Soil Management to Optimize Winter Wheat Production

wheat

Nutrient Management

Management practices that provide an adequate, but not excessive, supply of plant nutrients are essential for top yields of high quality winter wheat. Soil sampling is essential to good nutrient management.

Download the Winter Wheat Fertilizer Calculator for winter wheat fertility. (MS Excel file). Use this calculator in conjunction with the following publication:

Plant symptoms can be used to differentiate and identify crop nutrient disorders. Symptoms of nutrient deficiency vary with variety, growing conditions, and plant age. Similar symptoms may be caused by other abiotic or biotic stresses. Use the Key to Nutrient Deficiencies to help identify nutrient disorders observed in Nebraska wheat and small grains.

For more information on these and related topics, also check the UNL Extension publication, Nutrient Management for Agronomic Crops in Nebraska (EC155), available online, or in soft cover through your local Extension office.

 Soil Compaction

Performing field operations on wet soils, using multiple field operations for crop production, eliminating perennial crops from crop rotations, and using heavy equipment contribute to more extensive and deeper compaction. Soil compaction problems can be reduced or eliminated through use of proper management practices.

Soil Erosion

Soil erosion by water or wind affects agricultural areas by degrading the soil resource on the farm and creating unwanted off-site deposition of soil. Wind erosion is a widespread problem in the semi-arid regions of western Nebraska, where much of the winter wheat crop is grown.

  • Wind Erosion and Its Control (NebGuide 1537) This NebGuide discusses how wind erosion occurs and presents methods for reducing wind erosion on land devoted to crop production.

Go to Soil Management Home for more information on soils and soil fertility >>

Soil Test

University of Nebraska Department of Agronomy and Horticulture site for fertilizer recommendations:

Soil Test Nebraska website

Calculate fertilizer recommendations for all crops produced in Nebraska:

  1. Directly enter crop and soil test information, or,
  2. Upload files with test information from analytical laboratories.