I have been sent the updated production guides for wheat 20212-2022. I wanted to highlight a portion from the guide as some of us get ready to plant.
Here’s an excerpt from the new wheat production guide concerning seeding rates. Best not to go by weight or bushels of seed per acre but look at seeds planted per foot of row. Notice the data on variations of seed size. Also, as a reminder the optimum window for wheat planting in Georgia is typically within one week before or after the average first frost date for a given region.
Seeding Rates
UGA Wheat Production Guide
Optimum seeding rates for wheat can vary widely due to differences in seed quality, genetics, planting conditions or date, and planting method (seed-drill vs. broadcast). The most accurate seeding is based on seeds/acre instead of basing on weight/acre. Multiple seeding rate studies have been conducted throughout the southeastern U.S. and most show that seeding 1.2 million to 1.5 million seeds/acre is optimum. This is equal to seeding about 30-35 seeds/square foot. However, achieving this rate will require knowledge of seed size (i.e. number of seeds per pound).
In a normal year, wheat cultivars vary between 10,000 and 18,000 seeds/pound. This difference can impact the actual seeding rate if a grower seeds wheat in bushels/acre. For example, seeds/pound of variety 4 and variety 6 vary by 35%, as shown in Table 3. If a grower planted according to bushels/acre, they would plant 35% more seed of variety 6 than variety 4, potentially over-planting or under-planting one of the varieties. This illustrates the importance of purchasing wheat seed based on seeds/pound with a target of 30-35 seeds/square foot, rather than by bushels/acre.
Table 3. Example of seeds/pound of wheat grown in one year in Georgia
| Variety | Seed/Pound |
| 1 | 9,610 |
| 2 | 11,340 |
| 3 | 14,823 |
| 4 | 12,064 |
| 5 | 11,172 |
| 6 | 16,316 |
| 7 | 12,741 |
| 8 | 14,538 |
| 9 | 15,534 |
| Average # Seeds/Pound | 13,126 |
Appropriate seeds/foot of row for various row widths are presented in Table 4. When planting on 7.5-inch rows each liner foot of row should contain 20-25 seeds depending on seed germination rate. This provides enough seed to achieve the target number of live plants/acre for high yields. If planting is delayed, seeding rates should be increased by 15-20%.
Table 4. Seeds/linear row foot needed to achieve certain seeds/square foot at different row widths.
| Seed/square foot | ||||
| Row Width in. | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 |
| 6 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 23 |
| 7 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 26 |
| 7.5 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 28 |
| 8 | 20 | 23 | 27 | 30 |
| 10 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 38 |
The use of certified seed will help insure you are planting seed with a minimum germination of 85% and free of noxious weeds. Planting bin-run seed is not recommended for intensively managed wheat. However, if you do choose bin-run seed it is important to verify the germination rate prior to planting. Thorough seed cleaning will often increase the germination of a seed lot because it eliminates some non-viable seed.
Variation in pounds/acre between two varieties planted at various row widths and seeds per row foot are presented in Table 5. If a grower has a variety with approximately 12,000 seeds/pound and planted on a 7.5-inch row width with a target of 22 seeds/row foot, then you would need to purchase 128 pounds of seed/acre. If the seed were smaller and the variety had 15,000 seed/pound then the grower would need to purchase only 102 pounds/acre to achieve the same target population.
Table 5. Example of pounds of seed/acre as determined by row width, seeding rate, and seeds/pound.
| Row Width | ||||||
| 6-inches | 7.5-inches | 10-inches | ||||
| Seed/row ft. | 12,000 | 15,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 12,000 | 15,000 |
| 18 | 130.7 | 104.5 | 104.5 | 83.6 | 78.4 | 62.7 |
| 22 | 159.7 | 127.8 | 127.7 | 102.2 | 95.8 | 76.7 |
| 26 | 188.8 | 151.0 | 151.0 | 120.8 | 113.3 | 90.6 |
| 30 | 217.8 | 174.2 | 174.2 | 139.4 | 130.7 | 104.5 |
Yield potential is maintained when wheat is planted as accurately as possible. Therefore, calibrate grain drills each time you change cultivar or seed lots to achieve the desired number of plants/acre.
Calibrating a drill can be as simple as filling the bottom portion of the seed hopper and catching seed from the down spout that leads to disk openers. First, measure off a known distance that you can calibrate to an acre. Remove the rubber tubes that lead to the disk openers. Use individual plastic bags or small bottles to catch seed from several tubes as you travel the known distance. Then count the number of seed or weigh the amount of seed captured. Then determine if you captured the appropriate amount of seed for the desired seeding rate by distance or by determining the amount by weight needed to get the amount of seed by pounds.