For the audio version, visit kswheat.com.
Tracking the price of grain — whether on an app or tuning into the right radio station for the market reports — is an important and routine part of farming. Still, Kansas Wheat and K-State wheat researchers encourage producers to look beyond the value of the bushels in the bin when deciding on their crop rotations to the economic, operational and environmental benefits of planting wheat.
“Wheat’s value extends far beyond the grain’s market price,” said Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations. “The advantages of including wheat in your cropping system are wide-ranging, from providing flexibility in planting and nitrogen fertilizer timing, opportunities for dual-purpose production or double-cropping and the value of wheat residue.”
The compiled K-State research findings were published in a WheatRx publication this winter that describes the versatility wheat brings to farming operations. The article is part of “Wheat: Beyond the Value of the Grain,” an educational campaign organized by Kansas Wheat and K-State Research and Extension. The campaign — aimed at farmers, landowners, financial institutions and policymakers — emphasizes the wide-ranging advantages of including wheat in a cropping rotation.
One key advantage of planting wheat is a wide optimum sowing window. According to Romulo Lollato, K-State wheat specialist, winter wheat has a broader planting window compared to summer crops, especially in warmer regions like south central Kansas and into Oklahoma. This wide window means farmers can wait to plant for any number of reasons — the next good rain, after other crops are harvested or following completion of other important farm operations.
Producers also have flexibility in what class of wheat to plant, meaning they can choose to plant winter or spring wheat or between different classes (hard red winter, hard red spring, hard white winter, soft red winter) depending on the local market advantages. In northwest Kansas, Lollato explained farmers could choose to plant spring wheat if they experience an extremely dry fall but a wet spring. In southeast Kansas, farmers can plant either hard or soft red winter wheat to meet local market demand.
Nitrogen fertilization timing is another area where wheat has advantages. Research indicates that the crop can recover from early-season nitrogen deficiencies, as long as nitrogen is available near jointing. This resilience allows farmers to strategically time fertilization based on weather and optimize nitrogen uptake. Remote sensing technologies further enhance nitrogen management.
The dual-purpose capability of winter wheat for grazing and grain is another asset. Wheat’s resilience to early-growth stress makes it ideal for grazing, providing high-quality forage during fall and winter when other options are scarce. This dual-purpose function offers market flexibility, allowing farmers to choose between grazing and grain production based on prevailing conditions.
Even after harvest, wheat continues to provide additional benefits to a farming operation. Environmentally, wheat residue protects against erosion, reduces evaporative water loss and suppresses weed growth. Standing stubble also captures snowfall, increasing soil water content for subsequent crops. In wetter regions, farmers can even bale residue for hay, generating additional revenue.
Finally, producers can take advantage of double-cropping by including wheat in a rotation in areas where there is enough moisture. Winter wheat can be planted soon after the harvest of a summer crop or vice versa. Doing so allows for more cash crops to be grown within the same period.
Overall, wheat is an ideal crop to plant in Kansas for reasons far beyond the value of the kernels cut each summer. This field crop is not just iconic, but a versatile, integral component of the Kansas agricultural landscape.
Read the full publication on wheat’s value in a cropping system and keep watch for additional resources as they are released at https://kswheat.com/wheatrx.