Specialist: For wheat yield gains, try to be more understanding

December 6, 2005

Specialist: For wheat yield gains, try to be more understanding

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Winter wheat just wants to be understood, and farmers who become better acquainted with the crop's unique characteristics can help it reach full yield potential, said a Purdue University agronomist.

"Growers need to understand the key components of wheat yield, whether it be the number of tillers, number of heads per area, seed size and number of seeds per head," said Shawn Conley, Purdue Extension small grains specialist. "By understanding the physiology of the wheat plant and how it grows, we can manipulate the crop in our favor. It's a holistic system of crop management."

Conley will outline steps to improve wheat performance during the 2005 Indiana Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Conference. The event takes place Dec. 13-14 at the Indianapolis Marriott East. Workshops are scheduled both days from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The third annual conference is a collaboration between Purdue Extension and the Indiana CCA Program.

Conley's workshop, "Improve Wheat Yields Through More Intensive Crop Management," examines ways farmers can adjust nitrogen applications, control weeds and reduce disease threats to produce a healthier, more profitable crop.

Wheat is Indiana's No. 3 row crop, well behind corn and soybeans. Hoosier growers produced 24.4 million bushels of wheat this year, at a record average yield of 72 bushels per acre.

While far fewer acres are planted to wheat compared to corn and soybeans in Indiana, wheat crops can bolster future corn and soybean production, as well as provide timely income, Conley said.

"The main benefit of growing wheat is adding another crop into the crop rotation, so as to help break up disease and insect cycles and some of the weed issues we deal with," he said. "It also gives growers another source of income when they are harvesting wheat in June and July, instead of getting all of their cash flow when they harvest corn and soybeans in the fall."

It still takes a little more work to grow wheat than corn and soybeans, but that is changing, Conley said.

"If you're comparing wheat and soybeans, for instance, soybeans are easier to manage because we plant it, apply glyphosate herbicide and then, in a sense, forget about it until the end of the season," he said. "But now with soybean aphid and some of the diseases like soybean rust that could be coming in the future, they are adding more time and expense to managing soybeans.

"Looking at wheat, the management time may be a little bit higher now but we also might be able to capture the same economic value from that crop versus soybeans. There are a lot of things we can tweak with wheat to increase yield."

A variety of other agricultural topics are slated for the CCA conference, said Bob Nielsen, Purdue Extension corn specialist and conference coordinator.

"The conference covers four areas: nutrient management, soil and water management, pest management and crop management," Nielsen said. "We pride ourselves on bringing in nationally recognized speakers from all over the country, not just Purdue."

Crop advisers who attend the entire conference can earn all the continuing education credits that they are required to receive for the year, Nielsen said.

Full conference registration for Indiana CCAs is $220, or $125 for one day. For non-CCAs, full registration is $325, or $175 for one day.

The Indianapolis Marriott East is located at 7207 E. 21st St., Indianapolis. For hotel reservations, call (800) 228-9290.

Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu

Sources: Shawn Conley, (765) 494-0895, conleysp@purdue.edu

Bob Nielsen, (765) 494-4802, rnielsen@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Related Web sites:
Purdue University Department of Agronomy

Indiana Certified Crop Adviser Program

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