The unusual cold weather in the first half of April caused problems across the country. From the cherry blossoms freezing off in Washington, DC to 50% of the winter wheat crop in central Kansas being severely damaged if not destroyed. At Crookston, temperatures dipped down to the low teens several nights in a row.

The winter wheat variety trials at the Center had looked very good prior to this cold snap and initial indications were that the amount of winterkill was minimal. It should be noted that this nursery at the Center was planted October 1, 2006, and had only reached ½-1 leaf stage before the cold weather forced dormancy. The nursery had already started greening up in late March, indicating that dormancy had been broken, when the cold weather returned. At this time, it appears that only the most winter hardy varieties survived winter’s last attack.

If your winter wheat hasn’t started greening up again, you may be wondering if your winter wheat crop survived the last cold snap. To evaluate whether your winter wheat survived the last cold snap, especially if it was planted late, or you haven’t seen anything green out in the field, I suggest you do the following: dig up several seedlings across the field and cut them longitudinal (lengthwise) with a very sharp knife or a safety razor blade. If the crowns look white/yellow to light green, they are healthy and will continue to grow. If you find that the crown has turned tan to brown and soft, it did not survive the cold weather.

In addition, you can check whether seedlings will grow by trimming the roots and leaves down to about ¼ to ½” above and below the crown. Place these seedlings on a wet paper towel and place the towel in a Ziploc bag or plastic container that can be sealed. Place the container at room temperature and check for regrowth in 24-48 hours. Viable seedlings will show regrowth almost immediately (see photo). It will take longer than usual, but as long as the crown is healthy, a stand will establish and your field of winter wheat may not need to be destroyed.

Regrowth of young winter wheat seedlings after 36 hours incubation in a Ziploc bag at room temperature (photo courtesy of Blake Vander Vorst)

If stands across the fields average 15-17 plants/ ft² or more you can leave the stand and expect near maximum grain yields.

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