Farmers are preparing for planting their next wheat crop this coming fall. And some of you may be considering choosing a new variety to plant. If so KSRE has several resources available to help you out.  

You can go to our Cottonwood Extension District web site at www.cottonwood.ksu.edu that’s cottonwood.ksu.edu click onto the Crops and Livestock tab and then look under Hot Topics for the Barton and Ellis County wheat demonstration plot results as a starting place. The Barton County results are not posted yet, because I do not have the results back from the K-State Extension Agronomy/Wheat team who put the test in and harvested it. However, I would not base my decisions on the results of un-replicated Count agent demonstration plots. They are used more as a platform to hold a field day each year and discuss the varieties strengths and weaknesses. 

Instead, I would highly encourage growers to make your variety selection decisions based more on K-State Agricultural Research Centers replicated wheat performance tests, and any companies replicated tests as well. 

These results from the Agricultural Research Centers can also be found on our web site, under Hot Topics section. Another resource under Hot Topics is the Kansas Wheat Variety Guide 2022. It has been renamed, it was formerly called the Wheat Variety Disease & Insect Ratings. And lastly Colorado State University has a wheat variety database that provides complete access to variety trial results in Colorado and several other Great Plains states including Kansas. The database also includes private company trial data. You can look at single location trial data, multiple location trial data and do Head-to-Head Comparisons of varieties. The link to the Colorado Wheat Variety Decision tool is also under the Hot Topics section on our web site. 

So, farmers to find all of those useful decision aid tools in helping you to choose a possible new wheat variety to plant this Fall. Go to www.cottonwood.ksu.edu or simply type into your internet browser, Cottonwood Extension, then click onto the Crops and Livestock tab and look under Hot Topics. 

Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Cottonwood Extension District. Email him at scampbel@ksu.edu or call the Hays office, 785-628-9430.