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.

In addition to potential economic returns, winter wheat provides important ecosystem services. It maintains living cover and active roots through the winter, competes with winter annual weeds, and helps reduce soil erosion and water runoff.

NDSU Extension offers these recommendations for farmers considering planting winter wheat:

• Select the right variety for your region. Refer to the NDSU Variety Trial Selection Tool for winter wheat at https://vt.ag.ndsu.edu/list/winter-wheat and the NDSU guide, Strategies for Selecting the Best Performing Varieties, available at ndsu.ag/varietyselection.
• Use new seed. Do not plant saved seed, as it increases the risk of disease and poor stand establishment.
• Consider a fungicide seed treatment. Depending on field history, a fungicide seed treatment may be warranted. Choose a product with multiple modes of action, including one effective against Pythium (FRAC 4 or 22) and one effective against Fusarium (FRAC 3, 7, or 11).
• The optimum planting window for the southern half of North Dakota is September 15 to 30. Use higher seeding rates if planting after this window.
• Plant wheat 1 to 1.5 inches deep in fall for the best establishment.
• Use a seeding rate target of 900,000 to 1.2 million viable seeds per acre. Use the higher end of the range if planting after September 30.
• Crop rotation matters. Winter wheat has the best chance of overwinter survival when planted into standing stubble such as canola, peas or lentils, which help catch snow and protect seedlings. Avoid planting after wheat, barley or corn to reduce disease pressure and break pest cycles, for example Hessian fly.

For the latest information and guides on wheat production in North Dakota, visit NDSU’s Ag Hub website at ndsu.ag/wheat.

NDSU Agriculture Communication – Sept. 5, 2025

Source: Victor Gomes, 701-761-9436, victor.gomes@ndsu.edu

Editor: Kelli Anderson, 701-231-6136, kelli.c.anderson@ndsu.edu