Successful winter wheat crops depend on the process of vernalization in order to spur the wheat to shift from vegetative to reproductive growth. The process is initiated by the presence of cold temperatures and, surprising to many, is not dependent on seedling growth. “Wheat’s a pretty interesting crop,” says Peter Johnson, cereal specialist for the… Read More
Category: Wheat School
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Following the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s single desk, there was strong interest in growing wheat varieties from classes other than the traditional Canada Western Red Spring wheat that Canada is known for. There was plenty of talk about producing more high-yielding CPS (Canada Prairie Spring) wheat, but two years later, that buzz seems… Read More
From a milling perspective, there’s good news about the quality profile of the 2014 wheat crop in Western Canada. Mildew is to blame for much of this year’s Canada Western Red Spring wheat falling outside of the top two grades, but wheat grading as #3 CWRS due to mildew is still exhibiting quality characteristics that millers want — attributes… Read More
Shipping your own railcar can have numerous benefits, not the least of which is selling grain at a higher price than local elevators are willing to offer. At the same time there’s also a fair amount of risk in counting on producer cars to market grain — just ask one of the farmers who are… Read More
We’re staring down the Thanksgiving weekend and harvested soybean fields are few and far between. All these late soybeans are holding up wheat acres — if you want to get wheat in, does it pay to get creative? In this episode of the Wheat School, Peter Johnson, cereal specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,… Read More
You wouldn’t think that it works this way, says Peter Johnson, cereal specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, but every single time mature wheat gets rained on, you lose test weight. But, why and how, our friends and followers on Twitter asked? The short answer? Wrinkles. In this very informative… Read More
Do you put down starter fertilizer with your winter wheat? If not, Peter Johnson, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, wants to know what you’re waiting for. “We’ve done a whole bunch more analysis of the (trial) data…and if you have a low soil test and don’t apply phosphorus… Read More
It’s late September and Peter Johnson, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, can’t understand why a harvested pea field is bare. “This (pea field) is the ultimate place to plant wheat…this should have been planted two weeks ago!” Johnson adds that research proves planting winter wheat early results in… Read More
In this Wheat School episode, Phil Needham, of Needham Ag Technologies, shows how farmers can use a heavy duty rubber mat and some math calculations to calibrate a box drill. This procedure is really good for double disk drills because they do an excellent job of confining the seeds as they are delivered between two… Read More
When it comes to planting no-till wheat, Phil Needham, of Needham Ag Technologies, says farmers need to think first about the combine before rolling out the drill. “You can buy the best piece of seeding equipment on the market, but it’s only going to be as good as the residue management (in a no-till system)… Read More
High disease levels have winter wheat growers in Western Canada concerned about the market prospects for the crop. Samples brought to elevators in some areas — especially central Manitoba — have contained up to 20 percent fusarium damaged kernels. Buyers have started discounting grain based on the related potential vomitoxin levels. So where will this… Read More
Cereal leaf beetle was first discovered in Alberta in 2005, with Saskatchewan and Manitoba finding populations shortly thereafter. As its name suggests, the insect prefers to feed on cereals, though it may extend its host range to grasses, even occasionally feeding on corn. Both adults and larvae feed on the leaves in strips between veins, causing a… Read More
By the time symptoms of fusarium head blight (FHB) show up in the crop, it is too late to halt disease development (though you may be able to manage fusarium kernels with the combine). This makes managing the disease a little more complicated, as spray applicators and producers have to assess the history of… Read More
Wheat leaf diseases aren’t always capable of overwintering in Canada. Besides often needing shelter from harsh winter conditions, the pathogens also suffer from a relative lack of alternate hosts. This year, however, stripe rust — a disease caused by the fungus Puccinia striiformis — took sanctuary in winter wheat fields in parts of the prairies, safe… Read More
Is all protein in wheat the same? Are there several kinds of protein? What happens to protein when wheat is in storage? Is gluten strength the same as protein quality? What is gluten, anyway? If you’ve asked yourself these questions (and more!) you’re most certainly not alone. Understanding the role protein plays in crop quality… Read More