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Winter wheat field in early fall with small, green wheat plants emerging.

Winter Wheat Planting Considerations

As we move into fall, winter wheat growers often ask, "What is the best time to plant winter wheat?" If planted too early, winter wheat can develop disease and insect problems. If planted too late, it can get winter killed.

Green cereal rye crop growing throughout a harvested corn field.

Thinking Cover Crops? Winter Rye Between Corn and Soybean

Although the 2021 growing season in has been impacted by widespread drought and record-high temperatures, recent rain events have brought planting cover crops back into the conversation.

Winter wheat.

SDSU Extension 33rd Annual Winter Wheat Meeting To Be Held August 24

August 19, 2022

SDSU Extension, in collaboration with the Jones County Crop Improvement Association, will host the 33rd Annual Winter Wheat Meeting in Draper, South Dakota, on August 24 at 6:30 p.m. CDT.

a field of wheat starting to grow

What Makes Winter Wheat a “Winter Wheat”?

For most of us wheat is wheat; however there is a distinct difference between spring and winter wheat, even though the vegetative characteristics of these two wheat types are very similar. Winter wheat can withstand freezing temperatures for extended periods of time during the early vegetative stage and requires exposure to freezing or near freezing temperature to trigger reproductive stage. In other words, if winter wheat does not go through a period of cold temperatures, then it will not produce seed. Two things needed for winter wheat to perform at optimally and produce good yields are- cold acclimation and vernalization.

Blades of green wheat in a wheat field.

Wheat Seed Testing, Pure Live Seed, and Seeding Rates

To legally sell wheat seed in South Dakota, a standard test—following Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) seed testing protocols, for germination, purity, and noxious weeds—is required. This standard analysis, plus a seed count provides information needed to determine the seeding rate.

yellowed wheat field

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Management: Plan ahead before planting this fall

Have you had a history of moderate wheat streak mosaic disease in your field? Do you plan on planting wheat into wheat stubble or wheat fallow? Have your neighbors had wheat streak mosaic disease outbreaks in the recent past? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to incorporate wheat streak mosaic control principles into your management plan before planting winter wheat this fall.

Wheat heads with extreme white-yellow bleaching.

Wheat Stem Maggots Observed in S.D. Wheat

While scouting wheat fields throughout South Dakota, we have started noticing the presence of bleached heads scattered throughout many different fields. These discolored heads are the result of an infestation of the wheat stem maggot.

A field of emerging winter wheat in early spring.

Winter Wheat Breaking Dormancy Early

A threshold indicator for winter wheat emergence is to consider average temperatures over a 14-day period. When that 14-day average temperature is equal to or above 5°C, or 41°F, then hard red winter wheat can break dormancy.

wheat field

Looking Back: A History of Wheat Production in SD

In spite of the open winter and some of the worst drought conditions in history, South Dakota ended up with a very good wheat crop in terms of yield and quality in 2012. The winter wheat yields averaged 50 bushels to the acre; second highest average yield in SD recorded history.

a black and white photo or Edgar McFadden

McFadden and Borlaug: Pioneering Rust-Resistant Wheat

During a brief period of time in the Dakota Territory in the late 1800’s, wheat acreage increased from just over 100,000 acres to well over a million acres. During one year in the height of this heyday, 1897, it has been stated that two-thirds of the world’s wheat was shipped from present-day Eureka, SD, and wagons bearing the crop rolled in from as far as 75 miles away.