Wheat is a winner on Juliuson Grain Farms near Hope, N.D.

“We have a few fields most years that yield at least 100 bushels per acre,” says Alan Juliuson, who farms with his sons, Jeff and Luke. “But we are searching for ways to average that consistently year after year. We already average over 100 bushels on barley and need to wheat to get there.”

At 100 bushels per acre, wheat is usually a money maker, which is a good thing because the Juliusons want to keep wheat in their rotation. Their main business is growing dry edible beans, a high-value specialty crop. The pintos, small reds and kidney beans they grow do best when they follow wheat rather than corn in the rotation.

The Juliusons have several secrets to growing wheat that will consistently break the 100-bushel per acre mark. The main one is the amount of nitrogen (N) they apply.

“We are putting on the same amount of N for wheat as we would for 190-bushel corn,” Alan says.

They discovered just how much N wheat could use on their farm almost by accident. One year, they had fertilized a field for corn, but changed their plans at the last minute and seeded wheat.

“It turned out to be the best wheat that year,” Juliuson says.

Ever since, the Juliusons have worked to improve how they fertilize wheat. They soil test, variable rate apply fertilizer and take time to learn as much as possible about their soils.

Prevent lodging
How do the Juliusons prevent wheat from lodging when applying high amounts of N?

Selecting the right variety is important.

BIG HARVEST: A combine unloads wheat on the go at Juliuson Farms.

“Wheat genetics have improved a lot,” Alan says. Semi-dwarf varieties, with strong stalks, a good disease package, top end yield potential, protein levels above 14% is the combination they like.

The Juliusons work closely with The Arthur Companies, a Westbred wheat seed dealer. The Arthur Companies puts a wheat variety trial on their farm every year.

“Everyone should do a variety trial on their farm,” says Brandon Hokana, an Arthur Companies agronomist who consults with the Juliusons. “It is important to see how different varieties work on your farm with your soils and your management system.”

The Juliusons compare four or five lines to their best variety each year and usually pick one new product to add to their line-up. They plant four of five different wheat varieties every year, Juliuson says. Two or three are usually Westbred wheats. They also usually plant Rollag, a University of Minnesota line for straw.

In 2019, the Juliusons plan to increase the amount of N they apply to wheat. With soils that have cation exchange capacities (CEC) that range from 28-32, they believe they can apply large amounts of fertilizer in the fall and won’t have to worry about losing it to leaching or denitrification or it getting tied up with the soil clay particles, Juliuson says.

During the growing season, they will spray the wheat with Palisade, a growth regulator, to shorten the plants and reduce the risk of lodging.

IN TOUCH: Alan Juliuson (right) talks with his son Jeff about how the wheat crop looks.

“We used Palisade in barley starting in 2015 and it has worked well,” Juliuson says.

Plant population is important to high wheat yields, too.

The Juliusons vary the seeding rate by variety and by planting date. They’ll use higher rates for varieties that have a reputation for producing fewer tillers than other varieties. The later they plant in May, they will bump up the seeding rate wheat plants will likely tiller less in hotter, drier weather.

To keep the wheat plant as healthy as possible, they apply a fungicide with the post-emergent herbicide to guard against leaf disease and again at flowering to protect the heads from scab.

“We do it every year,” Juliuson says. “It’s automatic.”

The final key is marketing.

VARIETY TRIAL Brandon Hokana, an agronomist with The Arthur Companies, checks wheat in front of the combine. He helps Juliuson Farms do strip trials of new wheat varieties each year.

“We aren’t afraid to pre-sell wheat when can lock in a profit,” he says. “We know our costs and sell when it reaches our profit goals.”

The Juliusons post their gross revenue per acre target for the year on a sign in their shop.

“It keeps us on the same page,” Juliuson says, “and reminds us that if can generate that amount of gross income per acre, we will be profitable.”