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July 29, 2004 Time to Establish a Residue Crop for Winter Wheat Plantings There is increasing interest in planting winter wheat this fall in areas of the state that were not cropped this year due to excessive moisture or drought, according to Joel Ransom, North Dakota State University Extension agronomist. “Successful winter wheat survival is largely dependant on good winter snow cover. For fields that were tilled or have little or short stubble, it is recommended that management options be implemented in order to reduce the risk of winter kill.” The most effective of these options is the establishment of a flax residue crop in early August. Flax can be established as a lightly seeded solid stand, in wide rows (3-4 feet spacing) or as strips. Strips of flax three to five feet wide and 15 feet apart have been found to effectively trap snow while minimally depleting soil moisture. When seeding flax in strips or in wide-row spacing, the drill should be set at a high seeding rate (40-60 pounds per acre) and the drill spouts should be taped shut to obtain the desired spacing. “Strips planted more than 20 feet apart can be risky because they do not catch enough snow in most years,” Ransom says. Flax should be seeded on or about Aug. 1 and no later than Aug. 15, depending on the region of the state. Establishing flax can be difficult if moisture is limited, but that should not be a serious concern in regions of the state that have been dealing with excess moisture this year. Other management practices that can help increase the winter survival of winter wheat are:
Use a winter-hardy variety. The varieties released by NDSU such as Jerry and Ransom and those developed in Canada are among the most winter hardy. Data on winter survival during 2003/2004 of most of the currently grown varieties can be found at http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/aginfo/smgrains/WWsurvial.htm. Apply phosphorus at or prior to planting. About 10-15 pounds of phosphorus has been shown to increase winter hardiness. Seed shallow (about 1 inch) rather than to the moisture. In most cases deep seeding delays emergence and may result in a less-vigorous seedling. ### Source:
Joel Ransom, (701) 231-7405, joel.ransom@ndsu.nodak.edu |
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North Dakota State University |
