The general target date for planting wheat for optimum grain yields in Kansas is within a week of the best pest management planting date, or BPMP (formerly known as the “Hessian fly-free”) date. If forage production is the primary goal, earlier planting (mid-September) can increase forage yield. However, if grain yield is the primary goal, then waiting until the BPMP date to start planting is the best approach
Planting in mid-September is ideal for dual-purpose wheat systems where forage yields need to be maximized while reducing the effects of early planting on reduced grain yields. However, due to the current dry conditions, coupled with the outlook of continued drought in Kansas, planting wheat for dual-purpose or for forage only does not seem like a viable option this year.
While the BPMP planting date on wheat yield will hold true for most years, they will largely depend on environmental conditions and disease pressure during the growing season.
In some years, earlier-planted wheat does best and in some years the later-planted wheat does best, and these year-specific performances usually relate to the weather experienced in the fall and spring. For instance, early-planted fields in growing seasons with a warm fall might produce excessive biomass that will use an excessive amount of water during the fall. If the following spring is dry, soil water deficit during grain filling then can reduce grain yield. Conversely, a warm fall would favor tillering of a later-planted wheat crop, helping to compensate for this delay.
The opposite is also true: in years with an early onset of cold temperatures during the fall, an earlier planted crop might perform better than a later-planted crop due to its ability to produce enough fall tillers to maximize grain yield.
Research was conducted by Merle Witt with late-sown wheat in Garden City from 1985 through 1991. Averaged across all these years, delaying wheat sowing from October 1 to November 1 delayed heading date by 6 days and decreased wheat yields by 23%. The grain-filling period was progressively shortened by about 1.7 days and occurred under hotter temperatures (about 1.5°F) for every month of delay in sowing date.
In dry years, seedling emergence and stand establishment can be uneven. These dry conditions can also lead to poor crown root development and fall tillering. If fields become too wet to plant by mid-October and stay that way through the remainder of the fall, then producers end up planting much later than the optimum planting date.
Following an unusual year, producers will often start planting earlier than the recommended date if soil conditions are good because the negative consequences of adverse conditions are fresh on their minds. However, planting early also increases the risk of other production problems including multiple diseases, insect pests, weed infestations, and undesirable growth of the crop, to name a few.
To read the full article of the many risks associated with early planting and to see accompanying tables with other information related to this article (recommended planting dates, etc.) go to www.cottonwood.ksu.edu.
In summary, early sowing of wheat can lead to several problems, from increased chances of insect or mite-transmitted viral diseases to decreased emergence due to high temperatures and its consequences on wheat germination of particular varieties and reduced coleoptile length.
Ideally, growers should consider planting around the optimum window; but, if planting early due to moisture availability or a dual-purpose system, growers should consider selecting wheat varieties with tolerance to the major yield-reducing factors in their respective region. Growers should strongly consider a seed treatment with both fungicides and insecticides if planting wheat early in Kansas.
Stacy Campbell is a crop production extension agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension.