface stratification of P compared to the 2-6 inch depth. These unusual depths should be indicated on the soil sample information sheet at the time the sample is submitted to the soil laboratory. More accurate recommendations can be made from any known sampling depth if the depth is known. Increasing numbers of producers sample to 4 feet to gain information on stored water and the status of deep nitrogen.

Guidelines for Management Decision Estimates

• Wheat in the Northern Plains will require about 2.5 lbs of nitrogen/bushel of grain.
• About 20 lbs/A of added P₂O₅ is required to increase Olsen P test levels one ppm (part per million).
• Low potassium levels are not common in North Dakota but occasionally occur in leached sandy soils on higher landscapes. Potassium needs attention when soil test levels are below 150 lbs/A.
• Chloride test levels below 30 lbs/A may need management attention, especially if sensitive varieties are to be grown.
• Low soil sulfur levels are sometimes present in some areas of North Dakota. Sulfur additions are recommended with 0-24 inch depth soil sulfur levels below 15 lbs/A. Responses would be more likely where organic matter levels are low and soil textures are sandy or gravely on upslope positions. Sulfate sources are usually more quickly effective than the elemental form.

Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms – Wheat

Nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and chloride are the nutrient deficiencies commonly found in North Dakota. Potassium and zinc deficiencies are rare in North Dakota wheat fields. Nutrient deficiency symptoms are difficult to determine absolutely in the field. Suspected deficiencies should be followed up by laboratory plant or leaf analysis.

Rotations

Sound rotations should be an integral part of every farming operation. Operations with rotational plans that consider disease, insect, and weed pest pressures will be the most productive. Long-term studies show that wheat does best when following soybean, sugarbeet, sunflower, corn, flax and barley, in that order. It is not a good practice to grow continuous wheat. Pest problems escalate in continuous wheat, increasing costs for that year and following years. The best way to manage disease pressure in wheat is rotation to a crop that is not a common host to prevalent wheat diseases. Other factors which influence rotation decisions are herbicide residues from previous crops, crop insurance, and commodity pricing.

The organic matter levels of many soils in North Dakota have decreased to around half of what they were when first cropped. Fallow was adopted early in this century as much to take advantage of extra nitrogen breakdown from this organic matter as from water accumulation. In many areas of western North Dakota, there is little advantage to fallow either for water retention or nitrate accumulation. By managing recrop and rotational crops instead of fallow, a producer can take advantage of good rainfall years without overextending himself in low rainfall years. Using soil testing and modifying yield expectations on continuous crop to conservatively optimistic levels will efficiently predict fertilizer input needs.

NDSU Extension Bulletin 48, Crop Rotations For North Dakota provides in depth discussion of rotational benefits and contains suggested rotations for different regions of the state.

Tillage

Many tillage systems are used by North Dakota wheat producers. No single practice is the best, and under certain sets of conditions they all will work satisfactorily. No matter what tillage system is used, a good seed bed is required. This means the seed should be placed in moist soil as shallow as possible and the moist soil firmed around the seed. This will allow rapid absorption of water and, if temperatures are adequate, rapid germination. The tillage system you use will depend on available equipment, rotation sequence, residue management and, to some degree, soil type. All of these factors also affect how planting into a good seed bed is achieved. Generally, reduced and no-till production increases surface residues for soil conservation, increases organic matter levels over time, increases water infiltration and retention, and tends to increase the level of certain residue-borne diseases to subsequent wheat crops. Tillage increases the erodibility of soil, decreases surface residues, decreases the amount of organic matter over time, and decreases the inoculum of certain residue-borne diseases. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with most tillage systems.

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A-1050, May 1998