Was High Wheat Yield an Abnormality? Time Will Tell

So, it might have been a little surprising when some people driving near the Northeast campus this spring and summer noticed two wheatfields. And given the yield and other factors that the experiment provided, it’s a safe bet it will be tried again.

Jason Hansen, associate director of the Northeast college farm, said 31 acres of hard red winter wheat were planted last September. 

Hansen said he personally had planted winter wheat, but in looking through college records, he couldn’t find any evidence that it had been planted on the college farm.

“You can plant it after you cut silage or after you combine beans,” Hansen said. “That’s typically the type of crops it follows.”

Both wheat fields were harvested last week, averaging 80 bushels an acre. There were spots that averaged 120 to 130 bushels, with a few spots that dragged it down. For dryland wheat, the yield was outstanding.

‘Perfect Storm’

With winter wheat, it is ideal if it can get about two to three inches of growth before the first frost. At that height, it can withstand the winter.