It will soon be seeding time for winter wheat in northern Illinois. The following cultural practices or management decisions are important in growing this crop.

By now, producers have probably purchased the seed they will be planting; but if not, select adapted (winter hardy), high yielding varieties that have scab and leaf disease resistance. Variety information is available at http://vt.cropsci.uiuc.edu/wheat.html or in the booklet titled Wheat Performance in Illinois Trials-2007 available from your University of Illinois Extension office.

Seeding should be done as soon after the Hessian fly-free date for your county as possible. These dates are listed in the Illinois Agronomy Handbook, available at Extension offices and on-line at http://iah.aces.uiuc.edu/ . The dates range from September 17-20 for counties along the Illinois-Wisconsin border to October 11-12 in far southern Illinois. In addition to preventing insect problems, the date is also important for yield, since University of Illinois data indicates a yield loss of about 0.5 to 0.7 bushel per day when planting in northern Illinois is delayed from late September to mid-October. As a guide, seeding one month after the Hessian fly-free date results in the yield potential being 60 to 70 percent of normal.

A seeding rate of 30 to 35 seeds per square foot (1.3 to 1.5 million seeds per acre) is recommended. Add 10 percent for each week later than the fly-free date. With average seed size of 15,000 seeds per pound, 1.5 million seeds weigh 100 pounds.

Optimum planting depth is 1 to 1.5-inches. Shallow planting can result in more winter injury. It is important to have good seed-to-soil contact and the crown of the plant needs to be ¾ - to 1-inch below the soil surface. Enough growth is needed in the fall to have some tillering and the ground should be covered.

Wheat should not be planted following wheat, as volunteer wheat can serve as "the green bridge" for diseases such as wheat streak mosaic virus, which is vectored (or carried) by the wheat curl mite. Research has shown that wheat does better following soybean than following corn.

Wheat receives 10 pounds per acre of nitrogen credit when following soybean. When following a good stand of alfalfa, wheat would receive 30 pounds of nitrogen credit per acre. Nitrogen rate depends upon the soil organic matter and if a legume is present. Apply at least 20 pounds, but no more than 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre in the fall. University of Illinois research has shown no consistent yield response to split applications of nitrogen in the spring. At the Agronomy Research Center in Shabbona, 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre are applied in the fall and again in the spring.

Phosphorus and potassium should be applied based on current soil test and past yields. Maintenance fertilizer for each bushel per acre is 0.90 pound P₂O₅ and 0.30 pound K₂O.

Fungicide seed treatments are viewed by many as "insurance". Each fungicide active ingredient has pros and cons; thus premixed products are common. Fungicides may be more beneficial for later planted wheat.

University of Illinois research at Monmouth has shown that adding wheat into a corn-soybean rotation increases corn yields 10 to 12 bushels per acre and soybean yields increase 5 to 6 bushels per acre.

The above guidelines will help ensure good wheat yields, given favorable weather conditions.