3. Environmental conditions, including weather and soil fertility, affect stress on stems and vegetative growth. Seeding rates are more accurate and the likelihood of achieving the targeted plant stand is improved when the rate is calculated based on the seeds per pound for the specific seed lot being planted. ConnectIN™, WestBred and Design® and WestBred® are trademarks of Bayer Group. Climate FieldView™ services provide estimates or recommendations based on models. Scouting for tillers should begin when main stems have three full leaves. QuickRoots® is a registered trademark of Novozymes. Seed cleaning and sizing is essential to remove straw, chaff, dirt, … Alpha Lattice with three replications. Weed management also depends on tiller scouting as some labels require tillers to have two to three leaves before herbicide application. Those who may still be planting by pounds or bushels per acre may want to consider a different approach. Consult your seed brand representative for more information on products best-adapted to your geography and the specific agronomic needs of your farm. If broadcasting, do so at a rate of approximately 100 pounds per acre. A general goal is to manage fields so each plant produces three tillers. With spring wheat, a yield loss of about 1/2 bushel per acre per day can be expected if planting occurs after April 15. “This substantial difference strongly suggests the importance of a variety-specific seeding rate recommendation,” Ransom says. Since wheat seed varies in seed size (seeds/lb) and germination rates, the following equation can be used to determine seeding rate in pounds per acre. Seeding rates (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 million seeds per acre). Please switch to a supported browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari. Evaluating seed product yield test data from two or more years and multiple locations can provide a more accurate indication of the potential performance of each wheat product. Normal seeding rates are considered to be 1.5 million seeds/acre on clay loam or lighter soils, and 1.8 million seeds/acre on heavy clay soils. Generally, this is equivalent to approximately 1 bushel rye seed/acre for crop production. Not only does the old bushels per acre rule-of-thumb not take into account a targeted plant population (the cornerstone of the crop year), it also ignores seed lot differences of size and weight. Smaller, lighter seeds can cause over seeding and could lead to lodging, increased disease, and greater input costs. per acre (seeding rate). WestBred seed suppliers have access to new tools to determine seeding rate based on wheat seed product, seed size and density, geography, planting date, and production practices. Seed Cleaning and Germinability. Conversely, a decreased seeding rate results in a decreased number of seeds per head and larger seeds. Next, divide the desired seeding rate for crimson clover by 0.39 (the number determined above). Purchasing certified seed can help ensure the wheat product is free of weed seed and certain diseases and offers the desired germination percentage. “I think I could be quoted as saying that in an environment where you grow 70 bushels and greater wheat, the data supports reducing the seed rate by probably 200,000 plants per acre. Averaged across all environments and varieties, the highest yield was obtained at the 1.40 million seeds per acre seeding rate. Farm Progress is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC. If planting is delayed past the optimum time period, the initial stand should be increased by 1 percent for each day planting is delayed. “Wheat intended for pasture should be seeded at a high rate — about 120 pounds of seed per acre — and planted early,” says Jim Shroyer, Kansas State University Extension agronomist. Heads per plant, or tillering, is a trait affected by environmental conditions, including soil fertility, planting date, and agronomic practices such as seeding rate. In the range of acceptable seeding rates, shorter wheat products with strong straw can be planted at higher seeding rates with less risk of lodging. FieldView™ is a trademark of The Climate Corporation. If you choose treated seed, make sure the seeds are adequately covered. Although the varieties used in this study were not the most recent or most popular varieties, they had known traits and genes that helped the researchers help us develop models to predict an optimum seeding rate for new varieties with those traits and genes. Attaining a consistent seed depth is important in order to increase the probability of … All spring grains should be sown with a grain drill to a depth of 1 to 1-1/2 inches. The optimal seeding rate for oats is 96 pounds or 3 bushels per acre, whereas spring barley and spring wheat do best at 2 bushels per acre. Germination should be found on the seed tag. Therefore, to maximize yield seeding rate recommendations in pounds per acre should be converted to seeds per acre. Furthermore, this supports the recommendation of using a slightly higher seeding rate when planting is delayed beyond the optimum window.”