Ohio USA : Wheat planting considerations with dry soil
Dry soil in Ohio raises concerns about delayed wheat germination after planting. Research shows wheat can be planted up to five weeks after the Hessian fly-safe date with only a 10%-15% yield loss. Farmers should conserve moisture by minimizing tillage, plant no deeper than 1.5 inches, and increase seeding rates to 1.6-2.0 million seeds per acre if delays occur.
For the germination process to begin, wheat seeds need to take in water. With dry soil throughout Ohio, there are concerns about delayed germination and emergence after planting.
Over the past three years, researchers evaluated wheat planting date with funding from Ohio Corn and Wheat. Wheat yield was greatest when planted between the county’s Hessian fly-safe date and about 2.5 weeks after the fly-safe date (see figure below). Wheat yield declined when wheat was planted three to five weeks after the fly-safe date, but only by 10% to 15% compared to the optimum planting date time frame.
This year, with dry soil, farmers may be concerned about delayed germination. However, research over the past three years has shown wheat can be planted extremely late (three to five weeks after the fly-safe date) and incur a relatively small yield penalty due to favorable fall weather.
It is not recommended to purposely delay planting if challenging weather prohibits timely planting, or dry soil prohibits timely germination. However, yields may be affected less than previously thought.
Some other key points to keep in mind:
- If soil is dry, conserve soil moisture by planting wheat without the use of tillage, if possible. In addition to soil moisture conservation, excessive tillage may also result in soil crusting and emergence problems following a rainfall event.
- Wheat seed should be planted into soil moisture, if possible, but no deeper than a 1.5-inch depth.
- If you anticipate delayed germination due to dry soil conditions (more than two weeks after your county’s Hessian fly-safe date), you may want to consider increasing your seeding rate to 1.6 to 2.0 million seed per acre.
Source Link : https://www.farmprogress.com/wheat/wheat-planting-considerations-with-dry-soil
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