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CropWatch: Wheat

Wheat and wheat production information from UNL Extension

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Nebraska Wheat

The latest Extension information on wheat production and management practices from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Crop Growth and Development

Understanding plant development can be helpful for making management decisions. The optimum timing of fertilizer, irrigation, herbicide, insecticide, and fungicide applications are best determined by crop growth stage rather than calendar date.

The impact of various crop stresses such as frost, heat, drought, disease, insect damage, or weed competition can be more accurately predicted with a clear understanding of the relationships between crop growth stage and plant response to stress.

Major growth stages:

Germination ► Seedling ► Tillering ► Stem elongation (jointing) ► Booting ► Heading ► Flowering (anthesis) ► Milk ► Dough ► Ripening

Additional Resources

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Drew Lyon 
David Ostdiek
Bob Klein 
Extension Specialists, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Wheat Facts

Winter wheat is one of the major field crops grown in Nebraska, along with corn and soybean.

  • 1.65 million acres were planted in 2001-2002; increased to 2.05 million in 2006-2007.
     
  • Grain production since 2000 ranged from 50.16 million bushels in 2002 to 84.28 million bushels in 2007.
     
  • The value of production: from $153 million in 2001 to $492 million in 2008.
     
  • In 2007, more than 256,000 acres were grown under irrigation in the state.
     
  • Nebraska is typically one of the top 10 winter wheat producing states in the U.S.
     
  • Production is mainly in the western part of Nebraska, but recently acreage in the south central and eastern parts of the state has increased.