Harvest Tips

Wheat harvest has begun across the country.  Agriculture.com wanted to give you a few tips about harvesting and double planting soybeans.

The ideal moisture to harvest wheat is between 20% to 14%.  Below 14% you'll start to see yield loss.  Rain can also lower test weight and quality if below 14%.  Air drying the wheat will give you the best quality.  For long term storage make sure the wheat is dried to 12.5%.

If you notice head scab, be sure to increase your fan speed and use air to blow out the light, discolored kernels.  If you're going to store wheat with head scab, be sure to dry it quickly down to 13% to help stop the spread.  Below is a picture of wheat with head scab.

Remember that 17 kernels per square foot left behind the combine is about 1 bu./A.

Cut the wheat at 8 to 12 inches.  The taller stubble helps maintain soil moisture and encourages more height from the double crop soybeans.

If you are planning to store to stubble, keep in mind the fertilizer you are removing.  Wheat straw can remove 0.68 lbs of P205 per bushel and 2.03 lbs of K20 per bushel.  So 80 bushel wheat straw will remove 54.4 lbs of P205 and 162.4 lbs of K20.

If you are not planning on baling the straw, be sure to setup your combine to spread evenly across the field.  This will help even out double planting soy beans.

Double Planting Soybeans

When planting double crop soybeans select a medium to long season variety.  It normally takes soybeans 90 days to mature, so be sure to give yourself time for the average first frost.  

For the best double crop, make sure to plant 15" rows and narrow.  We want to encourage fast growth and a quick canopy.  Plant higher than normal populations, most double crop soybeans are planted in 15" rows at 200,000+ and 220,000+.

The most important thing to remember is to plant with good moisture.  Good seed to soil contact with moisture equals quick emergence and a higher yield.