Wheat Production – Etheredge, Lee
Here’s an excerpt from the new UGA Wheat production guide which will be finished up and online soon. I’ll alert everyone when it is.
Here are a few critical points to consider in preparation for the 2019-2020 wheat season:
1) Prepare ground well in advance for planting. This will enable timely planting when adequate rainfall occurs for germination. Optimum planting dates will be the week prior to and week after the average first frost date for your area. Be conscious of soil moisture and try to time planting with rainfall events to maximize emergence. Remember, wheat responds best to some form of deep tillage.
2) Partition some of your nitrogen fertilizer for the early season (at planting or shortly after) to support fall tiller production. Approximately, 85% of yield potential comes from fall tillers. Approximately, 30 to 40 lbs of N per acre is adequate to support good tillering (less when following peanuts).
3) Choose top yielding varieties for your area with good disease resistance and good stalk strength. If Fusarium head blight is a concern, pay close attention to resistance ratings in the variety characteristics table, as FHB resistance is somewhat limited in current varieties. The occurrence of head blight infection depends largely on weather conditions during the flowering stage. In addition, plant ~35 seeds per square foot.
4) Be prepared to control weeds early. Planting on time will enable you to apply your herbicides early and maximize your control. Avoid “revenge killing” and control weeds early to reduce competition and protect yield potential.
5) Scout early and often for early infestations of aphids. Consider applying an appropriate insecticide to avoid barley yellow dwarf virus as aphids vector the disease.