Prairie Grains Feb/March 98 Winter Kill

Issue 12
Feb/March 1998
SDSU Developing System to Predict Winter Kill

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Prairie Grains is the
official publication of
the Minnesota
Association of
Wheat Growers,
North Dakota Grain
Growers Association,
South Dakota Wheat,
Inc., and the
Minnesota Barley
Growers Association.

With the use of soil temperature logging devices and a notebook computer, South Dakota researchers are developing a system to predict freeze damage in winter wheat.
The soil temperature logging devices (Optic StowAway Temp Recorders) are small, cigar-shaped, totally-sealed plastic data recorders. The temperature recording probes can be placed in the soil at crown depth in the field to monitor soil temperature each hour through the winter. The temperatures can be read optically by a connection to a notebook computer.
Information gained from these data recorders can be used to predict the survival of winter wheat. Varieties currently grown in western South Dakota can tolerate soil temperatures down to 10 degrees F. with very little loss of stand.
The more winter hardy varieties can tolerate temperatures down to five degrees F. and the most winter hardy varieties can tolerate temperatures of 0 degrees F. This information has been gained from researchers working on cold tolerances in winter wheat.
Last winter four of the probes were placed in research plots to track soil temperatures during the coldest period of January, when there was very little snow cover on the winter wheat planted into fallow. The soil temperatures in the fallow plots dipped to below five degrees during this period of time. The Arapahoe winter wheat in this case was dead the following spring and had to be replanted to spring wheat.
Nekota was planted into millet and spring wheat stubble in the same experiment. The soil temperature probes recorded a temperature of 18 degrees during this same period of time. The Nekota wheat survived and had a good stand. This points out the importance of standing stubble to trap snow to protect the crop.
Through the wheat checkoff, the SD Wheat Commission is helping to fund an additional 45 soil probes to be placed at different locations where winter wheat is grown. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to give an early warning on potential winter injury to winter wheat producers.n

Copyright Prairie
Grains Magazine
Feb-March 1998

Issue 12 Feb/March 1998	SDSU Developing System to Predict Winter Kill

Library Home E-Mail Back Prairie Grains is the official publication of the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Grain Growers Association, South Dakota Wheat, Inc., and the Minnesota Barley Growers Association.	With the use of soil temperature logging devices and a notebook computer, South Dakota researchers are developing a system to predict freeze damage in winter wheat. The soil temperature logging devices (Optic StowAway Temp Recorders) are small, cigar-shaped, totally-sealed plastic data recorders. The temperature recording probes can be placed in the soil at crown depth in the field to monitor soil temperature each hour through the winter. The temperatures can be read optically by a connection to a notebook computer. Information gained from these data recorders can be used to predict the survival of winter wheat. Varieties currently grown in western South Dakota can tolerate soil temperatures down to 10 degrees F. with very little loss of stand. The more winter hardy varieties can tolerate temperatures down to five degrees F. and the most winter hardy varieties can tolerate temperatures of 0 degrees F. This information has been gained from researchers working on cold tolerances in winter wheat. Last winter four of the probes were placed in research plots to track soil temperatures during the coldest period of January, when there was very little snow cover on the winter wheat planted into fallow. The soil temperatures in the fallow plots dipped to below five degrees during this period of time. The Arapahoe winter wheat in this case was dead the following spring and had to be replanted to spring wheat. Nekota was planted into millet and spring wheat stubble in the same experiment. The soil temperature probes recorded a temperature of 18 degrees during this same period of time. The Nekota wheat survived and had a good stand. This points out the importance of standing stubble to trap snow to protect the crop. Through the wheat checkoff, the SD Wheat Commission is helping to fund an additional 45 soil probes to be placed at different locations where winter wheat is grown. Ultimately, the goal of the project is to give an early warning on potential winter injury to winter wheat producers.n
Copyright Prairie Grains Magazine Feb-March 1998

SDSU Developing System to Predict Winter Kill

Copyright Prairie Grains Magazine Feb-March 1998

Copyright Prairie
Grains Magazine
Feb-March 1998