Nebraska's Hard Red Winter Wheat is stored away, and the eyes of growers are set on next season's planting. At a recent event in Gurley, Neb., Nebraska Extension experts provided insights for making informed planting choices.
Katherine Frels, a grains specialist, emphasizes the significance of studying past varieties' experiences, especially in light of irregular rain patterns, as they can help predict future challenges for wheat varieties.
Settler CL, an older wheat variety, thrived this year. While it caught Frels' attention, she cautioned against reading too much into one year's results. Instead, she advises looking at averages over several years.
Adding another layer of complexity to planting decisions is disease resistance. This year, more moisture led to an uptick in fusarium head blight, especially with excessive rainfall during the wheat's flowering stage.
Weather isn't the only concern. The wheat stem sawfly, known to damage wheat stems, continues to be a challenge. Addressing this, Cody Creech, a dryland cropping specialist, shared that the Nebraska Extension team has been researching the sawfly's impact on wheat and subsequent crops.
Research aims to understand the full impact of sawfly infestations, such as how wheat-infested wheat impacts soil moisture for corn crops. Clearer insights will be available by winter.
For Nebraska's wheat growers, understanding past performance and potential challenges remains important for future success.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-dleonis
Categories: Nebraska, Crops, Wheat