. All seed was treated, but the chemicals and rates used varied according to the preferences of the originating organization. 2. “This result gives emphasis to the importance of being conservative on seeding rates when growing a variety with a known propensity to lodging,” Ransom says. Seeding different varieties at the same pounds per acre can result in significantly different plant populations. Mueller and fellow SDSU Extension agronomists have been researching spring wheat seeding rates since 2010. “Conversely, for lower yielding environments, there may be an economical advantage to increasing the seeding rate over the general recommendation of 1.4 million seeds per acre. Lodging increases chances for disease, complicates harvest, and negatively affects yield potential. Alfalfa: 60: 10-20: Medium Red Clover : 60: 10-15: … For a wheat variety like Superb, that would equate to about 2.35 bushels per acre. For example, the seeding rate for wheat in western Kansas ranges from 40 to 60 pounds per acre, and increases from 50 to 60 pounds per acre and 60 to 75 pounds per acre in central and eastern areas, respectively. Nitrogen rates (0, 45, 90, 135, 180 pounds per acre). Seeding depth can be as deep as 1½ inches, but a depth of only ½ to ¾ inch will increase the rate of emergence, establishment and forage production potential. Broadcast 40 lbs per acre, February-May or August-October * Broadcasting seeding, which is usually done with a lime spreader is a quick way to plant large acreage. 5. Wheat has traditionally been planted by the pound. Dryland fields in the Panhandle can have their seeding rate lowered to 45 lb/acre. Informa Markets, a trading division of Informa PLC. Farmers calculate corn and soybean rates by seed count and should do the same for small grains. Privacy Policy | Conditions of Use | Product Legal Notice. Also remember to adjust your planter. 1.25 - 1.30. In addition to these agronomic reasons, calculating optimal seeding rates is important to farmers for economic reasons. This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Suggested planting rates for Kansas crops. Seeding rates can be reduced for products that tiller well and are planted timely in good soil conditions. For cover crop, 40 lbs./acre is good rate for new growers. Based on predictive equations, the optimum average seeding rate was 1.47 million seeds per acre. This browser is no longer supported. In general, southern locations had more stems per plant, and wheat planted in high-yielding locations had fewer stems per plant. "This research showed a seeding rate of 1.2 million pure live seeds (PLS) … Seeding rate ranges for the state are recommended between 1.6 million and 2.1 million seeds per acre. A 2014 Kansas State study of seed treatment samples indicated 42% of the samples had inadequate seed coverage. All rights reserved. Use this calculator to decide how much seed you need to plant to obtain the desired plant population and calibrate your seeder. For a broadcast situation that’s going to look like 37 to 48 seeds per square foot. It may be beneficial to increase seeding rates for products that tiller less, are planted later than the optimum, or are planted in rough seedbed conditions. How heavy should the new spring wheat varieties be seeded? Example: 25 (plants per sq. Treated seeds are larger than non-treated seeds, a factor in determining your seeding rate. When planting oats, spring wheat, and barley, farmers typically plant two to three bushels of small grains per acre, but there is a better way to optimize plant populations and grain yields. Cover crop rates vary between 20 to 50 lbs/acre. Seeding rates tailored to wheat products can help farmers maximize the return on their seed investment while helping mitigate risks associated with under or over seeding. This range can be as many as 10,000 to as much as 20,000 seeds per pound. Legumes: Per BU. can be flexed to reach the same yield with fewer plants. 2. 25 lbs./acre divided by 0.39 = 64 lbs./acre of crimson clover. Environment plays a significant role in the optimum seeding rate. The optimum stand of winter wheat is 900,000 to 1,000,000 plants per acre or 21 to 23 plants per square feet. Seeding Rate (lbs/acre) = ( (desired stand in plants per acre)/ (1-expected stand loss))/ ( (seeds per pound)X (% germinaton)) The expected stand loss can vary … 4. https://www.farmprogress.com/sites/all/themes/penton_subtheme_farmprogress/images/logos/footer.png. All rights reserved. More information at http://www.climate.com/disclaimers. Winterhardiness,yielding ability, straw strength, height, grain quality, andresistance to Hessian fly and diseases (particularly Septoria leaf andglume blotch, powdery mildew, and leaf rust) all must be consideredwhen choosing a variety. Seeding shorter statured varieties like Rollag and Linkert, on the other hand, at seeding rates higher than 1.4 million seeds per acre, will probably result in a positive economic return, especially for environments that are low to moderate for yield. Number 8860726. