“Dusting In” Wheat in Drought Conditions
Figure 1: U.S. Drought Monitor for Kentucky
Conner Raymond; Grain Crops Extension Associate, Princeton, KY
Carrie Knott; Grain Crops Extension Specialist, Princeton, KY
Lloyd Murdock; Professor Emeritus, Princeton, KY
Picture 1: No-till drill planting attempt on October 11, 2022, in drought conditions on UKREC Farm in Princeton, KY.
Under “normal” conditions, most Kentucky wheat producers have already begun to plant. However, much of Kentucky is classified as abnormally dry with far western Kentucky in a moderate to severe drought which can make planting difficult (Figure 1). Fortunately, wheat producers have a few options.
“Dust in” wheat seed
Plant deeper than normal
Wait for rain then plant
“Dusting in” seed
Two risks associated with “dusting in” seed can be seed germination and seedling establishment. With soil conditions as dry as they are across most of the state, adequate soil moisture may not be available for planted seed to start germination. The risk is when seeds are planted at the correct depth (1 ½ - 2 inches for no-till and 1 inch for tilled soil) and have only enough moisture for seed to germinate. Even if the radicle root has enough water to emerge there is still a risk that not enough water is available for seedlings to establish and total stand loss can occur. Planting no-tillage is preferred to tilled ground in dry years. Tilling the soil in very dry conditions leaves the soil in a pulverized condition that can lead to crusting and surface erosion when a heavy rain occurs. This can result in decreased and uneven plant emergence.
Plant deeper than normal
Picture 2: Wheat seed only reaching ¼ inch depth after a planting attempt on October 11, 2022 in Princeton, KY with a fully loaded grain drill.
The recommended seeding depth for Kentucky is 1-2 inches. In dry soil conditions it can be nearly impossible to reach this mark. If 2-inch seeding depth can be achieved (but NEVER deeper than 2 inches) additional soil moisture can be reached to facilitate germination. Although seeds may germinate at this depth with proper soil moisture, if rainfall does not occur and additional moisture is not added, plants can easily germinate and then die prior to emerging above the soil surface.
If seed is planted too shallow (less than 1-inch depth) in dry soil this can cause uneven germination and emergence. Shallow planting depth can lead to increased variability in soil temperature and moisture. At shallow planting depths seed could be prone to germinate after a small precipitation event when not enough moisture is available for seedling establishment resulting in plant death and in severe cases stand losses. Shallow planting depth can also result in winterkill caused by heaving or uplifting of the plant and root system due to freezing and thawing of the soil.
Wait for rain then plant
The recommended planting window for wheat in most of Kentucky is October 10th through 30th. This window still leaves plenty of time for a rain event that would make soil conditions more ideal for planting. Recent work conducted at Princeton to determine if increased seeding rate can mitigate the effects of late paintings: early November, late November, December. Three late plantings occurred across two years on two soil types. Of these twelve late plantings, only two had statistical yield differences, Crider early November 2020 and Zanesville late November 2020. The increased seeding rate increased yield in the Zanesville late November planting but the increased seeding rate decreased yield for Crider Early November planting. Although an increased seeding rate may be thought to be beneficial when dealing with planting after October, data from Princeton suggests there is not a consistent yield increase when increased seeding rate are used for late plantings.
It may be tempting to add additional fertilizers, but this is not recommended. In years of drought like Kentucky has experienced this year not all the nutrients applied to the previous crop has been utilized. These carry over nutrients should be sufficient for the seedling wheat. Fungicide seed treatments would also not be expected to be helpful on this very dry year.
Additional Resources
De Oliveira Silva, A. 2020. Wheat producers – What should we do with dry conditions in the forecast?
Daniel, S. Klein, R. 2022. Planting Winter Wheat in Severe Drought: What are the Options?
Pennington, D. 2017. Planting wheat into dry soil
Knott, C. Raymond, C. 2021. Developing Agronomic Recommendations to Late Planted Maximize Wheat Yield and Quality in Kentucky
Conner Raymond, Grains Extension Associate
Dept of Plant and Soil Science
conner.raymond@uky.edu
348 University Dr. Princeton KY, 42445[KCA1]
Dr. Carrie Knott, Grain Crops Extension Specialist
Dept of Plant and Soil Science
carrie.knott@uky.edu
348 University Dr. Princeton KY, 42445
Dr. Lloyd Murdock, Emeritus Professor
Dept of Plant and Soil Science
lloyd.murdock@uky.edu
348 University Dr. Princeton KY, 42445