Winter Cereal Acres Increase in ND

| 1/12/2012

North Dakota farmers responded to some unique opportunities this past fall to increase their winter wheat acres. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service this morning reported acreage in North Dakota was up by 75% to 700,000 acres.

"Growers were likely most influenced by the record number of prevent plant acres they experienced this year and several other factors that were favorable for planting winter wheat," said Blake Vander Vorst, Ducks Unlimited senior agronomist. "When the weather finally turned dry in late summer, some of the fields dried out and the timing was right for planting winter wheat."

Producers were also encouraged to plant more acres because of the crop`s benefits of workload spreading, higher yields and profitability. Winter wheat also helps growers to build their overall crop insurance proven yield for wheat. Federal crop insurance considers hard red spring wheat and winter wheat as one crop for crop insurance purposes in North Dakota and in some South Dakota counties.

The response of winter wheat variety trials to Stratego and Prosaro fungicide reflects the above average seasonal moisture in 2011 and the season-long disease pressure. Yields increased by an average of 25% for the fungicide-treated winter wheat in variety trials conducted at twelve locations in the Dakotas. South Dakota farmers decreased winter wheat seeded acreage by 18%, Montana`s acres decreased by 2% and Minnesota`s increased by 67% .

NASS yield data for North Dakota for the 13-year period from 1999 to 2011 reports winter wheat had a 19% yield advantage over spring wheat and a 1% to 30% yield advantage on any given year. Growers who work with DU commonly indicate a 20% to 30% increase over spring wheat and up to a 50% increase in years that are drier and warmer than normal.

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