It's almost impossible to get the same effect through broadcasting. With soybeans coming off so late, there's no time to waste on unnecessary tillage, Johnson says. Instead, follow the combine as closely as possible with the drill. Plant red or white based on price outlook. Typically, red wheats out-yield whites by four bushels per acre.
Reds also sprout less.
Johnson says growers should take a hard look at Fundulea as well. Some growers had fusarium in 1996 and dwarf bunt in 1997, and are simply turned off wheat. That's a mistake, Johnson says. He points to a farmer-run trial showing that when wheat is left in the rotation, corn yields are 21 bushels an acre higher, and soybean yields jump 5.5 bushels. Throughout most of the province, borer populations are at a mere fraction of their levels over the past two years.