Fall planted dark northern spring wheat
Farm and Ranch October 8, 2009 Some Washington farmers are increasing the returns they get on dark northern spring wheat by planting it in the fall in the milder climate areas. Dana Herron, seed dealer and Washington Grain Commission member, points out that spring wheats have winter wheat in their parentage and some varieties will express the winter wheat dormancy. Herron: “Planted in the fall, with proper timing, that dormancy gives us enough winter hardiness to get it through the winter, especially when we are in more temperate areas of the state. Like around the Snake-Columbia River system. So, north of the river 20-30 miles we have been quite successful with a late October early November planting of certain varieties. Not all DNSs. Those that have expressed the dormancy characteristic. And growers are being able to harvest that DNS with higher yields, equal or better proteins and they are being able to sell some of that DNS on an old crop market, which in the irrigated environment gives them a $200-$250 a an acre bump, which is a pretty big deal.” The early harvest also gives the farmers a chance to double crop with the spring wheat followed by buckwheat for example. Herron: “We have had irrigated yields above 150 bushels and harvest starting as early as July 6th in the Pasco area, which is a real benefit for those people that would like to double crop also.” Herron says some of the WestBred varieties and some from Resource Seeds, now owned by Syngenta, have worked in this system, which is still being refined. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.
