Winter Wheat Behind Grain Sorghum Possible

This week we’ve heard from NC State Small Grain Specialist Dr. Randy Weisz on some of the issues with planting winter wheat behind grain sorghum. Today, we conclude with Dr. Weisz’ final recommendation for later in the growing season:

Weisz suggests that if you do plant winter wheat behind sorghum, start monitoring the crop early:
 

“Two things that are important for wheat producers, whether they are following sorghum or not, is that they monitor the way the wheat is developing in the fall. One of the concerns we had is if the compounds are present in the soil and they have done conventional tillage, some Midwest work suggests that if there is going to be a problem under those conditions they will see it fairly soon after planting.”
 

That compound is said to look like a Haitian fly problem:
 

“We know that sorghum residue can tie up nutrients, so the last shot to check with wheat to see where your crop is in terms of nitrogen and pot ash is at growth stage 30, usually the first of March. We have a really good tissue test. If growers think their wheat doesn’t look just like it should, a tissue test is an excellent way to get a good read.”
 

To recap:
 

“Kill your sorghum. Make sure your pre plant fertility levels are good. Tillage is very important to hasten the decay of sorghum residues. Be prepared to do an early split of nitrogen in February.”

To learn more about planting winter wheat behind grain sorghum check out other past stories:

Attention to Detail Important When Planting Winter Wheat Behind Sorghum

Extension Specialist Explain Issues of Planting Wheat behind Grain Sorghum

Time to Plant Winter Wheat in North Carolinas

Dr. Randy Weisz, NC State Small Grain Specialist on Inside Agriculture