Winter wheat field days will be held at 11 sites in Nebraska this summer, starting  May 30 in Jefferson County and ending June 22 in Box Butte County. (See full schedule.)

Each site will feature 25-50 released and experimental wheat varieties from companies selling wheat seed in Nebraska and from public breeding programs such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Kansas State, Colorado State and South Dakota State universities. Participants will see existing varieties under production as well as new commercial varieties and new experimental lines potentially tagged for Nebraska release, allowing them to compare varieties for their next planting. In addition to wheat, some field day sites will feature other crops, including pea, cover crops, forages, and canola. A special purpose wheat will be featured at the UNL Stumpf Wheat Center site in Perkins County.

Field day locations are diverse and include growing conditions varying in rainfall, soil, tillage, crop input and management, and rotation, to name a few. Speakers and topics will vary by location to address local production constraints and frequently cited producers’ issues, except for two speakers who will speak at most sites. Stephen Baenziger, UNL wheat breeder, and Eugene W. Price Distinguished professor, will talk about wheat yields and attributes of the varieties tested. Stephen Wegulo, Nebraska Extension plant pathologist, will discuss cultivar disease resistance, epidemiology, and suggested wheat disease management with respect to the varieties at the location tested.

More Information

All tours are free and participants can register at the tour site, except when pre-registration is requested by the local organizer.

Please contact Teshome Regassa, research assistant professor, at 402-472-1489 for general information and/or the regional and site contacts as listed for location-specific questions.

Support for the wheat program is provided, in part, by the Nebraska Wheat Board and University of Nebraska-Lincoln and greatly appreciated. Organizations interested in supporting an individual site or sharing a display advancing crop production and producer profitability should contact the local coordinator.