Growing Wheat

All Growing Wheat Content

Four photos depicting field progress for corn, winter wheat, oats and soybean as of August 31, 2020.

Follow the Fields Tour

Follow the field crops during the 2020 growing season.

One-month precipitation outlook map for September 2020. South Dakota has a 40-50% chance of below-normal precipitation.

September 2020 Climate & Drought Outlook

Summer has its last hurrah the first week of September before we see potential for our state’s first freeze of the fall season, according to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

Green and brown grasshopper with two yellow lines that originate on the head and meet on the abdomen.

Grasshoppers May Be an Issue for Winter Wheat This Fall

Large grasshopper populations have been observed in Central South Dakota. These populations have required management in other crops and should be monitored prior to and during winter wheat planting.

Map of South Dakota showing Fusarium head blight risk. Green indicates low risk, yellow moderate risk, and red high risk. Most of the state is green except for scattered, yellow areas within Edmunds, Faulk, Hyde, Hand, Buffalo, Jerauld, Brule, Aurora, Turner, Lincoln, McCook, Lake, Brookings, and Kingsbury counties. Some red, high risk areas are in Buffalo, Brule, Hyde, and Minnehaha counties.

Fusarium Head Blight Predicted Risk for Spring Wheat

Most of the spring wheat is at or will soon be at flowering. One disease that can develop in wheat at this growth stage is fusarium head blight (FHB or scab).

Map showing the risk of Fusarium head blight with green equaling no risk, yellow equaling moderate risk, and red equaling high risk. Much of the eastern half of South Dakota is red.

The Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Tool Indicates High Risk

Winter wheat is starting to flower. It is important to monitor weather conditions from when wheat is heading until flowering to decide the need for fungicide application to manage Fusarium head blight.

a map showing the precipitation outlook for June 2020

Summer 2020 Climate & Drought Outlook

August 26, 2020

With alternating cool and warm weather patterns throughout the last few months and the summer season ahead, temperature continues to be a challenge for climate forecasters in South Dakota.

SDSU Extension Winter Wheat Variety trials. One plot is showing more yellowing and stress than other plots.

Low Temperature Effects on Winter Wheat

Low temperatures during the early morning hours of May 9–11, 2020 may have had detrimental effects on winter wheat in some areas of South Dakota. However, cooler spring temperatures that have slowed the winter wheat development this year may have actually been beneficial to S.D. producers, as later-maturing wheat is not as susceptible to injury from freezing temperatures.