A research project in eastern Nebraska is evaluating a double crop production system as a potential alternative to the traditional corn/soybean rotation. Following an early season crop of yellow field peas, short-season crops (corn, soybean, grain sorghum, millet and sunflower) and annual forages (forage sorghum and sorghum-Sudangrass) were planted.
Figure 1. Comparison of two wheat research plots near Scottsbluff. On the left is an untreated control plot with a heavy infestation of downy brome and feral rye. On the right the same population of grassy weeds was treated with Aggressor herbicide, part of the CoAXium Wheat Production System.
A new herbicide-tolerant wheat production system was officially unveiled in 2018 and offers growers a new means to control grassy annual weeds in wheat.
Wheat seeding date affects multiple factors contributing to wheat yield. While there's no perfect date for all conditions, these recommended dates have been proven and verified.
Managing weeds at least two weeks prior to planting winter wheat and then controlling winter annuals this fall are important to reducing disease, saving soil moisture, and achieving top yields next summer.
Sawfly management in wheat requires a diversified approach using a number of tools. Growers who know which fields have greater levels of infestation can help manage the effects of sawfly this year as well as next year. Fields with high infestations should be harvested first, if possible.
Winter wheat in the Nebraska Panhandle continues to be rated above average with most of the wheat rated good to excellent. Winter wheat in the west central, south central, and eastern areas is more varied, as described in this wheat progress and condition report.
Spring is the ideal time to apply nitrogen (N) to winter wheat to ensure top yields. Adequate N levels promote tillering, large head size, and are the primary factor determining the protein level of the grain at harvest. There are a few things to consider to optimize N applied to wheat.
Figure 1. Aerial imagery was collected at bean emergence using a drone. All dark green rows correspond to plots with different rates of char (10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 tons/acre).
