Page 14 June, 2019 SARDA News
“Let the soil temp, not the calendar be your guide” By Megan Snell June 6, 2019
SARDA Ag Research started seeding especially early this year, with the “Ultra Early Wheat” trial. The objective of this project is to determine if, seeding early or at the regular time affects the overall yield and protein potential of the crop. There has been plenty of research done on seeding early, but not all of them explore how it affects the protein content of the crop. In addition, we used 3 seeding rates to determine if heavier seeding can overcome reductions in yield and quality if so, how is it affected by the earlier seeding dates. By seeding early there are risk factors that we have to keep in mind. One especially being the risk of early spring frost damage. Early season frost can put the plant under a great deal of stress, which can result in making the tips and margins of the leaves to become brown and brittle. However seeding slightly over the recommended soil temperature of 5 degrees, with adequate soil moisture at the proper seeding depth, As well, as avoiding fields with large quantities of crop residue, can be essential to germination and plant emergence. Another important factor to account for when seeding early is ensuring that you are using the proper seed treatment and using high quality seed with an optimum vigor and germination. This helps maintain plant populations if the early season frost. event occurs By utilizing these factors you can reduce the risk of soil-borne diseases and infestation of other pathogens or pests that detrimentally affect the crop. On the other hand there are advantages to seeding early. One particularly is having a wider
window of herbicide application, as a pre-seed or pre-emergent application is recommended when seeding earlier. Early seeded crops avoid heat stress in mid-July and may ensure that your crop is able to set its seed. Some crops are more
Figure 1a: Seeding date was April 23, this photo was taken May 22, around 4 weeks after seeding the crop is at the 2nd leaf stage.
Figure 1b: Seeding date was April 23, this photo was taken June 4, a little over 6 weeks after seeding the crop is at the 1st tiller.
