Wheat Management Resources

Soft red winter wheat, produced on about 500,000 acres in Kentucky is a critical rotation and cash flow crop: corn is followed by wheat, which is followed by doublecrop soybean.  This rotation dictates several breeding objectives, among them early maturity and Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance.  With the advent of intensive management technology, Kentucky's farmers have become experts at producing high quality, high yield crops.  A strong wheat industry infrastructure in the form of theKentucky Small Grain Growers Association, Siemer Milling, Inc., Hopkinsville Milling, Bremner Bakeries, and Wheat Tech wheat consultants along with the UK Wheat Science group makes Kentucky the place to grow wheat!

Publications

Crop Management

ID-125: A Comprehensive Guide to Wheat Management in Kentucky

Entire Document html :: pdf (4mb)

  1. Introduction :: pdf

  2. Growth and Development :: pdf

  3. Cultural Practices :: pdf

  4. Planting and Drill Calibration :: pdf

  5. Fertilizer Management :: pdf

  6. Weed Management :: pdf

  7. Disease Management :: pdf

  8. Insect Pests :: pdf

  9. Economics of the Intensively Managed Wheat Enterprise :: pdf

  10. Harvesting, Drying and Storing :: pdf

  11. Supplement pdf

Small Grains Production Research

Disease Management

Visit the UK Plant Pathology Publications Website
Kentucky Pest News
Field Crop Scouting Techniques

Insect Pests

General

Common Insects

Stored Grain Insects

Pesticide Labels (find the most recent pesticide labels)

Visit the UK Field Crops Insects Publications Website

Kentucky Pest News

Harvest, Storage & Handling

Grain Storage Website (UK Biosystems and Ag Engineering)
Grain and Energy Calculators (BAE)

Stored Grain Insects

Latest Posts in Wheat

Featured
Global Wheat Shortfalls Could Signal Bullish Potential for U.S. Wheat
Global Wheat Shortfalls Could Signal Bullish Potential for U.S. Wheat

The October 16, 2024, edition of Southern Ag Today indicated a slightly bullish wheat situation within the United States (Welch, 2024). Today’s article discusses this further using three charts: U.S. Wheat Imports by Country, Wheat Production by Country, and Ending Stocks by Country.

Outbreak of Fall Armyworm in Cover Crop Wheat, Rye, and Pastures in Central Kentucky
Outbreak of Fall Armyworm in Cover Crop Wheat, Rye, and Pastures in Central Kentucky

A recent correspondence with Phillip Anderson, crop consultant from Daviess County, reported a significant outbreak of fall armyworms (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda, Noctuidae) in cover crop wheat and rye; and also in pastures located in reclaimed land from coal mines.

Wheat Disease Update: Stripe Rust and Fusarium Head Blight
Wheat Disease Update: Stripe Rust and Fusarium Head Blight

Several wheat fields in Kentucky are now at the anthesis stage (Feekes 10.51, “flowering”) or fast approaching it. Anthesis is a critical time, as wheat becomes susceptible to infection by Fusarium graminearum, the primary causal agent of Fusarium head blight

Early Morning Temperatures Apr 22 May Impact Some Wheat Growing Areas in KY
Early Morning Temperatures Apr 22 May Impact Some Wheat Growing Areas in KY

The early morning low temperatures on Apr 22 were quite frosty. In some areas, the low temperatures were in the range that could potentially cause damage to the wheat crop.

Impact of March 19 Temperatures on Wheat
Impact of March 19 Temperatures on Wheat

Across Kentucky almost all of the wheat crop has jointed (Feekes 6) and much of it has developed at least two nodes (Feekes 7). When temperatures dropped into the teens and low 20’s (°F) overnight March 19 (Table 1), we once again find ourselves asking the question: Will the low temperatures a couple of nights ago damage this year’s wheat crop?