“Stand By Your Wheat”

Create the Best Wheat Stand With  Biologicals

Locus AG Agronomist David Dyson discusses how to create the best wheat stand before winter dormancy

As I am driving down the road to visit Locus AG’s extensive test plot system around Allen County, Indiana, an oldie but goodie comes on the radio: Tammy Wynette’s 1980 classic “Stand by Your Man.” Listening to Tammy sing about the need to stand by your man even during tough times got me thinking about how to create the best wheat stand this fall before the winter dormancy takes hold.

Is Wheat Making a Comeback?

In years past, wheat was a secondary crop behind corn or soybeans, relegated to manure management or put in the rotation for drainage tile installation.  We saw a shift these recent years with the worldwide grain shortage due to disruptions in shipping through the Black Sea. Wheat prices are still elevated, and there are many benefits to including winter wheat in the crop rotation.  

What Should Your Wheat Stand Count Be? 

A profitable wheat crop takes more than planting the seed and hoping for the best; hope is never a good strategy. Planning and preparation are the keys for success in any venture you pursue, especially in planting, where you have one chance to get everything right.   

The most important pass you will make across your field will be the planting pass.

When planting wheat, getting the accurate number of seeds per acre and placing those seeds correctly is vital for a successful crop. Why? Because the success of an abundant emerged wheat crop depends on proper placement of the seeds. You want the final emerged wheat stand count to be in the ballpark of 1.7 million plants per acre.  

What Nutrients are Necessary for a Successful Wheat Crop?

According to Purdue, a 100-bushel wheat crop will need up to 138 pounds of mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) and 213 pounds of the fertilizer, Potash. (See figure 1 for an easy-to-understand chart on nutrient removal for various crops.)    

Figure 1: This nutrient removal chart from Purdue University can be found at https://www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/corn/news/articles.08/pkfert-0915.html

As fertilizer prices remain elevated, we need every pound we put into each wheat crop to be available to the plant.

Commercial fertilizers, such as MAP and Potash, can take several months to be fully available to the crop. Organic fertilizer, such as crop residue and animal manure, can take years to be available to the crop. Yet, having enough nutrients for that little seedling to survive will guarantee a proper final emerged wheat stand.  So how can we speed up the availability of these crucial nutrients?  

Locus AG Biologicals Enhance Nutrient Uptake in Winter Wheat

Locus Agricultural Solutions (Locus AG) has the solution for both a consistent emerged population and greater nutrient availability for your winter wheat crop.

• Pantego Duo^® BA is a seed-applied product developed specifically for wheat. It is a living biological that consists of one yeast strain and one fungal strain that congregate both around the roots and up inside the plant.

• Pantego Duo^® BA mineralizes nutrients quickly and helps transport the available nutrients up and into the plant. This creates an environment that will support faster and a greater volume of emergence. There is no need for complicated seed treating equipment. With just a twist of the wrist, the exceptionally fine talc/graphite carrier will cling to the seed and the biologicals will be carried down into the soil.

Read more about Locus AG’s Pantego line of products.

Locus AG provides a safe and sustainable way to mineralize commercial or organic nutrients quicker.  When more nutrients are available to the crop, you will get a better wheat stand and a healthier crop.    

In conclusion, Locus Agriculture Solution can provide producers with a safe and sustainable way to mineralize commercial or organic nutrients quicker.  When more nutrients are available to the crop, you will get a better stand and a more vigorous crop.  Better stands and a more vigorous crop will produce more grain. At our 6 University and CRO trials across the Midwest we saw a 7 bu/ac (11%) increase in yield on average when Pantego Duo® BA was applied to the wheat seed, figure 2.  The difference in yield between the grower standard and where Pantego Duo BA was applied was statistically significant. Pantego Duo® BA can not only make more nutrients available in the soil and to the crop but will increase yield and money in your pocket.  

Figure 2: This data was captured from third party Universities and CROs located in Kansas, Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee.  The difference between the grower practice and Pantego Duo was statistically significant.

Contact Locus AG

For more information on soil biologicals and how they can help you maximize your wheat stand this season, contact us using the form below.

About the Author: David Dyson is the lead agronomist for Locus AG. He is an Indiana native and grew up on a dairy farm in the north central part of the state. Dave is a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Crop & Soil Science. He has worked in the ag industry for 25+ years and has an extensive knowledge of various agronomic topics. If you have any questions, Dave can be reached using the form below.