How late is too late to plant Winter Wheat? Interesting find

[Turkey Creek]

Found this info published by UNL on research done by KSU. I was researching to see if my Winter Wheat that I seeded a week or 2 ago had a chance with the below freezing temperatures we had last night and for the next 2 nights. After that it warms back up to highs in the 60s and lows above freezing. I am more optimistic now that we had an 1" of rain yesterday that I might see some germination. and growth before the rifle season. Would like to have some kind of drawing power for the kids to hunt over at the end of November. Kind of surprising to see that no matter the month it was planted it still produced some grain, I am more interested in the green forage than the grain heads at this time.

 

[BenAllgood]

My experience with late seeded wheat is that it will germinate and get lip high, but take off in the spring. Warmer temps will see more growth. During the late fall, you'll see a tinge of green across the field. The first photo was in early December. The wheat was out there, but you could barely see it. The second photo was in late March.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Well that would be alright too, better than bare soil until I plant beans and other crops late next Spring.

 

[FarmerDan]

Kind of surprising to see that no matter the month it was planted it still produced some grain, I am more interested in the green forage than the grain heads at this time.

Good find! Germination of fall seed grains depends on soil temperatures and soil moisture (of course). The two are still important for vegetative growth along with air temperature. As it relates to soil temperature, the lower end of the "best" for winter wheat is around 55. Take 10 to 12 degrees off of that for acceptable germination. Once soil temp is below 55, some of the seeds exhibit low vitality and fail to germinate.

https://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature

 

[Turkey Creek]

I guess the study didnt really specify when the germination actually occurred, I made the assumption that it was not long after it was planted, no matter when it was planted. They pointed out that if the seedlings didnt undergo vernalization then it would not produce a seed head, which I took to mean that it must have found enough warmth to get it started not long after it was planted in December or January.

 

[Catscratch]

My experience is that it will germinate and then grow whenever we get warm temps (which is common during the KS fall/winter). I know this is a selling point for winter rye, but wheat does it also.
I just updated the TnM thread with my wheat. It was broadcast last Monday and has germinated and grown some. I think we just had our 3 freeze on it. I think it will be alright but worry the roots aren't deep enough to handle the cold yet. I'll know more by this weekend as temps are supposed to trend upward some.

 

[bigboreblr]

Anybody see a similar study with Rye and planting date? I didn't get to seed 2 plots this year. Was going to spread rye and 6-24-24 in one field, and just rye in another. Probably either veterans day weekend, or 1st weekend in December. IF there's little to no snow cover. Both fields are weeds n clover.

 

[FarmerDan]

Rye is probably the king of cold soil germination...down to the mid 30s.

 

[FarmerDan]

Rye is probably the king of cold soil germination...down to the mid 30s.

There's an assumption behind all this cold weather germination, growth, and yield research.. I would guess it is that seed is planted in to a proper seedbed. Here, we probably are broadcasting into an established crop? If so, then I think all bets are off. I know, rye is still the champ...and all that.

 

[bigboreblr]

There's an assumption behind all this cold weather germination, growth, and yield research.. I would guess it is that seed is planted in to a proper seedbed. Here, we probably are broadcasting into an established crop? If so, then I think all bets are off. I know, rye is still the champ...and all that.

That subject got put on the backburner because of my arm injury. Using a disc to open and a disc to close, might not have a shoe on the disc, but drop with a tube. Cutlipacker instead of a press wheel.

 

[b116757]

I cleared a small area near pond and was just thinking to myself I wonder is rye would take this late if I broadcast it where I pushed out the cedars. I did throw some of the Durano White same day I pushed it out but doubt that will be of much benefit until spring idk maybe the clover will grow like mad who knows

 

[Wind Gypsy]

October 8th drilling of Rye got about 6" high on zone 3b/4a boundary. Deer have been mowing down the little shoots right down the row to where there isn't much left though! That's with prior planted clover and radish in the same plot.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Checked my plot today as I was doing some other habitat chores. The previously planted wheat has some shoots, and the stuff I broadcast a couple of weeks ago maybe is sprouting. We will see how it develops. Should have enough heat over the next week or two, but no mention of rain again so we will see.

 

[buckdeer1]

They are still cutting beans even though most are barely worth it but there will be wheat go back on some of it

 

[FarmerDan]

Checked my plot today as I was doing some other habitat chores. The previously planted wheat has some shoots, and the stuff I broadcast a couple of weeks ago maybe is sprouting. We will see how it develops. Should have enough heat over the next week or two, but no mention of rain again so we will see.


View attachment 59158View attachment 59159

Fantastic pictures!

 

[Brian662]

Can't remember the source, but it's stuck in my mind that rye germ/growth temps are 3-4° colder than wheat.

 

[Catscratch]

Can't remember the source, but it's stuck in my mind that rye germ/growth temps are 3-4° colder than wheat.

I've read that too. Maybe even more than 3-4°.

 

[FarmerDan]

I've read that too. Maybe even more than 3-4°.

Probably as much as 10 degrees. It's a sliding scale. Most research on such things is yield focused. But I think it starts at the percentage of seed that germinates and tillers at certain temperatures. The colder it gets the lower the percentage germination. Rye seems to be more vigorous than wheat, but even within the same seed group vigor will vary. A "good" wheat seed might out germinate a "bad" rye seed, but who knows which is which. So, we deal in generalities and unknown probabilities.

 

[Catscratch]

^^^ I plant both, but since deer show a strong preference bias towards wheat that makes it the better seed. Easy peasy!

 

[Westwind]

^^^ I plant both, but since deer show a strong preference bias towards wheat that makes it the better seed. Easy peasy!

I don’t know if it is a new program or if the new gal at our soil and water conservation office is doing a better job of marketing an old program but I am seeing tons of harvested bean and corn fields coming up green in my county! There are a couple hundred acres kitty corner from me- that tells me that next year I really think I need to do something different than wr on my measly little plots!

I assume 99% are wr, not many fields are put out to graze so they probably aren't doing anything unusual in attempt to improve forage…