For many years, taking 24-inch soil profile-N samples in the fall has been a recommended practice for making an N recommendation for winter wheat. However, due to the mobility of nitrate-N in the soil, soil test values observed in the fall may differ from those observed in the spring, particularly on soils prone to leaching. Because many producers wait until spring green-up to make their N application, does soil sampling in the fall for nitrate really provide useful information for N management in wheat?