News

Promoting winter wheat planting in east-central Nebraska

Winter wheat acreage in Nebraska is expected to drop to a new record low of just over one-million acres in 2018.  Most of the production is in central and western counties. The crop has all but disappeared from the eastern part of the state.

But Nathan Mueller, UNL Extension educator based in Fremont, sees the potential for wheat acres to grow in east-central Nebraska.

“What’s unique about Fremont, which a lot of people don’t know, is just last week (the last week of December), we were 60 cents over futures here,” Mueller says. “So we have a really awesome basis for winter wheat locally and not that far to haul. That’s unique and an economic incentive to growing winter wheat.”

Mueller says with much of that area’s moisture coming in May and June, they’re able to produce some excellent non-irrigated wheat yields.

“The growers that have been doing wheat in this area have demonstrated they can get over 100 bushel, even up to 120. Actually, the variety trials went 130-140 on some of the varieties in those plots,” he says. “So it is doable—the thing is how can we consistently grow those yields to make it pencil out.”

Other advantages to planting winter wheat, Mueller says, are effective incorporation of cover crops; disruption of weed cycles, which could reduce herbicide costs; and added flexibility to manure management plans.

“It’s not going to fit every operation and I realize that. It’s not going to be on a lot of acres. But I think it’s a niche, or a minor crop, that can make sense for some farmers.”

Mueller will hold a winter wheat workshop on Thursday, February 1st at the Dodge County Extension office in Fremont. Call 402-727-2775 for more information.

AUDIO: Nathan Mueller (interview recorded on January 4th)