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. The number of heads per pure live seed planted decreases, with increased seeding rates. OSU recommends a 60 lb/acre seeding rate for grain-only production when planted during that optimal mid-October time. These do not guarantee results. Varieties differed in their response to seeding rate. As an example, Albany, which tillers profusely at low seeding rates, had an optimum seeding rate across all environments of 1.06 million seeds per acre, while Kuntz, the variety that produced the lowest number of tillers at a given seeding rate in the study, had an optimum of 2.03 million seeds per acre. Seed Cleaning and Germinability. In 2019, Seahawk soft white spring wheat was planted in a trial (results in Figure 1) with the following treatments: Starter fertilizer (with and without). The heights of wheat products can vary from short and medium-short to tall. Spring wheat is seeded at higher population compared to winter wheat. If you broadcasted the seeds, use a cultipacker to pack the ground after seeding. Ask your wheat seed dealer about seed counts for the wheat product you purchase. Note that it is important to determine kernel weight and know the germination status of your seed. (LBS.) Data from 2013 to 2015 including 12 hard red spring wheat products planted across Minnesota and North Dakota demonstrates tillering can be predictive. The optimum stand is less than hard red spring wheat (HRSW) because the crop will have more opportunity to tiller … SEED NUMBERS: Wheat seedlings emerge in the spring. Seed cleaning and sizing is essential to remove straw, chaff, dirt, … >65 bu per acre), seeding rates need not be increased to achieve higher yields, but in fact, they should probably be reduced slightly,” Ransom says. The optimum seeding rate for the bottom seven yielding environments in the study was 1.66 million seeds per acre, while in the top seven yielding environments the optimum seeding rate was 1.33 million seeds per acre. Per cent survival is the percentage of seeds planted that germinate and emerge into vigorous seedlings. Seeding Rate (lbs/acre) = ((desired stand in plants per acre)/(1-expected stand loss))/((seeds per pound)X(% germinaton)). ©2020 Bayer Group. Spring wheat is seeded at higher population compared to winter wheat. Sometimes recommendations for good wheat stands are based on seedlings per foot of row. The best seeding rate will vary by variety and soil’s productivity. Clearfield® is a registered trademark of BASF Corporation. If you're still seeding wheat by "about two bushels per acre", it's time to revisit your seeding strategy. In 2016, North Dakota State University and University of Minnesota researchers concluded a large multi-year, multi-location experiment to determine optimum seeding rates. For best results, oat should be drill-planted on a conventionally tilled seedbed at a seeding rate of 80 to 100 pounds of seed per acre. These differences are due to increased rainfall from west to east. It’s time to plant small grains. Larger, denser seeds means fewer seeds planted. Averaged across all environments and varieties, the highest yield was obtained at the 1.40 million seeds per acre seeding rate. Seeding rates should be increased by 1% for each day planting is delayed up to a maximum rate of 1.6 million seeds per acre. The optimum seeding rate for Briggs, a variety with weak straw, was 1.02 million seeds per acre, while the optimum seeding rate for Rollag, one of the most lodging resistant varieties in the study, was 1.84 million seeds per acre.”. It requires 50% more seed per acre than drilling small grain. If the desired stand was around one million seeds per acre, then the first … The higher wheat and cattle prices will affect decisions for fall wheat planting. Lodging increased as seeding rate increased. Seeding Rate Calculator. Seeding rates per linear foot of row were standardized to the rate that would equate with a stand of 2.0 million seeds per acre in a solid stand planted in 7.5” rows. Broadcasting seeding often results in more uneven stands & lower yields than drilling ft.) x 43 (g) x 10 ÷ 85 (per cent survival) = 126 lb. Calculate the seeding rate using the following equation: Seeding rate (pounds per acre) = [desired stand / (1 - expected stand loss)] / [(seeds per pound) x percent germination] Optimal stand.