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Winter wheat is a viable alternative in Minnesota cropping systems. Lower input costs, a high yield potential, efficient use of available machinery and labor, and availability of financial incentives like the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP), are some of the advantages of winter wheat.

The University of Minnesota Extension Service just published 'Winter Wheat in Minnesota' (Item # 08421) as a result of continued interest in winter wheat. This full-color, 12-page publication describes the best management practices for winter wheat production in Minnesota. The brochure costs $3.50/copy and can be ordered from the Extension Store (http://shop.extension.umn.edu) or by phone (1-800-876-8636).

Key recommendations for growing winter wheat in Minnesota are:

1. Direct seed into standing stubble to trap and retain as much snow as possible during the winter months. The snow cover insulates and greatly reduces the risk of winter kill.


2. Do not plant too early. Table 1 gives the optimum window for seeding winter wheat across Minnesota. Seeding earlier than the recommended dates increases the risk that a so-called green bridge exists and infections of barley yellow dwarf virus, wheat streak mosaic virus, Hessian fly, and/or tan spot occur yet this fall. These fall infections can, and likely will, greatly impact grain yield potential of the winter wheat next summer. In addition, early seeding increases the risk for winter injury.


3. Do not plant too late. Planting much later than the optimum window also increases the risk for winter injury. Research has shown that only when the more winterhardy varieties are selected, winter wheat seeded around the first of October in northwest Minnesota will establish and survive the winter.

Below are the preliminary state variety trial results of 2006. The winter wheat variety trials were grown in St. Paul, Lamberton, Morris, Crookston, and Roseau. Except for the Crookston location, the trials were seeded within the recommended seeding window. In Crookston, the trial was direct seeded in soybean stubble on the October 1. Winter injury was generally moderate to light for the more winterhardy varieties like Jerry, CDC Buteo, and Roughrider. Less winterhardy varieties like Jagalene and Millennium showed more than 50% winter kill in Crookston and St. Paul, illustrating the importance of both timely seeding and snow cover to reduce winter kill.

The yields in Crookston and Roseau were very high (Table 2). The recorded grain yields underscore the ability of winter wheat to take advantage of the growing conditions earlier in the growing season. However, the expectation is that such a large yield differential between spring and winter wheat is the exception rather than the rule.

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