For audio version, visit kswheat.com.
Kansas Wheat, in collaboration with Kansas State University researchers, has officially kicked off a new educational campaign aimed at farmers, landowners, financial institutions and policymakers. “Wheat: Beyond the Value of the Grain” emphasizes the wide-ranging advantages of including winter wheat in a cropping system, extending far beyond the grain’s market price.
“The role that wheat plays in global food security is unquestioned,” said Aaron Harries, Kansas Wheat vice president of research and operations. “But what about wheat’s role in a sustainable cropping system? There is more value to winter wheat than the price received for the grain. And now a study has been done to analyze wheat beyond the value of the grain.”
To further explain the campaign and the research behind it, Harries sat down with Romulo Lollato, K-State associate professor of wheat and forage production, for an episode of the “Wheat’s On Your Mind” podcast. The duo discussed the well-documented, multifaceted role of winter wheat in a sustainable cropping system, including its economic and environmental advantages.
“Wheat as a crop brings many benefits to the cropping system,” Lollato said. “In areas such as Kansas, where wheat historically has been an important crop, by excluding it from rotations, we may be missing out on some of those benefits that have made our cropping systems here successful.”
The idea behind the “Wheat: Beyond the Value of the Grain” campaign kicked off just before the 2020 pandemic after the pair investigated a continued reduction in winter wheat planted acres, particularly in Kansas. The project started with a review of the multitude of studies that have been published over the years, not only looking at grain production, but also at the other benefits wheat provides as part of a cropping system. That initial review yielded more than 60 pages of benefits cited from more than 300 studies, highlighting the incredible versatility of winter wheat.
“For us, the versatility and the flexibility of winter wheat gives options to the wheat farmer,” Harries said.
From the very first steps in the growing season, winter wheat offers a significant advantage to producers through its broad planting window, providing much-needed flexibility in managing farm operations. This adaptability also extends to its dual-purpose nature, allowing for both grain and high-quality forage production, ultimately increasing potential economic returns.
Research has also consistently demonstrated the positive impact of incorporating winter wheat into crop rotations. Studies conducted globally, including long-term projects in Kansas, Illinois and Wisconsin, show that including wheat in a cropping rotation significantly boosts yields of other crops like corn and soybeans, compared to monoculture systems. A long-term Kansas study reported a 12-bushel-per-acre increase in soybean yields when rotated with winter wheat, regardless of the tillage system used, compared to continuous soybean cultivation. Similarly, western Kansas corn yields were 14.7 bushels per acre higher after wheat than after grain sorghum.
Furthermore, wheat helps improve soil structure, organic matter content and nutrient cycling, enhancing soil health. Wheat’s presence also helps control pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
The research is clear — integrating winter wheat into cropping systems represents a strategic approach to maximizing crop yields and productivity. By leveraging winter wheat’s diverse benefits and addressing associated challenges through informed management practices, farmers can achieve sustainable agricultural practices that support long-term profitability and environmental stewardship.
These quantified benefits of winter wheat and more are now a research paper, but the campaign’s goal is to disseminate more digestible, two-page extension-style publications that focus on each benefit separately.
Read the full publication and keep watch for additional added resources as they are released this winter at kswheat.com/wheatrx. Listen to the full conversation between Harries and Lollato and all other episodes of the “Wheat’s on Your Mind” podcast at wheatsonyourmind.com.
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Written by Julia Debes for Kansas Wheat