Dry weather continues to dominate farm management discussion throughout Ohio and neighboring states. The recent U.S. Drought Monitor map illustrates the widespread drought conditions, which includes 95% of Ohio under some form of drought or abnormally dry conditions.
Conditions are certainly dry here in Trumbull County, but my heart sinks thinking about the severe drought conditions farmers are facing in southeast Ohio. Some reported forage and corn yields have been especially disheartening. Ohio State University Extension professionals throughout the state have been working hard to provide resources for farmers affected by drought. You can find these resources and more information at go.osu.edu/ohiodrought.
Turning to fall crops, the Hessian fly-free date is generally considered the earliest date to plant wheat and other small grains. Planting after this date decreases the risk of Hessian fly damage to small grains, and also prevents the spread of diseases like barley yellow dwarf virus. Sept. 22 marks the first fly-free date for far northern Ohio counties, while the southern-most Ohio counties will be waiting until Oct. 5.
The long-range precipitation forecast does not offer much hope of significant rainfall before then so we will likely see dry planting conditions for wheat and small grains this fall. Without adequate soil moisture the seeds will not absorb (or imbibe) water to start the germination process.
We experienced a similar situation in the spring 2023 with corn and soybeans germinating slowly over two to three weeks.
Seeds will lay in the soil until enough water accumulates to germinate, which can lead to uneven stands going into winter. Plants are fairly resilient, though.
Remembering back to 2023, despite a rough start, corn caught up and produced record yields, leading one farmer to make headlines with the saying “plant into the dust and the bins will bust”.
While we hope that wheat will catch up, there are several practices that can be implemented to get wheat stands off to a good start in anticipation of dry conditions. Water is the most critical component of germination and we want to save as much soil moisture as possible.
Implementing no-till practices is a practical way to save soil moisture. Tillage for residue management will further dry out the soils and may delay emergence further. Plant as deep as you can to get to moisture, but no deeper than 1.5 inches or the wheat may struggle to break the soil surface.
Increasing your seeding rate to 1.6 to 2 million seeds per acre will also increase your chances of a successful stand. You may be tempted to increase your fertilizer rates to jump start the wheat, but nitrogen and potash fertilizers contain a lot of salts that absorb moisture. In a normal planting year this isn’t really a major concern, but with current dry soil conditions the fertilizer and seeds will be competing for the same water in the soil.
The worst case scenario for a wheat stand this fall would be delayed emergence due to the dry soil, followed by a short rainfall to promote germination and then a second dry spell.
Seeds attempting to germinate in this scenario would start the growth process, causing the new root, called a radicle, to emerge to search for water. If the rain then stops, the radicle will not find any moisture to sustain growth and it will die.
A decision to plant wheat and small grains this fall will be challenging. If you need assistant to help make the best decision for your farm, reach out to your local extension office for assistance. You are able to lean on our experts to get the resources you need on your farm.
