No one can deny that drought is one of the biggest impacts on agricultural production, and a persistent issue for wheat growers.
The cost of U.S. drought events averages over $9 billion per year, with an annual cost of over $6 billion, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.
For wheat growers, drought is a common enemy that can have long-term effects on profitability. The vast majority of wheat grown in the Northern Plains is produced under dryland conditions, not irrigation. Wheat crops rely on stored soil moisture and timely rains to produce a high-yield crop. Drought has a negative impact on crop growth and yield, with shorter grain stalks and small or grain-less heads.
In early spring of 2022, more than half of the United States was experiencing some level of drought stress, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. In May, the Kansas Wheat Association reported much of southwest Kansas has gone nearly 300 days without an inch of precipitation.
Wheat fields experiencing long-term drought are more likely to see germination and emergence problems, and will need to see multiple rain events to recover the subsoil moisture for the wheat crop to produce a full stalk and grain head.
What to Do When Rain Comes
When rain returns, it will also cause weeds seeds to germinate quickly, with limited crop canopy competition, and quickly absorb soil moisture before the crop does.
Depending on where growers are in the production cycle, they will need to be ready to perform tillage or planting as soon as possible after these rain events to maximize soil moisture availability and manage weed pressures.
Herbicide application is also a key tool to prevent weeds from taking over during drought recovery. UPL offers growers several herbicide options to control water-stealing weeds in spring and winter wheat fields.
- Different tactics are necessary depending on the time of year: growers might use an early fall burndown strategy before planting winter wheat or a spring burndown treatment prior to planting spring wheat.
- Reducing tillage is an effective way to conserve moisture. However, then herbicide solutions need to target both broadleaf and grass weeds. Learn more about herbicide layering in wheat.
- In-season, growers will want to scout the field routinely to monitor weed species as they emerge. Different plant species have different emergence patterns, so growers should be ready to apply herbicides in a timely manner.
Harvest Is the Beginning of the Next Season
After harvest, growers can use several tools to conserve moisture and prepare the soil for production in the next season.
No-till or reduced tillage is a common practice for many growers to reduce moisture loss, as well as to impact soil structure. Maintaining soil coverage, whether from crop residue or a cover crop could improve moisture infiltration and retention, according to the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Growers should look at weed control as a season-long strategy. Many weeds are best controlled when less than 3” tall. In a drought situation, weeds are quick to react to any rain event, so scouting for weed pressures is important even after the crop has been harvested.
Weeds that are left unmanaged before the next season will take valuable moisture and nutrients away from the next crop, as well as produce seeds that will impact fields for years to come. According to the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, uncontrolled weeds in the season also serve as hosts for insects and pests that cause disease.
Growers know that one rain shower after a drought will be enough to return their fields into high wheat production. Talk to your local retailer or UPL representative to find the best herbicide solutions for your production system.
