As of Tuesday, Nov. 11, the drought monitor report indicates no change from last week. The six-to ten-day outlook (Nov. 18 to 22) indicates a 40 to 60% chance of above normal temperatures and a 60 to 60% chance of likely above normal precipitation. The eight to 14-day outlook (Nov. 20 to 26) indicates a 40 to 50% chance of leaning above normal for temperatures and 50 to 60% chance of likely above normal for precipitation.
Harvest is winding down. Most wheat is in the ground. The timely planted wheat looks good overall and has tillered nicely. Even the late planted wheat overall is decent. Soil moisture for our area is overall decent to good. This is a much different, much improved outlook from a year ago. And while every wheat producer knows a lot can go wrong until harvest, we are heading into winter in good shape. Today, as a refresher and an introduction for those not knowing, how does winter wheat handle winter? What makes it so resilient?
• First our winter wheat is a cool season grass, a monocot. This means currently, the growing point is below the soil surface at the planting depth, which protects it from the worst of the cold air temperatures. Only under prolonged, extremely cold temperatures combined with dry soil and no soil cover, is true winterkill a potential problem. The growing point will be below the soil surface until jointing (first hollow stem in late winter/early spring).
• Second, no matter how much growth there is in the fall and how good conditions are, it won’t flower until it vernalizes. In English, it must be exposed to an extended period of cold temperatures before it can flower. The amount of cold necessary varies by variety. Some need little cold while others a great deal. If you plant winter wheat in the spring, it can germinate and tiller but won’t flower. It is also a short night/long day plant which means until the daylength reaches a certain amount, it won’t go ahead and flower.
• Third, as days grow shorter and temperatures cool, the plant does several things. Leaves grow prostrate instead of erect and are closer to the warmer ground. Cell contents change and essentially produce a kind of “antifreeze” that lowers the freezing point and prevents damage. This winter hardiness is maximum at the start of winter and decreases over time and as temperatures warm. If cold snap isn’t too quick and extreme it can regain some winter hardiness. And even if all the above ground vegetation dies over winter, as long as the growing points are intact, the plant is fine.
• Finally, wheat tillers and these tillers don’t all develop at the same rate, so while the primary tiller or even secondary tillers may be lost, tillers that normally wouldn’t go ahead and flower can. This allows for some compensation.
• Wheat is also fairly drought tolerant and the parentage for our wheat in Kansas is from the Ukraine, a climate similar to ours.
Wheat producers say wheat has nine lives and this is partially why.
Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, or martinv@bartonccc.edu.
