Pioneer Hi-bred offers Tips for Growers Planting Wheat

It’s early November and time to plant wheat. Pioneer Hi-bred area agronomist, Dennis McCoy has a few tips for growers getting started with wheat planting:

“Folks are really trying to harvest their crops and start planting wheat. This is the time to be planting, the first of November or even slightly earlier. The conditions are just right for planting wheat. We have had a cold spell and some rain. Getting that seed in the ground right now is really timely and going to help out with starting out to get a great yield. Sixty percent of their yield is determined when they leave the field from planting wheat. They need to make sure they get everything right as far as their seeding rate, depth, fertility, pre plant fertilizer, clean fields etc, so they can get the wheat out to a great start.”
 

Due to the drought in the Midwest this year, there’s been some questions about supply of seed corn. McCoy says there shouldn’t be a problem:
 

“We have gotten some questions on the corn seed supply. We do have a good supply, even though we had a drought in the Midwest, the primary area where we have our seed corn production. But two thirds of our corn seed is under irrigation. And generally we do project an adequate supply for seasons like the one we just experienced. Therefore there is an adequate supply of corn seed for 2013. Though as with all years, there are certain hybrids that are in short supply.”
 

One thing to keep in mind, according to McCoy is that projected cotton acres going to grain next year are high, and that might create a pinch in seed supply:

“One thing happening throughout the whole seed industry, is that farmers in the deep south are switching away from cotton acres to grain acres in 2013.”
 

So, the advice here is to book early, especially for corn.
 

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