The recent increase in wheat prices is gaining the interest of some Iowa farmers, but planting spring wheat is not without challenges. Iowa State University Agronomy Extension has released a fact sheet on producing spring wheat in Iowa to help farmers make informed decisions about whether or not to try growing the crop.

Lance Gibson, professor of agronomy at ISU, says careful seed selection and early planting are key to spring wheat success in Iowa. "Iowa was a major producer of spring wheat from the mid-1800s until the early part of the 20th century," he says. "Spring wheat can be a viable crop in Iowa, but the high moisture environment within the state poses challenges."

The fact sheet provides Iowa farmers with a template for increasing the chances of success when growing spring wheat. Some of the recommendations include identifying markets before planting, proper fertilization, selecting disease resistant varieties and planting early.

The fact sheet can be found at www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/AG202.pdf or by contacting your local ISU Extension office.

Here are links to spring wheat variety trial in formation from the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin.

www.maes.umn.edu/08varietaltrials/redspringwheat.pdf
soybean.uwex.edu/wheattrials/printable/documents/WI%20Smalll%20Grains.pdf